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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to tuition and fee exemptions at public institutions of |
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higher education for certain veterans of the Texas State Guard. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 54.203(a), Education Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(a) The governing board of each institution of higher |
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education shall exempt the following persons from the payment of |
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all dues, fees, and charges, including fees for correspondence |
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courses but excluding general deposit fees, student services fees, |
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and any fees or charges for lodging, board, or clothing, provided |
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the persons seeking the exemptions were citizens of Texas at the |
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time they entered the services indicated and have resided in Texas |
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for at least the period of 12 months before the date of |
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registration: |
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(1) all nurses and honorably discharged members of the |
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armed forces of the United States who served during the |
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Spanish-American War or during World War I; |
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(2) all nurses, members of the Women's Army Auxiliary |
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Corps, members of the Women's Auxiliary Volunteer Emergency |
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Service, and all honorably discharged members of the armed forces |
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of the United States who served during World War II except those who |
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were discharged from service because they were over the age of 38 or |
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because of a personal request on the part of the person that the |
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person [he] be discharged from service; |
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(3) all honorably discharged men and women of the |
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armed forces of the United States who served during the national |
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emergency which began on June 27, 1950, and which is referred to as |
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the Korean War; [and] |
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(4) all persons who were honorably discharged from the |
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armed forces of the United States after serving on active military |
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duty, excluding training, for more than 180 days and who served a |
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portion of their active duty during: |
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(A) the Cold War which began on the date of the |
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termination of the national emergency cited in Subdivision (3) [of
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this subsection]; |
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(B) the Vietnam era which began on December 21, |
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1961, and ended on May 7, 1975; |
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(C) the Grenada and Lebanon era which began on |
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August 24, 1982, and ended on July 31, 1984; |
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(D) the Panama era which began on December 20, |
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1989, and ended on January 21, 1990; |
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(E) the Persian Gulf War which began on August 2, |
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1990, and ends on the date thereafter prescribed by Presidential |
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proclamation or September 1, 1997, whichever occurs first; |
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(F) the national emergency by reason of certain |
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terrorist attacks that began on September 11, 2001; or |
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(G) any future national emergency declared in |
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accordance with federal law; and |
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(5) all persons who: |
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(A) were honorably discharged from the Texas |
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State Guard after serving on active duty in the Texas State Guard by |
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call or order of the governor under Section 431.053, Government |
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Code, excluding training, for a cumulative period of more than 90 |
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days; and |
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(B) served a portion of the active duty described |
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by Paragraph (A) on or after September 1, 1971. |
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SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act applies |
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beginning with tuition and fees charged for the 2009 fall semester. |
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Tuition and fees charged for an academic term or semester before the |
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2009 fall semester are covered by the law in effect immediately |
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before the effective date of this Act, and the former law is |
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continued in effect for that 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. |