FORT BEND COUNTY – House Bill 133, also known as the Caleb Rule Act, has officially been passed. It was initially filed by Rep. Jacey Jetton of Richmond and Sen. Joan Huffman of Houston.
Caleb Rule was a deputy for Fort Bend County who was killed by friendly fire in May of 2020 after he responded to a property check in Sienna Plantation. Rule is survived by his wife Eden and four children.
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The “Caleb Rule Act” was established to increase survivor benefits to include college-aged children to receive tuition assistance beginning in the spring semester of 2022. The law will go into effect immediately once it is signed by the Governor.
The law moves the age to qualify from 18 to 25. Rule’s eldest daughter was 18, graduating from high school later that evening on the day of his death because she was already 18 at the time she did not qualify for tuition survivor benefits.
In a news release, Rep. Jetton spoke about deputy Rule and the new law.
“We owe a great debt to Deputy Rule and to first responders and their families. The State of Texas must ensure we are providing higher education opportunities for surviving children of these first responders who pay the last full measure of devotion.”
For more information and previous KPRC 2 articles on Caleb Rule click these links.
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