S.B. No. 1159
 
 
 
 
AN ACT
  relating to higher education for certain military personnel and
  their dependents.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  This Act shall be known as Andrew's Law.
         SECTION 2.  Subchapter W, Chapter 51, Education Code, is
  amended by adding Section 51.844 to read as follows:
         Sec. 51.844.  READMISSION OF CERTAIN MILITARY PERSONNEL TO
  GRADUATE AND PROFESSIONAL PROGRAMS.  (a)  This section applies only
  to a person who:
               (1)  was previously offered admission to, or was
  enrolled in, a graduate program or professional program at a
  general academic teaching institution or medical and dental unit;
               (2)  did not initially enroll in the program, or
  withdrew from the program, as applicable, because of the person's
  deployment as a member of the armed forces of the United States
  serving on active duty for the purpose of engaging in a combative
  military operation outside the United States; and
               (3)  seeks readmission to the program following the
  person's military deployment under Subdivision (2).
         (b)  A general academic teaching institution or a medical and
  dental unit must, regardless of the time since the person was
  initially offered admission to, or withdrew from, the program, as
  applicable:
               (1)  readmit a person to whom this section applies to
  the applicable graduate or professional program;
               (2)  apply credit toward the program for any course
  work previously completed by the person under the program; and
               (3)  accept a standardized test score previously
  submitted by that person for admission to the program.
         SECTION 3.  Subchapter D, Chapter 54, Education Code, is
  amended by adding Section 54.3411 to read as follows:
         Sec. 54.3411.  STUDY REGARDING TUITION AND FEE EXEMPTIONS
  FOR CERTAIN MILITARY PERSONNEL AND DEPENDENTS. (a)  The
  Legislative Budget Board, in consultation with the Texas Higher
  Education Coordinating Board and the Texas Veterans Commission,
  shall study and evaluate federal education benefits and the tuition
  and fee exemptions provided under Section 54.341.  In the study, the
  Legislative Budget Board shall consider any available historical
  data and the projected data regarding recipients of the exemptions
  provided under Section 54.341, disaggregated by veteran,
  dependent, spouse, and legacy recipient, for each of the following
  categories of information:
               (1)  the total number of recipients, disaggregated by
  gender, race and ethnicity, institution, and socioeconomic
  background as indicated in the Free Application for Federal Student
  Aid (FAFSA);
               (2)  the number of undergraduate, graduate, and
  doctoral credit hours attempted and earned by semester;
               (3)  the number of degrees attempted and earned, and
  the associated semester credit hours required for those degrees,
  per recipient;
               (4)  the grade point average of recipients after
  completing the first, second, third, and fourth academic years, and
  subsequent academic years, as applicable, and to the extent allowed
  under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (20
  U.S.C. Section 1232g);
               (5)  the average time to graduation;
               (6)  the four-year and six-year graduation rates,
  retention rates, and noncompletion rates;
               (7)  the number of semester credit hours of
  developmental education courses attempted and earned by
  recipients;
               (8)  the proportion of federal education benefits,
  including veteran and non-veteran benefits, and of the exemption
  provided under Section 54.341, used for undergraduate, graduate,
  and doctoral semester credit hours attempted and earned by
  recipients; and
               (9)  the average cost of tuition and mandatory fees for
  an undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral recipient enrolled in a
  full course load at an institution of higher education compared to
  the average cost for a nonrecipient student enrolled in a full
  course load at the same institution for the same degree level.
         (b)  To the greatest extent possible:
               (1)  the Legislative Budget Board shall:
                     (A)  include in its study a review of all federal
  education benefits for veterans in order to comprehensively review
  the sustainability of state and federal benefits for veterans; and
                     (B)  use applicable data from the 2008-2009
  academic year or a more recent academic year as a baseline in the
  study; and
               (2)  institutions of higher education shall cooperate
  with the Legislative Budget Board by providing any requested data
  and ensuring the reliability and validity of the data collected and
  submitted for the purpose of the study.
         (c)  Not later than December 1, 2014, the Legislative Budget
  Board shall submit to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating
  Board, the Texas Veterans Commission, the governor, the lieutenant
  governor, and the speaker of the house of representatives a written
  report of the results of the study conducted under this section,
  together with any recommendations for legislative or
  administrative action, including any changes to eligibility
  criteria or other changes necessary to promote sustainability,
  fiscal efficiency, and effectiveness in the use of the exemption
  provided under Section 54.341. A recommendation included in the
  report must include an explanation of the basis for that
  recommendation.
         (d)  This section expires January 31, 2015.
         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, 2013.
 
 
 
 
 
  ______________________________ ______________________________
     President of the Senate Speaker of the House     
 
         I hereby certify that S.B. No. 1159 passed the Senate on
  April 18, 2013, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0; and that
  the Senate concurred in House amendments on May 25, 2013, by the
  following vote: Yeas 30, Nays 0.
 
 
  ______________________________
  Secretary of the Senate    
 
         I hereby certify that S.B. No. 1159 passed the House, with
  amendments, on May 22, 2013, by the following vote: Yeas 148,
  Nays 0, two present not voting.
 
 
  ______________________________
  Chief Clerk of the House   
 
 
 
  Approved:
 
  ______________________________ 
              Date
 
 
  ______________________________ 
            Governor