HBA-LJP C.S.H.B. 459 77(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisC.S.H.B. 459
By: Carter
Higher Education
2/19/2001
Committee Report (Substituted)



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Under current law, children of deceased or disabled police officers or
volunteer firefighters may receive an exemption from tuition and fees at
public institutions of higher education for eight consecutive semesters,
not including summer sessions.  C.S.H.B. 459 changes this amount to 120
hours and makes other modifications to give students more flexibility in
accessing the exemptions. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does
not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state
officer, department, agency, or institution. 

ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 459 amends the Education Code to provide that a person eligible
for an exemption from tuition and fees as a child of a disabled firefighter
or peace officer may only receive the exemption for the first 120 hours of
undergraduate credit hours for which the person registers.  The person is
not entitled to the exemption if the person does not apply for the
exemption before the date the person becomes 21 years of age, or 22 years
of age if the person is eligible to participate in a school district's
special education program.  An eligible person is not entitled to the
exemption for a semester or term that begins on or after the date the
person becomes 26 years of age. 

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or if the Act does not receive the necessary vote, the Act
takes effect September 1, 2001. The Act applies beginning with the fall
semester 2001. 


COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE

The substitute modifies the original bill to change the term firemen to
firefighters.