H.B. No. 1083 amends Section 54.366(a) of the Education Code to expand eligibility for tuition and fee exemptions at public institutions of higher education for students who were under the conservatorship of the Department of Family and Protective Services. The bill specifies that students are exempt from tuition and fees if they were under conservatorship on the day preceding their 18th birthday, on or after their 14th birthday if eligible for adoption, on the day they graduated high school, or during an academic term in which they were enrolled in a dual credit course. Notably, the bill removes the previous stipulation that these conditions only applied if the adoption or permanent managing conservatorship occurred on or after September 1, 2009.

The changes made by this Act will take effect for tuition and fees charged starting with the 2025 fall semester, while any charges for terms before that will continue to be governed by the previous law. The Act will become effective immediately if it receives a two-thirds vote from all elected members in both houses; otherwise, it will take effect on September 1, 2025.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: Education Code 54.366 (Education Code 54)