H.B. No. 1527 proposes amendments to Section 54.3531 of the Education Code, focusing on tuition and fee exemptions for certain peace officers enrolled in law enforcement-related degree programs at public institutions of higher education. The bill stipulates that the governing board of an institution must exempt from tuition and laboratory fees any student who is a peace officer, enrolled in a law enforcement-related degree program, making satisfactory academic progress, holds a basic peace officer proficiency certificate, and applies for the exemption at least one week before the registration period ends. The definition of a law enforcement-related degree program is expanded to include various fields such as criminal justice, public administration, emergency management, and several others, including foreign languages and computer science.

The bill specifies that the new provisions will take effect starting with the tuition and fees charged for the fall semester of 2025, while any fees charged before that date will continue to be governed by the previous law. The act will become effective immediately if it receives a two-thirds majority vote from both houses; otherwise, it will take effect on September 1, 2025.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: Education Code 54.3531 (Education Code 54)
House Committee Report: Education Code 54.3531 (Education Code 54)
Engrossed: Education Code 54.3531 (Education Code 54)