| 5 | 3 | | |
|---|
| 6 | 4 | | |
|---|
| 7 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
|---|
| 8 | 6 | | AN ACT |
|---|
| 9 | 7 | | relating to assistance for tuition and fees at postsecondary |
|---|
| 10 | 8 | | educational institutions for certain members of the Texas military |
|---|
| 11 | 9 | | forces. |
|---|
| 12 | 10 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|---|
| 13 | 11 | | SECTION 1. Sections 54.345(b) and (c), Education Code, are |
|---|
| 14 | 12 | | amended to read as follows: |
|---|
| 15 | 13 | | (b) An institution of higher education shall exempt a person |
|---|
| 16 | 14 | | certified by the adjutant general as described by Subsection (a) |
|---|
| 17 | 15 | | from the payment of tuition for the semester credit hours for which |
|---|
| 18 | 16 | | the person enrolls, not to exceed 15 [12] semester credit hours. If |
|---|
| 19 | 17 | | the person is not charged tuition at the rate provided for other |
|---|
| 20 | 18 | | Texas residents, the amount of the exemption may not exceed the |
|---|
| 21 | 19 | | amount of tuition the person would be charged as a Texas resident |
|---|
| 22 | 20 | | for the number of semester credit hours for which the person |
|---|
| 23 | 21 | | enrolls, not to exceed 15 [12] semester credit hours. |
|---|
| 24 | 22 | | (c) An institution of higher education shall exempt a person |
|---|
| 25 | 23 | | who receives an exemption from tuition under Subsection (b) from |
|---|
| 26 | 24 | | the payment of all mandatory fees for any semester or term in which |
|---|
| 27 | 25 | | the person receives the tuition exemption. |
|---|
| 28 | 26 | | SECTION 2. Sections 437.226(c), (d), (e), (f), (g), and |
|---|
| 29 | 27 | | (i), Government Code, are amended to read as follows: |
|---|
| 30 | 28 | | (c) The adjutant general shall grant assistance for tuition |
|---|
| 31 | 29 | | and mandatory fees under this section to eligible service members, |
|---|
| 32 | 30 | | in an amount not to exceed the amount provided in the General |
|---|
| 33 | 31 | | Appropriations Act. The adjutant general may apportion the number |
|---|
| 34 | 32 | | of assistance awards among the components of the Texas military |
|---|
| 35 | 33 | | forces necessary to meet the recruitment and retention needs of |
|---|
| 36 | 34 | | those components. The number of assistance awards made to members |
|---|
| 37 | 35 | | of the Texas State Guard may not exceed 45 [30] for any semester or |
|---|
| 38 | 36 | | term unless the adjutant general finds a compelling need for |
|---|
| 39 | 37 | | additional awards to members of the Texas State Guard. |
|---|
| 40 | 38 | | (d) Assistance for tuition and mandatory fees may be awarded |
|---|
| 41 | 39 | | under this section for tuition and mandatory fees charged for any |
|---|
| 42 | 40 | | undergraduate or graduate course for any semester or term at an |
|---|
| 43 | 41 | | institution of higher education or private or independent |
|---|
| 44 | 42 | | institution of higher education, including a vocational or |
|---|
| 45 | 43 | | technical course. |
|---|
| 46 | 44 | | (e) A service member may not receive assistance for tuition |
|---|
| 47 | 45 | | under this section for more than 15 [12] semester credit hours in |
|---|
| 48 | 46 | | any semester or term. |
|---|
| 49 | 47 | | (f) A service member may not receive assistance for tuition |
|---|
| 50 | 48 | | and mandatory fees under this section for more than seven [5] |
|---|
| 51 | 49 | | academic years or 15 [10] semesters or terms, whichever occurs |
|---|
| 52 | 50 | | first for the service member. |
|---|
| 53 | 51 | | (g) Before each semester or term, the department must |
|---|
| 54 | 52 | | certify to the appropriate public and private institutions of |
|---|
| 55 | 53 | | higher education a list of the service members to whom the adjutant |
|---|
| 56 | 54 | | general has awarded assistance for tuition and mandatory fees under |
|---|
| 57 | 55 | | this section for that semester or term. The amount of assistance |
|---|
| 58 | 56 | | awarded by the adjutant general under this section may not exceed |
|---|
| 59 | 57 | | the amount of money available to fund the assistance awards. |
|---|
| 60 | 58 | | (i) From money appropriated for purposes of this section, |
|---|
| 61 | 59 | | the department shall authorize the comptroller to make a grant to a |
|---|
| 62 | 60 | | service member attending a private or independent institution of |
|---|
| 63 | 61 | | higher education to whom the adjutant general has awarded |
|---|
| 64 | 62 | | assistance for tuition and mandatory fees for the semester or term |
|---|
| 65 | 63 | | under this section. The amount of a grant under this subsection is |
|---|
| 66 | 64 | | an amount equal to the average amount of reimbursement the |
|---|
| 67 | 65 | | department estimates will be paid per student for the same semester |
|---|
| 68 | 66 | | or term under Subsection (h). |
|---|
| 69 | 67 | | SECTION 3. This Act applies beginning with the 2025 fall |
|---|
| 70 | 68 | | semester. |
|---|
| 71 | 69 | | SECTION 4. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
|---|
| 72 | 70 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
|---|
| 73 | 71 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
|---|
| 74 | 72 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
|---|
| 75 | 73 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |
|---|