✅Relating to the exemption of tuition and laboratory fees at public institutions of higher education for certain paramedics
HB 1105
✅ HB 1105: Expanding Tuition Exemptions for EMS Professionals
What it says it does:
HB 1105 expands tuition and fee exemptions for emergency medical services personnel enrolled in higher education programs. It ensures that paramedics and EMTs employed by local governments can take advantage of the same tuition benefits long available to firefighters and peace officers.
What it actually changes:
The bill updates Education Code provisions to formally include EMS personnel in public tuition exemption programs. It limits institutions to applying these exemptions for no more than 20 percent of online coursework in a given program and specifies that eligible personnel must be employed by a political subdivision such as a city, county, or special district.
Who is pushing for it:
According to bill records, HB 1105 was authored by Representative David Cook and sponsored in the Senate by Senator Sarah Eckhardt. Support was recorded from higher education committees and agencies tied to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. No formal opposition was listed in the committee or fiscal documents.
Who benefits:
Local-government-employed EMTs and paramedics gain financial relief while pursuing or advancing their certifications. Public universities and community colleges receive clearer statutory guidance on how to process exemptions and cap online class participation.
Who gets left out or exposed:
Private-sector EMS professionals who contract with cities or rural hospitals are not covered under this exemption. They continue to pay full tuition, even if their work supports public emergency response systems.
Why this matters long term:
HB 1105 acknowledges the critical workforce shortage in emergency services and helps stabilize recruitment pipelines into higher education. While the exemption slightly shifts cost to public institutions, the fiscal note shows no significant budget impact. The greater challenge will be ensuring that access remains balanced between on-site and online programs so that rural EMS providers are not limited by the 20 percent cap.
What to watch next:
Implementation monitoring will matter most. The Senate sponsor’s office indicated that costs per institution are low and that the 20 percent online cap will be tracked to ensure it does not block participation. Stakeholders should watch whether private EMS providers seek inclusion in future sessions.
Bottom line:
HB 1105 is a pragmatic step that supports Texas’s emergency medical workforce without creating a significant new fiscal burden. It is a rare example of a workforce bill that extends help where it’s needed most while keeping institutional costs stable.
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