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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 peace officers enrolled in criminal |
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justice or law enforcement course work and for certain educational |
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aides. |
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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 AND PEACE OFFICERS [FIREMEN] |
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ENROLLED IN CERTAIN [FIRE SCIENCE] COURSES. (a) The governing |
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board of an institution of higher education [boards of the state
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institutions of collegiate rank supported in whole or in part by
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public funds] shall exempt from the payment of tuition and |
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laboratory fees a student [any person] who is employed as a |
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firefighter [fireman] by a [any] political subdivision of this |
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[the] state and who enrolls in a course or courses offered as part |
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of a fire science curriculum. |
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(b) The governing board of an institution of higher |
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education shall exempt from the payment of tuition and laboratory |
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fees charged by the institution for a criminal justice or law |
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enforcement course or courses an undergraduate student who: |
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(1) is employed as a peace officer by this state or by |
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a political subdivision of this state; |
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(2) is enrolled in a criminal justice or law |
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enforcement-related degree program at the institution; |
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(3) is making satisfactory academic progress toward |
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the student's degree as determined by the institution; and |
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(4) applies for the exemption at least one week before |
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the last date of the institution's regular registration period for |
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the applicable semester or other term. |
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(c) Notwithstanding Subsection (b), a student may not |
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receive an exemption under that subsection for any course if the |
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student has previously attempted a number of semester credit hours |
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for courses taken at any institution of higher education while |
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classified as a resident student for tuition purposes in excess of |
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the maximum number of those hours specified by Section 61.0595(a) |
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as eligible for funding under the formulas established under |
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Section 61.059. |
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(d) Notwithstanding Subsection (b), the governing board of |
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an institution of higher education may not provide exemptions under |
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that subsection to students enrolled in a specific class in a number |
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that exceeds 20 percent of the maximum student enrollment |
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designated by the institution for that class. |
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(e) 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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(f) The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board shall |
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adopt: |
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(1) rules governing the granting or denial of an |
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exemption under this section, including rules relating to the |
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determination of a student's eligibility for an exemption; and |
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(2) a uniform listing of degree programs covered by |
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the exemption under this section. |
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(g) If the legislature does not specifically appropriate |
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funds to an institution of higher education in an amount sufficient |
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to pay the institution's costs in complying with this section for a |
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semester, the governing board of the institution of higher |
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education shall report to the Senate Finance Committee and the |
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House Appropriations Committee the cost to the institution of |
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complying with this section for that semester. |
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SECTION 2. Section 54.214(d), Education Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(d) The institution of higher education at which a person |
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seeking an exemption under this section is enrolled [coordinating
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board] must certify the [a] person's eligibility to receive the |
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[an] exemption [under this section]. As soon as practicable after |
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receiving an application for certification, the institution |
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[coordinating board] shall make the determination of eligibility |
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and give notice of its determination to the applicant[, the
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institution of higher education at which the applicant is
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enrolled,] and to the school district employing the applicant |
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[person] as an educational aide. |
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SECTION 3. 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 2011 fall semester. Tuition and laboratory |
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fees charged for an academic period before the 2011 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 4. The change in law made by this Act to Section |
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54.214, Education Code, applies to an exemption from tuition and |
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fees granted under that section beginning with the 2009 fall |
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semester. |
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SECTION 5. (a) Except as provided by Subsection (b) of |
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this section, this Act takes effect immediately if this Act |
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receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each |
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house, as provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. |
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If this Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate |
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effect, except as provided by Subsection (b) of this section, this |
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Act takes effect September 1, 2009. |
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(b) Sections 1 and 3 of this Act take effect January 1, 2011. |
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______________________________ |
______________________________ |
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President of the Senate |
Speaker of the House |
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I certify that H.B. No. 2347 was passed by the House on April |
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29, 2009, by the following vote: Yeas 98, Nays 43, 1 present, not |
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voting; that the House refused to concur in Senate amendments to |
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H.B. No. 2347 on May 29, 2009, and requested the appointment of a |
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conference committee to consider the differences between the two |
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houses; and that the House adopted the conference committee report |
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on H.B. No. 2347 on May 31, 2009, by the following vote: Yeas 135, |
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Nays 4, 1 present, not voting. |
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______________________________ |
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Chief Clerk of the House |
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I certify that H.B. No. 2347 was passed by the Senate, with |
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amendments, on May 26, 2009, by the following vote: Yeas 30, Nays |
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1; at the request of the House, the Senate appointed a conference |
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committee to consider the differences between the two houses; and |
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that the Senate adopted the conference committee report on H.B. No. |
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2347 on May 31, 2009, by the following vote: Yeas 30, Nays 1. |
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______________________________ |
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Secretary of the Senate |
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APPROVED: __________________ |
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Date |
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__________________ |
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Governor |