Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 4.

Present law established various conditions of eligibility for a veteran to receive a lottery-funded Helping Heroes grant, one of which is having been awarded one of the following: (1) The Iraq campaign medal; (2) The Afghanistan campaign medal; or (3) On or after September 11, 2001, the global war on terrorism expeditionary medal. This bill adds any service expeditionary medal identified in rules and regulations promulgated by TSAC to the list of qualifying awards for purposes of the Helping Heroes grants. This bill removes the following provisions of present law concerning the Helping Heroes Act of 2008: (1) The provision that limits grant eligibility to semesters that commence prior to the eighth anniversary of the veteran's honorable discharge from military service; and (2) The requirement that TSAC award the grants each year on a first come, first served basis and the annual $750,000 cap on the total amount of all Helping Heroes grant awards.