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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to tuition assistance for members of the Texas State |
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Guard. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Chapter 56, Education Code, is amended by adding |
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Subchapter S to read as follows: |
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SUBCHAPTER S. ASSISTANCE FOR TUITION AND FEES FOR MEMBERS |
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OF TEXAS STATE GUARD |
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Sec. 56.501. PURPOSE. Because the Texas State Guard is the |
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state's only organized, trained, and equipped military force under |
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the direction of the governor available to respond to natural and |
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man-made disasters, assistance for tuition and mandatory fees is |
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provided under this subchapter to eligible members of the Texas |
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State Guard to encourage voluntary membership, to improve the |
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education level of its members, to diversify the composition of the |
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forces, and to enhance the state's workforce. |
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Sec. 56.502. EXEMPTION. An institution of higher education |
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shall exempt an eligible person from the payment of tuition and |
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mandatory fees for the semester credit hours for which the person |
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enrolls, not to exceed a total of 120 semester credit hours. If the |
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person is not charged tuition at the rate provided for other Texas |
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residents, the amount of the exemption may not exceed the amount of |
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tuition the person would be charged as a Texas resident for the |
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number of semester credit hours for which the person enrolls, not to |
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exceed 120 semester credit hours. |
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Sec. 56.503. ELIGIBILITY. To be eligible to receive an |
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exemption under this subchapter, a person must: |
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(1) be a member in good standing for at least one |
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calendar year, as certified by the adjutant general, of the Texas |
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State Guard; and |
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(2) commit to serve the Texas State Guard as follows: |
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(A) for an undergraduate program, eight years, |
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four years of which must be served while enrolled in an institution |
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of higher education and four years of which must be served following |
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the period of enrollment; and |
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(B) for a graduate program, five years, two years |
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of which must be served while enrolled in an institution of higher |
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education and three years of which must be served following the |
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period of enrollment. |
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Sec. 56.504. REPAYMENT. The Texas Higher Education |
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Coordinating Board by rule shall require a person who does not |
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fulfill the commitment to serve in the Texas State Guard under |
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Section 56.503(2) to repay the amount of all tuition and mandatory |
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fees for which the person received an exemption under this |
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subchapter to the institution of higher education from which the |
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person received the exemption. |
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Sec. 56.505. RULES. The Texas Higher Education |
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Coordinating Board shall adopt rules as necessary for the |
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administration of this subchapter. |
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SECTION 2. Section 54.345, Education Code, and Section |
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437.226, Government Code, are repealed. |
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SECTION 3. (a) The changes in law made by this Act apply |
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beginning with the 2015 fall semester. |
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(b) The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board shall |
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adopt rules for the administration of Subchapter S, Chapter 56, |
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Education Code, as added by this Act, as soon as practicable after |
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this Act takes effect. For that purpose, the coordinating board may |
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adopt the rules in the manner provided by law for emergency rules. |
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SECTION 4. 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, 2015. |