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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to resident tuition rates at public institutions of higher |
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education for certain veterans and their spouses and children. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 54.058, Education Code, is amended by |
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adding Subsections (k) and (l) to read as follows: |
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(k) A person is entitled to pay tuition and fees at an |
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institution of higher education at the rates provided for Texas |
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residents without regard to the length of time the person has |
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resided in this state if the person files with the institution at |
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which the person intends to register a letter of intent to establish |
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residence in this state and resides in this state while enrolled in |
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the institution and the person: |
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(1) is eligible for benefits under the federal |
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Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008 (38 U.S.C. |
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Section 3301 et seq.) or any other federal law authorizing |
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educational benefits for veterans; |
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(2) is the spouse of a person described by Subdivision |
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(1); or |
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(3) is a child of a person described by Subdivision (1) |
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who is 25 years of age or younger on the first day of the semester or |
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other academic term for which the person is registering, except |
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that the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board by rule shall |
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prescribe procedures by which a person who suffered from a severe |
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illness or other debilitating condition that affected the person's |
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ability to use the benefit provided by this subsection before |
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reaching that age may be granted additional time to use the benefit |
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corresponding to the time the person was unable to use the benefit |
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because of the illness or condition. |
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(l) In this section, "child" includes a stepchild. |
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SECTION 2. Section 54.058(k), Education Code, as added by |
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this Act, applies beginning with tuition and other fees charged for |
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the 2009 fall semester. Tuition and other fees charged for an |
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academic period before that term or semester are covered by the law |
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in effect immediately before the effective date of this Act, and the |
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former law is continued in effect for that purpose. |
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SECTION 3. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board |
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shall adopt the rules required by Section 54.058(k)(3), Education |
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Code, as added by this Act, as soon as practicable after this Act |
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takes effect. For that purpose, the coordinating board may adopt |
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the initial rules in the manner provided by law for emergency rules. |
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SECTION 4. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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Act takes effect September 1, 2009. |