81R3067 SJM-D
By: Veasey H.B. No. 380
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to tuition and fees charged to employees of public
institutions of higher education and a spouse, child, or dependent
of those employees.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 54.059, Education Code, is amended to
read as follows:
Sec. 54.059. FACULTY AND DEPENDENTS. (a) In this section:
(1) "Child" means a child of any age.
(2) "Faculty member" has the meaning assigned by
Section 51.917.
(b) A faculty member or other employee [teacher or
professor] of an institution of higher education[,] and the spouse,
child, or dependent [and children] of the employee who enrolls in
any institution of higher education is [such a teacher or
professor, are] entitled to pay [register in an institution of
higher education by paying the] tuition [fee] and [other] fees at
the rate established by the governing board of the institution at
which the person is enrolled. That rate may not exceed one-half of
the rate charged by the institution to a similarly situated
resident student who is not entitled to pay tuition at a reduced
rate under this section [or charges required for Texas residents
without regard to the length of time the teacher or professor has
resided in Texas]. For purposes of this subsection, students are
similarly situated if they share the same residency status, degree
program, course load, course level, tuition exemption status, and
other circumstances affecting the tuition charged to the student.
(c) A faculty member or other employee [teacher or
professor] of an institution of higher education and a spouse,
child, or dependent of the employee is [the teacher's or professor's
family are] entitled to the benefits provided by [benefit of] this
section only if:
(1) the employee [teacher or professor] is employed at
least one-half time on a regular monthly salary basis by an
institution of higher education; and
(2) neither the employee nor the employee's spouse
holds an elective public office in this state.
(d) An institution of higher education may not consider a
person's eligibility for the benefits provided by this section in
determining whether to admit the person to the institution.
SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act applies
beginning with tuition and fees charged for the 2009 fall semester.
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
Act takes effect September 1, 2009.