Texas 2009 - 81st Regular

Texas House Bill HB2955 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	81R10417 KSD-D
2	2	By: Coleman H.B. No. 2955
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to the rates of tuition charged to students of public
8	8	institutions of higher education.
9	9	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
10	10	SECTION 1. Section 54.051(c), Education Code, is amended to
11	11	read as follows:
12	12	(c) Unless a different rate is specified by this section,
13	13	tuition for a resident student at a general academic teaching
14	14	institution is $64 [$50] per semester credit hour.
15	15	SECTION 2. Subchapter B, Chapter 54, Education Code, is
16	16	amended by adding Section 54.0512 to read as follows:
17	17	Sec. 54.0512. INTERIM TUITION RATES. (a) Notwithstanding
18	18	Section 54.051, tuition for the applicable academic year described
19	19	by this section is as provided by this section.
20	20	(b) Tuition for a resident student at a general academic
21	21	teaching institution for whom the rate of tuition would, in the
22	22	absence of this section, be the rate provided by Section 54.051(c)
23	23	is:
24	24	(1) for the 2009-2010 academic year, $54 per semester
25	25	credit hour;
26	26	(2) for the 2010-2011 academic year, $56 per semester
27	27	credit hour;
28	28	(3) for the 2011-2012 academic year, $58 per semester
29	29	credit hour;
30	30	(4) for the 2012-2013 academic year, $60 per semester
31	31	credit hour;
32	32	(5) for the 2013-2014 academic year, $62 per semester
33	33	credit hour; and
34	34	(6) for the 2014-2015 academic year, $64 per semester
35	35	credit hour.
36	36	(c) Tuition for academic years not specifically covered by
37	37	this section is at the rates provided by Section 54.051.
38	38	SECTION 3. Sections 54.0513(a) and (b), Education Code, are
39	39	amended to read as follows:
40	40	(a) In addition to amounts that a governing board of an
41	41	institution of higher education is authorized to charge as tuition
42	42	under the other provisions of this chapter, the governing board[,
43	43	under the terms the governing board considers appropriate,] may
44	44	charge any student for an academic period an amount designated as
45	45	tuition not to exceed the amount charged to the student under
46	46	Section 54.051 or 54.0512, as applicable, for that academic period
47	47	[that the governing board considers necessary for the effective
48	48	operation of the institution].
49	49	(b) Subject to the limit provided by Subsection (a) on the
50	50	amount designated as tuition charged under this section, a [A]
51	51	governing board may set a different tuition rate under this section
52	52	for each program and course level offered by each institution of
53	53	higher education[. A governing board may set a different tuition
54	54	rate] as the governing board considers appropriate to increase
55	55	graduation rates, encourage efficient use of facilities, [or]
56	56	enhance employee performance, or further another legitimate
57	57	purpose of the institution.
58	58	SECTION 4. Sections 54.0515(e) and (f), Education Code, are
59	59	amended to read as follows:
60	60	(e) It is the legislature's intent that each institution of
61	61	higher education[, as a condition to tuition deregulation under
62	62	Section 54.0513,] reasonably implement the following:
63	63	(1) each institution shall make satisfactory progress
64	64	towards the goals provided in its master plan for higher education
65	65	and in "Closing the Gaps," the state's master plan for higher
66	66	education; and
67	67	(2) each institution shall meet acceptable
68	68	performance criteria, including measures such as graduation rates,
69	69	retention rates, enrollment growth, educational quality, efforts
70	70	to enhance minority participation, opportunities for financial
71	71	aid, and affordability.
72	72	(f) The committee shall:
73	73	(1) meet at the call of either chair;
74	74	(2) monitor and regularly report to the legislature on
75	75	each institution of higher education's compliance with the
76	76	requirements of Subsection (e); and
77	77	(3) receive and review information concerning the
78	78	affordability and accessibility of higher education[, including
79	79	the impact of tuition deregulation].
80	80	SECTION 5. Subchapter B, Chapter 56, Education Code, is
81	81	repealed.
82	82	SECTION 6. (a) The changes in law made by this Act apply
83	83	beginning with tuition charged by an institution of higher
84	84	education for the 2009-2010 academic year. Tuition charged by an
85	85	institution of higher education in an academic year before that
86	86	academic year is covered by the law in effect before the effective
87	87	date of this Act, and the former law is continued in effect for that
88	88	purpose.
89	89	(b) Tuition set aside under Subchapter B, Chapter 56,
90	90	Education Code, before the 2009-2010 academic year that was not
91	91	used as provided by that subchapter before that academic year shall
92	92	be used as provided by that subchapter as it existed immediately
93	93	before the effective date of this Act, and that subchapter is
94	94	continued in effect for that purpose.
95	95	SECTION 7. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
96	96	a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
97	97	provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
98	98	Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
99	99	Act takes effect September 1, 2009.