Relating to the exemption from the assessment requirements of the Texas Success Initiative for certain students who are public officers or employees.

Contracts

• Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBAs): Review agreements that tie pay increases to college credit accumulation. By removing remedial prerequisites, this law accelerates the timeline for employees to achieve degree milestones. Budget for education-based pay incentives earlier than projected.
• Tuition Reimbursement Agreements: Update policies to explicitly deny reimbursement for remedial/developmental coursework for exempt classifications. Since these employees are legally eligible for credit-bearing courses immediately, your organization should not subsidize unnecessary remedial classes.

Hiring/Training

• HR Protocols: No new hiring requirements, but HR staff must be trained to distinguish between "Peace Officers" (exempt) and "Private Security" (non-exempt), and between "Public Sector EMS" (exempt) and "Private Sector EMS" (non-exempt) to avoid fraudulent certification to universities.

Reporting & Record-Keeping

• Verification Letters: Create a standardized "TSI Exemption Verification" letter template. The letter must confirm:
• 1. Active employment status.
• 2. Statutory classification (Peace Officer under Art. 2A.001, Fire Fighter under Gov. Code 419.021, or EMT under Health & Safety Code Ch. 773).
• 3. Employer status as a political subdivision (for EMS).
• Certification Management: Maintain accessible copies of TCOLE, TCFP, and DSHS certifications to attach to verification letters.

Fees & Costs

• Cost Reduction: Organizations funding employee education will see a reduction in costs associated with TSI testing fees and non-credit remedial tuition.