House Bill No. 3008 amends the Education Code to provide tuition and laboratory fee exemptions for certain peace officers enrolled in public institutions of higher education. Specifically, the bill stipulates that the governing board of an institution must exempt from these fees any student who is employed as a peace officer, enrolled in a criminal justice or law enforcement-related degree program, making satisfactory academic progress, and who applies for the exemption at least one week before the registration deadline. The language has been updated to clarify that the exemption applies to students enrolled in courses as part of a criminal justice or law enforcement curriculum.

Additionally, the bill repeals Section 54.3531(c) of the Education Code, which likely contained previous provisions regarding tuition exemptions. The changes will take effect starting with the tuition and fees charged for the fall semester of 2025, while any academic periods prior to that will continue to be governed by the existing law. The bill will become effective immediately if it receives a two-thirds majority vote in both houses; otherwise, it will take effect on September 1, 2025.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: Education Code 54.3531 (Education Code 54)