Texas 2019 - 86th Regular

Texas House Bill HB766 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1		-	H.B. No. 766
	1	+	By: Huberty, Guillen (Senate Sponsor - Watson) H.B. No. 766
	2	+	(In the Senate - Received from the House April 16, 2019;
	3	+	April 24, 2019, read first time and referred to Committee on Higher
	4	+	Education; May 19, 2019, reported favorably by the following vote:
	5	+	Yeas 9, Nays 0; May 19, 2019, sent to printer.)
	6	+	Click here to see the committee vote
2	7
3	8
	9	+	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
4	10		AN ACT
5	11		relating to exemptions for disabled peace officers and fire
6	12		fighters from payment of tuition and fees at public institutions of
7	13		higher education.
8	14		BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
9	15		SECTION 1. The heading to Section 54.352, Education Code,
10	16		is amended to read as follows:
11	17		Sec. 54.352. DISABLED PEACE OFFICERS AND FIRE FIGHTERS [;
12	18		OPTIONAL EXEMPTION].
13		-	SECTION 2. Section 54.352, Education Code, is amended by
14		-	amending Subsections (a), (g), and (h) and adding Subsection (b-1)
15		-	to read as follows:
	19	+	SECTION 2. Sections 54.352(a), (g), and (h), Education
	20	+	Code, are amended to read as follows:
16	21		(a) The governing board of an institution of higher
17	22		education shall [may] exempt a student from the payment of tuition
18	23		and [required] fees [authorized by this chapter] for a course for
19	24		which space is available if the student:
20	25		(1) is a resident of this state and has resided in this
21	26		state for the 12 months immediately preceding the beginning of the
22	27		semester or session for which an exemption is sought;
23	28		(2) is permanently disabled as a result of an injury
24	29		suffered during the performance of a duty as:
25	30		(A) a peace officer of this state or a political
26	31		subdivision of this state; or
27	32		(B) a fire fighter, as defined by Section
28	33		614.001, Government Code, employed by this state or a political
29	34		subdivision of this state; and
30	35		(3) is unable to continue employment as a peace
31	36		officer or fire fighter because of the disability.
32		-	(b-1) Notwithstanding Subsection (a), the governing board
33		-	of an institution of higher education may not provide exemptions
34		-	under this section to students enrolled in a specific course in a
35		-	number that exceeds 20 percent of the maximum student enrollment
36		-	designated by the institution for that course.
37	37		(g) For the purpose of [In] this section, an injury is
38	38		suffered during the performance of a duty as a peace officer if the
39	39		injury occurs ["injury suffered during the performance of a duty as
40	40		a peace officer" means an injury occurring] as a result of the peace
41	41		officer's performance of any of the following law enforcement
42	42		duties:
43	43		(1) traffic enforcement or traffic control duties,
44	44		including enforcement of traffic laws, investigation of vehicle
45	45		accidents, or directing traffic;
46	46		(2) pursuit, arrest, or search of a person reasonably
47	47		believed to have violated a law;
48	48		(3) investigation, including undercover
49	49		investigation, of a criminal act;
50	50		(4) patrol duties, including automobile, bicycle,
51	51		foot, air, or horse patrol;
52	52		(5) duties related to the transfer of prisoners; or
53	53		(6) training duties, including participation in any
54	54		training required by the officer's employer or supervisor or by the
55	55		Texas Commission on Law Enforcement.
56	56		(h) For the purpose of this section, a person [peace
57	57		officer] is considered permanently disabled only if the chief
58	58		administrative officer of the law enforcement agency, fire
59	59		department, or other entity that employed the person [officer] at
60	60		the time of the injury, as applicable, determines the person
61	61		[officer] is permanently disabled and satisfies any requirement of
62	62		an institution under Subsection (e).
63	63		SECTION 3. The changes in law made by this Act apply to an
64	64		exemption from tuition and fees beginning with the 2019 fall
65	65		semester.
66	66		SECTION 4. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
67	67		a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
68	68		provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
69	69		Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
70	70		Act takes effect September 1, 2019.
71		-	______________________________ ______________________________
72		-	President of the Senate Speaker of the House
73		-	I certify that H.B. No. 766 was passed by the House on April
74		-	16, 2019, by the following vote: Yeas 132, Nays 3, 2 present, not
75		-	voting; that the House refused to concur in Senate amendments to
76		-	H.B. No. 766 on May 23, 2019, and requested the appointment of a
77		-	conference committee to consider the differences between the two
78		-	houses; and that the House adopted the conference committee report
79		-	on H.B. No. 766 on May 26, 2019, by the following vote: Yeas 143,
80		-	Nays 2, 2 present, not voting.
81		-	______________________________
82		-	Chief Clerk of the House
83		-	I certify that H.B. No. 766 was passed by the Senate, with
84		-	amendments, on May 20, 2019, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays
85		-	0; at the request of the House, the Senate appointed a conference
86		-	committee to consider the differences between the two houses; and
87		-	that the Senate adopted the conference committee report on H.B. No.
88		-	766 on May 26, 2019, by the following vote: Yeas 29, Nays 2.
89		-	______________________________
90		-	Secretary of the Senate
91		-	APPROVED: __________________
92		-	Date
93		-	__________________
94		-	Governor
	71	+	* * * * *