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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to higher education for veterans and their families. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Chapter 54, Tax Code, is amended by amending |
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Subsections (a), (a-3) and (a-4) and adding Subsection (a-5) 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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tuition, dues, fees, and other required charges, including fees for |
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correspondence courses but excluding general deposit fees, student |
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services fees, and any fees or charges for lodging, board, or |
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clothing, provided the person seeking the exemption currently |
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resides in this state and entered the service at a location in this
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state, declared this state as the person's home of record in the
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manner provided by the applicable military or other service, or
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would have been determined to be is a resident of this state for
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purposes under Subchapter B at the time the person entered the
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service on the date of 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 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); |
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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. |
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(a-3) A person who before the 2011-2012 academic year |
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received an exemption provided by Subsection (a) continues to be |
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eligible for the exemption provided by that subsection as that |
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subsection existed on January 1, 2011, subject to the other |
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provisions of this section other than the requirement of Subsection |
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(a) that the person must currently reside in this state. that the |
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person must have entered the service at a location in this state, |
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declared this state as the person's home of record, or would have |
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been determined to be a resident of this state for the purposes of |
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Subchapter B at the time the person entered service. |
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(a-4) A person who before the 2014-2015 academic year |
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received an exemption under this section continues to be eligible |
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for the exemption provided by this section as this section existed |
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on January 1, 2013. subject to the other provisions of this section |
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other than the requirement of Subsection (a) that the person must |
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have entered the service at a location in this state, declared this |
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state as the person's home of record, or would have been determined |
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to be a resident of this state for purposes of Subchapter B at the |
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time the person entered the service. |
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(a-5) A person who before the 2015-2016 academic year |
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received an exemption under this section continues to be eligible |
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for the exemption provided by this section as this section existed |
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on January 1, 2015, other than the requirement of Subsection (a) |
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that the person must have entered the service at a location in this |
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state, declared this state as the person's home of record, or would |
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have been determined to be a resident of this state for the purposes |
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of Subchapter B at the time the person entered the service. |
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(b) The exemptions provided for in Subsection (a) also apply |
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to: |
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(1) the children of members of the armed forces of the |
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United States: |
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(A) who are or were killed in action; |
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(B) who die or died while in service; |
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(C) who are missing in action; |
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(D) whose death is documented to be directly |
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caused by illness or injury connected with service in the armed |
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forces of the United States; or |
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(E) who became totally and permanently disabled |
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or meet the eligibility requirements for individual |
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unemployability according to the disability ratings of the |
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Department of Veterans Affairs as a result of a service-related |
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injury; and |
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(2) the children of members of the Texas National |
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Guard and the Texas Air National Guard who: |
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(A) were killed since January 1, 1946, while on |
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active duty either in the service of their state or the United |
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States; or |
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(B) are totally and permanently disabled or meet |
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the eligibility requirements for individual unemployability |
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according to the disability ratings of the Department of Veterans |
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Affairs, regardless of whether the members are eligible to receive |
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disability benefits from the department, as a result of a |
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service-related injury suffered since January 1, 1946, while on |
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active duty either in the service of this state or the United |
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States. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately, if it |
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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 to take effect on |
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that date, this Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |