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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to state-supported education and health care benefits for |
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certain military personnel and their dependents. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 54.341(a), Education Code, is amended 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 has established a domicile, as defined by |
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Section 54.0501, in this state [entered the service at a location in
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this state, declared this state as the person's home of record in
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the manner provided by the applicable military or other service, or
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would have been determined to be a resident of this state for
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purposes of Subchapter B at the time the person entered the
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service]: |
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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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SECTION 2. Subchapter A, Chapter 434, Government Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 434.0191 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 434.0191. FREE HEALTH CARE SERVICES FOR VETERANS AND |
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DEPENDENTS. The Texas Veterans Commission, in cooperation with the |
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Health and Human Services Commission and the board of regents of The |
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University of Texas System, shall ensure that a person who is |
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eligible for an exemption from tuition and fees under Section |
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51.341(a), (a-2), or (b) and who resides in the Rio Grande Valley |
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region of this state is eligible to receive health care services at |
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no cost at a simulation teaching hospital in the Rio Grande Valley |
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associated with The University of Texas System. |
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SECTION 3. The changes in law made by this Act to Section |
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54.341(a), Education Code, apply beginning with tuition and fees |
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charged for the 2015 fall semester. Tuition and fees charged for a |
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term or semester before the 2015 fall semester are governed by the |
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law in effect immediately before the effective date of this Act, and |
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the former law is continued in effect for that purpose. |
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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. |