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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to tuition and laboratory fee exemptions at public |
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institutions of higher education for certain volunteer |
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firefighters enrolled in fire science courses. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 54.208, Education Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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Sec. 54.208. FIREFIGHTERS [FIREMEN] ENROLLED IN FIRE |
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SCIENCE COURSES. (a) The governing board of an institution of |
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higher education [boards of the state institutions of collegiate
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rank supported in whole or in part by public funds] shall exempt |
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from the payment of tuition and laboratory fees any student |
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enrolled in one or more courses offered as part of a fire science |
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curriculum who: |
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(1) [person who] is employed as a firefighter |
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[fireman] by a [any] political subdivision of this [the] state; or |
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(2) is an active member of an organized volunteer fire |
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department in this state, as defined by the fire fighters' pension |
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commissioner, who holds: |
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(A) an Accredited Advanced level of |
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certification, or an equivalent successor certification, under the |
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State Firemen's and Fire Marshal's Association of Texas volunteer |
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certification program; or |
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(B) Phase V (Firefighter II) certification, or an |
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equivalent successor certification, under the Texas Commission on |
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Fire Protection's voluntary certification program under Section |
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419.071, Government Code [and who enrolls in a course or courses
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offered as part of a fire science curriculum]. |
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(b) An [The] exemption provided under this section does not |
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apply to deposits that [which] may be required in the nature of |
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security for the return or proper care of property loaned for the |
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use of students. |
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SECTION 2. The changes in law made by this Act to Section |
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54.208, Education Code, apply beginning with tuition and laboratory |
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fees charged for the 2009 fall semester. Tuition and laboratory |
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fees charged for an academic period before the 2009 fall semester |
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are covered by the law in effect immediately before the effective |
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date of this Act, and the former law is continued in effect for that |
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purpose. |
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SECTION 3. 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. |