By: Thibaut, Guillen H.B. No. 2347
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to tuition and laboratory fee exemptions at public
institutions of higher education for certain peace officers
enrolled in criminal justice or law enforcement management-related
course work.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 54.208, Education Code, is amended to
read as follows:
Sec. 54.208. FIREFIGHTERS AND PEACE OFFICERS [FIREMEN]
ENROLLED IN CERTAIN [FIRE SCIENCE] COURSES. (a) The governing
board of an institution of higher education [boards of the state
institutions of collegiate rank supported in whole or in part by
public funds] shall exempt from the payment of tuition and
laboratory fees a student [any person] who:
(1) is employed as a firefighter [fireman] by a [any]
political subdivision of this [the] state and who enrolls in a
course or courses offered as part of a fire science curriculum; or
(2) is employed as a peace officer by the state or by a
political subdivision of this state and who enrolls in a course or
courses offered as part of a criminal justice or law enforcement
management-related curriculum.
(b) An [The] exemption provided under this section does not
apply to deposits that [which] may be required in the nature of
security for the return or proper care of property loaned for the
use of students.
(c) The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board shall
adopt:
(1) rules governing the granting or denial of an
exemption under this section, including rules relating to the
determination of a student's eligibility for an exemption; and
(2) a uniform listing of degree programs covered by
the exemption under this section.
(d) If the legislature does not specifically appropriate
funds to an institution of higher education in an amount sufficient
to pay the institution's costs in complying with this section for a
semester, the governing board of the institution of higher
education shall report to the Senate Finance Committee and the
House Appropriations Committee the cost to the institution of
complying with this section for that semester.
SECTION 2. The changes in law made by this Act to Section
54.208, Education Code, apply beginning with tuition and laboratory
fees charged for the 2009 fall semester. Tuition and laboratory
fees charged for an academic period before the 2009 fall semester
are covered by the law in effect immediately before the effective
date of this Act, and the former law is continued in effect for that
purpose.
SECTION 3. 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, 2009.