By: Collier H.B. No. 976
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to higher education for veterans and their families.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Chapter 54, Education Code, is amended by
  amending Subsections (a), (a-3) and (a-4) and adding Subsection
  (a-5) to read as follows:
         (a)  The governing board of each institution of higher
  education shall exempt the following persons from the payment of
  tuition, dues, fees, and other required charges, including fees for
  correspondence courses but excluding general deposit fees, student
  services fees, and any fees or charges for lodging, board, or
  clothing, provided the person seeking the exemption currently
  resides in this state and entered the service at a location in this
  state, declared this state as the person's home of record in the
  manner provided by the applicable military or other service, or
  would have been determined to be is a resident of this state for
  purposes under Subchapter B at the time the person entered the
  service on the date of registration:
               (1)  all nurses and honorably discharged members of the
  armed forces of the United States who served during the
  Spanish-American War or during World War I;
               (2)  all nurses, members of the Women's Army Auxiliary
  Corps, members of the Women's Auxiliary Volunteer Emergency
  Service, and all honorably discharged members of the armed forces
  of the United States who served during World War II except those who
  were discharged from service because they were over the age of 38 or
  because of a personal request on the part of the person that the
  person be discharged from service;
               (3)  all honorably discharged men and women of the
  armed forces of the United States who served during the national
  emergency which began on June 27, 1950, and which is referred to as
  the Korean War; and
               (4)  all persons who were honorably discharged from the
  armed forces of the United States after serving on active military
  duty, excluding training, for more than 180 days and who served a
  portion of their active duty during:
                     (A)  the Cold War which began on the date of the
  termination of the national emergency cited in Subdivision (3);
                     (B)  the Vietnam era which began on December 21,
  1961, and ended on May 7, 1975;
                     (C)  the Grenada and Lebanon era which began on
  August 24, 1982, and ended on July 31, 1984;
                     (D)  the Panama era which began on December 20,
  1989, and ended on January 21, 1990;
                     (E)  the Persian Gulf War which began on August 2,
  1990, and ends on the date thereafter prescribed by Presidential
  proclamation or September 1, 1997, whichever occurs first;
                     (F)  the national emergency by reason of certain
  terrorist attacks that began on September 11, 2001; or
                     (G)  any future national emergency declared in
  accordance with federal law.
         (a-3)  A person who before the 2011-2012 academic year
  received an exemption provided by Subsection (a) continues to be
  eligible for the exemption provided by that subsection as that
  subsection existed on January 1, 2011, subject to the other
  provisions of this section other than the requirement of Subsection
  (a) that the person must currently reside in this state.  that the
  person must have entered the service at a location in this state,
  declared this state as the person's home of record, or would have
  been determined to be a resident of this state for the purposes of
  Subchapter B at the time the person entered service.
         (a-4)  A person who before the 2014-2015 academic year
  received an exemption under this section continues to be eligible
  for the exemption provided by this section as this section existed
  on January 1, 2013. subject to the other provisions of this section
  other than the requirement of Subsection (a) that the person must
  have entered the service at a location in this state, declared this
  state as the person's home of record, or would have been determined
  to be a resident of this state for purposes of Subchapter B at the
  time the person entered the service.
         (a-5)  A person who before the 2015-2016 academic year
  received an exemption under this section continues to be eligible
  for the exemption provided by this section as this section existed
  on January 1, 2015, other than the requirement of Subsection (a)
  that the person must have entered the service at a location in this
  state, declared this state as the person's home of record, or would
  have been determined to be a resident of this state for the purposes
  of Subchapter B at the time the person entered the service.
         (b)  The exemptions provided for in Subsection (a) also apply
  to:
               (1)  the children of members of the armed forces of the
  United States:
                     (A)  who are or were killed in action;
                     (B)  who die or died while in service;
                     (C)  who are missing in action;
                     (D)  whose death is documented to be directly
  caused by illness or injury connected with service in the armed
  forces of the United States; or
                     (E)  who became totally and permanently disabled
  or meet the eligibility requirements for individual
  unemployability according to the disability ratings of the
  Department of Veterans Affairs as a result of a service-related
  injury; and
               (2)  the children of members of the Texas National
  Guard and the Texas Air National Guard who:
                     (A)  were killed since January 1, 1946, while on
  active duty either in the service of their state or the United
  States; or
                     (B)  are totally and permanently disabled or meet
  the eligibility requirements for individual unemployability
  according to the disability ratings of the Department of Veterans
  Affairs, regardless of whether the members are eligible to receive
  disability benefits from the department, as a result of a
  service-related injury suffered since January 1, 1946, while on
  active duty either in the service of this state or the United
  States.
         SECTION 3.  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 to take effect on
  that date, this Act takes effect September 1, 2015.