| 4 | 3 | | |
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| 5 | 4 | | |
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| 6 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 7 | 6 | | AN ACT |
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| 8 | 7 | | relating to tuition and fees for certain military spouses and |
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| 9 | 8 | | dependents. |
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| 10 | 9 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 11 | 10 | | SECTION 1. Section 54.241(g), Education Code, is amended to |
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| 12 | 11 | | read as follows: |
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| 13 | 12 | | (g) If a member of the Armed Forces of the United States is |
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| 14 | 13 | | stationed outside Texas, an [and the member's spouse or child |
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| 15 | 14 | | establishes residence in Texas by residing in Texas and by filing |
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| 16 | 15 | | with the Texas institution of higher education at which the spouse |
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| 17 | 16 | | or child plans to register a letter of intent to establish residence |
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| 18 | 17 | | in Texas, the] institution of higher education shall: |
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| 19 | 18 | | (1) permit the member's spouse or child to pay the |
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| 20 | 19 | | tuition, fees, and other charges provided for Texas residents |
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| 21 | 20 | | without regard to the length of time that the spouse or child has |
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| 22 | 21 | | resided in Texas if the spouse or child establishes residence in |
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| 23 | 22 | | Texas by residing in Texas and by filing with the Texas institution |
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| 24 | 23 | | of higher education at which the spouse or child plans to register a |
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| 25 | 24 | | letter of intent to establish residence in Texas; and |
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| 26 | 25 | | (2) permit the member's spouse to pay the tuition, |
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| 27 | 26 | | fees, and other charges provided for Texas residents if the spouse: |
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| 28 | 27 | | (A) graduated from a public or private high |
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| 29 | 28 | | school in this state or received the equivalent of a high school |
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| 30 | 29 | | diploma in this state; and |
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| 31 | 30 | | (B) maintained a domicile in this state |
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| 32 | 31 | | continuously for at least one year before the member was assigned to |
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| 33 | 32 | | duty outside Texas. |
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| 34 | 33 | | SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act applies |
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| 35 | 34 | | beginning with tuition and fees charged for the 2019 fall semester. |
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| 36 | 35 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 37 | 36 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 38 | 37 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 39 | 38 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 40 | 39 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2019. |
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