HBA-MPM H.B. 1788 76(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 1788 By: Noriega Higher Education 3/23/1999 Introduced BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Currently, firefighters employed by a political subdivision of the state who are enrolled in a course or courses as part of a fire science curriculum are exempt from paying tuition and laboratory fees at collegiate institutions which are wholly or partly funded by the state. Volunteer firefighters, however, are not granted this exemption. H.B. 1788 exempts volunteer firefighters from payment of tuition and laboratory fees with regard to a fire science curriculum. 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. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Section 54.208, Education Code, to exempt from the payment of tuition and laboratory fees any person who serves as a volunteer member of a volunteer fire department and who is certified by either the Texas Commission on Fire Protection or the State Fireman's and Fire Marshal's Association of Texas who enrolls in a course or courses offered as part of a fire science curriculum, in addition to any person employed as a fireman by any political subdivision of the state. SECTION 2. Effective date: September 1, 1999. SECTION 3. Emergency clause.