| 1 | 1 | | By: Zaffirini S.B. No. 52 |
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| 2 | 2 | | (In the Senate - Filed November 12, 2012; January 28, 2013, |
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| 3 | 3 | | read first time and referred to Committee on Higher Education; |
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| 4 | 4 | | March 18, 2013, reported favorably by the following vote: Yeas 7, |
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| 5 | 5 | | Nays 0; March 18, 2013, sent to printer.) |
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| 6 | 6 | | |
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| 7 | 7 | | |
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| 8 | 8 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 9 | 9 | | AN ACT |
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| 10 | 10 | | relating to exemptions for disabled peace officers from payment of |
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| 11 | 11 | | tuition and fees at public institutions of higher education. |
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| 12 | 12 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 13 | 13 | | SECTION 1. The heading to Section 54.352, Education Code, |
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| 14 | 14 | | is amended to read as follows: |
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| 15 | 15 | | Sec. 54.352. DISABLED PEACE OFFICERS[; OPTIONAL |
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| 16 | 16 | | EXEMPTION]. |
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| 17 | 17 | | SECTION 2. Subsection (a), Section 54.352, Education Code, |
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| 18 | 18 | | is amended to read as follows: |
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| 19 | 19 | | (a) The governing board of an institution of higher |
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| 20 | 20 | | education shall [may] exempt a student from the payment of tuition |
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| 21 | 21 | | and [required] fees [authorized by this chapter] for a course for |
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| 22 | 22 | | which space is available if the student: |
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| 23 | 23 | | (1) is a resident of this state and has resided in this |
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| 24 | 24 | | state for the 12 months immediately preceding the beginning of the |
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| 25 | 25 | | semester or session for which an exemption is sought; |
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| 26 | 26 | | (2) is permanently disabled as a result of an injury |
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| 27 | 27 | | suffered during the performance of a duty as a peace officer of this |
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| 28 | 28 | | state or a political subdivision of this state; and |
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| 29 | 29 | | (3) is unable to continue employment as a peace |
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| 30 | 30 | | officer because of the disability. |
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| 31 | 31 | | SECTION 3. The changes in law made by this Act apply to an |
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| 32 | 32 | | exemption from tuition and fees beginning with the 2013 fall |
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| 33 | 33 | | semester. |
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| 34 | 34 | | SECTION 4. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 35 | 35 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 36 | 36 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 37 | 37 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 38 | 38 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2013. |
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| 39 | 39 | | * * * * * |
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