H.B. No. 2013
 
 
 
 
AN ACT
  relating to tuition and laboratory fee exemptions at public
  institutions of higher education for certain volunteer
  firefighters enrolled in fire science courses.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 54.208, Education Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         Sec. 54.208.  FIREFIGHTERS  [FIREMEN] ENROLLED IN FIRE
  SCIENCE COURSES. (a)  The governing board of an institution of
  higher education [boards of the state institutions of collegiate
  rank supported in whole or in part by public funds] shall exempt
  from the payment of tuition and laboratory fees any student
  enrolled in one or more courses offered as part of a fire science
  curriculum who:
               (1)  [person who] is employed as a firefighter
  [fireman] by a [any] political subdivision of this [the] state; or
               (2)  is currently, and has been for at least one year,
  an active member of an organized volunteer fire department in this
  state, as defined by the fire fighters' pension commissioner, who
  holds:
                     (A)  an Accredited Advanced level of
  certification, or an equivalent successor certification, under the
  State Firemen's and Fire Marshals' Association of Texas volunteer
  certification program; or
                     (B)  Phase V (Firefighter II) certification, or an
  equivalent successor certification, under the Texas Commission on
  Fire Protection's voluntary certification program under Section
  419.071, Government Code [and who enrolls in a course or courses
  offered as part of a fire science curriculum].
         (b)  An [The] exemption provided under this section does not
  apply to deposits that [which] may be required in the nature of
  security for the return or proper care of property loaned for the
  use of students.
         (c)  Notwithstanding Subsection (a), a student who for a
  semester or term at an institution of higher education receives an
  exemption under this section may continue to receive the exemption
  for a subsequent semester or term at any institution only if the
  student makes satisfactory academic progress toward a degree or
  certificate at that institution as determined by the institution
  for purposes of financial aid.
         (d)  Notwithstanding Subsection (a), the exemption provided
  under this section does not apply to any amount of additional
  tuition the institution elects to charge a resident undergraduate
  student under Section 54.014(a) or (f).
         (e)  Notwithstanding Subsection (a), the exemption provided
  under this section does not apply to any amount of tuition the
  institution charges a graduate student in excess of the amount of
  tuition charged to similarly situated graduate students because the
  student has a number of semester credit hours of doctoral work in
  excess of the applicable number provided by Section 61.059(l)(1) or
  (2).
         (f)  The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board shall
  adopt:
               (1)  rules governing the granting or denial of an
  exemption under this section, including rules relating to the
  determination of a student's eligibility for an exemption; and
               (2)  a uniform listing of degree programs covered by
  the exemption under this section.
         SECTION 2.  A student who received an exemption under
  Section 54.208, Education Code, before the 2009 fall semester may
  continue to receive the exemption under the provisions of that
  section as it existed immediately before the effective date of this
  Act as long as the student remains enrolled in the same degree or
  certificate program and is otherwise eligible to continue to
  receive the exemption under that former law.
         SECTION 3.  The changes in law made by this Act to Section
  54.208, Education Code, apply beginning with tuition and laboratory
  fees charged for the 2009 fall semester. Tuition and laboratory
  fees charged for an academic period before the 2009 fall semester
  are covered by the law in effect immediately before the effective
  date of this Act, and the former law is continued in effect for that
  purpose.
         SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
  a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
  provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this
  Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
  Act takes effect September 1, 2009.
 
 
  ______________________________ ______________________________
     President of the Senate Speaker of the House     
 
 
         I certify that H.B. No. 2013 was passed by the House on May
  11, 2009, by the following vote:  Yeas 125, Nays 20, 2 present, not
  voting; and that the House concurred in Senate amendments to H.B.
  No. 2013 on May 29, 2009, by the following vote:  Yeas 138, Nays 0,
  1 present, not voting.
 
  ______________________________
  Chief Clerk of the House   
 
         I certify that H.B. No. 2013 was passed by the Senate, with
  amendments, on May 25, 2009, by the following vote:  Yeas 31, Nays
  0.
 
  ______________________________
  Secretary of the Senate   
  APPROVED: __________________
                  Date       
   
           __________________
                Governor