AUSTIN (KXAN) — Paramedics could soon be exempt from tuition and laboratory fees while taking certain courses at public colleges and universities, thanks to a bill that recently passed in the Texas Legislature.

House Bill 1105, authored by Rep. Sheryl Cole, D-Austin, applies to paramedics employed by a political subdivision of Texas.

Many of Texas' paramedics are also firefighters, who already have access to fee exemptions under Texas law. Law enforcement officers also have access to exemptions. However, an author-sponsor statement of intent for HB 1105 states that as many as 6,000 paramedics in Texas are not employed by a fire department.

"In Texas, most paramedics working for a political subdivision are also employed as firefighters," the statement reads. "Since firefighters are eligi

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