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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 students who have been in foster care or |
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certain other residential care. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 54.211(a), Education Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(a) A student is exempt from the payment of tuition and fees |
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authorized in this chapter, including tuition and fees charged by |
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an institution of higher education for a dual credit course or other |
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course for which a high school student may earn joint high school |
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and college credit, if the student: |
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(1) was in foster care or other residential care under |
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the conservatorship of the Department of Family and Protective |
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Services [on or after]: |
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(A) on the day preceding the student's 18th |
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birthday; |
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(B) on or after the day of the student's 14th |
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birthday, if the student was also eligible for adoption on or after |
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that day; or |
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(C) on the day the student graduated from high |
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school or received the equivalent of a high school diploma; and |
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(2) enrolls in an institution of higher education as |
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an undergraduate student not later than[:
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[(A)
the third anniversary of the date the
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student was discharged from the foster or other residential care,
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the date the student graduated from high school, or the date the
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student received the equivalent of a high school diploma, whichever
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date is earliest; or
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[(B)] the student's 25th [21st] birthday. |
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SECTION 2. Section 54.211, Education Code, as amended 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 semester are covered by the law in |
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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. 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. |