Tuition exemption extended to qualifying active-duty and reserve service members

The text as introduced · 520 words

By: Wilson
H.B. No. 5619

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to extending the Hazlewood Exemption Act to active-duty

members.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Chapter 54, Education Code, is amended by

amending Section 54.341 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 a resident of this state for

purposes of Subchapter B at the time the person entered the service:

(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.

(5) all persons currently serving on active duty or

any of the reserve components of the armed forces, who after serving

more than 180 days on active military duty after initial entry

training and served a portion of their active duty during the

qualifying periods listed in subsection (a)(4).

Section 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.