Bill Text: TX HB2197 | 2023-2024 | 88th Legislature | Introduced

Texas House Bill 2197

Introduced

Bill Title: Relating to assistance for tuition and fees at postsecondary educational institutions for certain members of the Texas military forces.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2023-03-09 - Referred to Higher Education [HB2197 Detail]

Download: Texas-2023-HB2197-Introduced.html

	88R8708 CXP-D

	By: Lopez of Bexar	H.B. No. 2197



	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
	AN ACT
	relating to assistance for tuition and fees at postsecondary
	educational institutions for certain members of the Texas military
	forces.
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
	SECTION 1. Sections 54.345(b) and (c), Education Code, are
	amended to read as follows:
	(b) An institution of higher education shall exempt a person
	certified by the adjutant general as described by Subsection (a)
	from the payment of tuition for the semester credit hours for which
	the person enrolls, not to exceed 15 [12] semester credit hours. If
	the person is not charged tuition at the rate provided for other
	Texas residents, the amount of the exemption may not exceed the
	amount of tuition the person would be charged as a Texas resident
	for the number of semester credit hours for which the person
	enrolls, not to exceed 15 [12] semester credit hours.
	(c) An institution of higher education shall exempt a person
	who receives an exemption from tuition under Subsection (b) from
	the payment of all mandatory fees for any semester or term in which
	the person receives the tuition exemption.
	SECTION 2. Sections 437.226(c), (d), (e), (f), (g), and
	(i), Government Code, are amended to read as follows:
	(c) The adjutant general shall grant assistance for tuition
	and mandatory fees under this section to eligible service members,
	in an amount not to exceed the amount provided in the General
	Appropriations Act. The adjutant general may apportion the number
	of assistance awards among the components of the Texas military
	forces necessary to meet the recruitment and retention needs of
	those components. The number of assistance awards made to members
	of the Texas State Guard may not exceed 45 [30] for any semester or
	term unless the adjutant general finds a compelling need for
	additional awards to members of the Texas State Guard.
	(d) Assistance for tuition and mandatory fees may be awarded
	under this section for tuition and mandatory fees charged for any
	undergraduate or graduate course for any semester or term at an
	institution of higher education or private or independent
	institution of higher education, including a vocational or
	technical course.
	(e) A service member may not receive assistance for tuition
	under this section for more than 15 [12] semester credit hours in
	any semester or term.
	(f) A service member may not receive assistance for tuition
	and mandatory fees under this section for more than 5 academic years
	or 15 [10] semesters or terms, whichever occurs first for the
	service member.
	(g) Before each semester or term, the department must
	certify to the appropriate public and private institutions of
	higher education a list of the service members to whom the adjutant
	general has awarded assistance for tuition and mandatory fees under
	this section for that semester or term. The amount of assistance
	awarded by the adjutant general under this section may not exceed
	the amount of money available to fund the assistance awards.
	(i) From money appropriated for purposes of this section,
	the department shall authorize the comptroller to make a grant to a
	service member attending a private or independent institution of
	higher education to whom the adjutant general has awarded
	assistance for tuition and mandatory fees for the semester or term
	under this section. The amount of a grant under this subsection is
	an amount equal to the average amount of reimbursement the
	department estimates will be paid per student for the same semester
	or term under Subsection (h).
	SECTION 3. This Act applies beginning with the 2023 fall
	semester.
	SECTION 4. 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, 2023.