The bill, H.B. No. 1211, proposes amendments to the Education Code regarding tuition and fee exemptions for students who were under the conservatorship of the Department of Family and Protective Services. It specifies that students are exempt from tuition and fees if they were under conservatorship on the day before 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. The bill also allows for exemptions for children who exit conservatorship and return to their parents, contingent upon eligibility determined by the Department of Family and Protective Services.

The changes will take effect starting with tuition and fees charged for the fall semester of 2025, while any charges prior to that will be governed by the existing law. The bill requires the executive commissioner of the Health and Human Services Commission to develop eligibility factors in consultation with the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. The act will take effect immediately if it receives a two-thirds vote from both houses; otherwise, it will take effect on September 1, 2025.

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