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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to assistance for tuition and fees at postsecondary |
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educational institutions for certain members of the Texas military |
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forces. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Sections 54.345(b) and (c), Education Code, are |
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amended to read as follows: |
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(b) An institution of higher education shall exempt a person |
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certified by the adjutant general as described by Subsection (a) |
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from the payment of tuition for the semester credit hours for which |
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the person enrolls, not to exceed 15 [12] semester credit hours. If |
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the person is not charged tuition at the rate provided for other |
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Texas residents, the amount of the exemption may not exceed the |
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amount of tuition the person would be charged as a Texas resident |
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for the number of semester credit hours for which the person |
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enrolls, not to exceed 15 [12] semester credit hours. |
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(c) An institution of higher education shall exempt a person |
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who receives an exemption from tuition under Subsection (b) from |
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the payment of all mandatory fees for any semester or term in which |
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the person receives the tuition exemption. |
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SECTION 2. Sections 437.226(c), (d), (e), (f), (g), and |
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(i), Government Code, are amended to read as follows: |
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(c) The adjutant general shall grant assistance for tuition |
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and mandatory fees under this section to eligible service members, |
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in an amount not to exceed the amount provided in the General |
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Appropriations Act. The adjutant general may apportion the number |
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of assistance awards among the components of the Texas military |
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forces necessary to meet the recruitment and retention needs of |
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those components. The number of assistance awards made to members |
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of the Texas State Guard may not exceed 45 [30] for any semester or |
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term unless the adjutant general finds a compelling need for |
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additional awards to members of the Texas State Guard. |
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(d) Assistance for tuition and mandatory fees may be awarded |
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under this section for tuition and mandatory fees charged for any |
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undergraduate or graduate course for any semester or term at an |
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institution of higher education or private or independent |
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institution of higher education, including a vocational or |
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technical course. |
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(e) A service member may not receive assistance for tuition |
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under this section for more than 15 [12] semester credit hours in |
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any semester or term. |
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(f) A service member may not receive assistance for tuition |
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and mandatory fees under this section for more than 5 academic years |
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or 15 [10] semesters or terms, whichever occurs first for the |
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service member. |
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(g) Before each semester or term, the department must |
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certify to the appropriate public and private institutions of |
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higher education a list of the service members to whom the adjutant |
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general has awarded assistance for tuition and mandatory fees under |
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this section for that semester or term. The amount of assistance |
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awarded by the adjutant general under this section may not exceed |
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the amount of money available to fund the assistance awards. |
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(i) From money appropriated for purposes of this section, |
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the department shall authorize the comptroller to make a grant to a |
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service member attending a private or independent institution of |
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higher education to whom the adjutant general has awarded |
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assistance for tuition and mandatory fees for the semester or term |
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under this section. The amount of a grant under this subsection is |
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an amount equal to the average amount of reimbursement the |
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department estimates will be paid per student for the same semester |
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or term under Subsection (h). |
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SECTION 3. This Act applies beginning with the 2023 fall |
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semester. |
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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, 2023. |