H.B. No. 4244
AN ACT
relating to certain competitive scholarship recipients at public
institutions of higher education.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 51.969(c), Education Code, as added by
Chapter 422 (S.B. 1325), Acts of the 80th Legislature, Regular
Session, 2007, is amended to read as follows:
(c) Before receiving [A person applying for] a scholarship
originating from and administered by an institution of higher
education or university system, a person must file a written
statement with the institution or system [the application]
indicating whether the person is related within the third degree by
consanguinity or the second degree by affinity to a current member
of the governing board of the institution or system.
SECTION 2. Section 54.064, Education Code, is amended by
amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsections (c) and (d) to read
as follows:
(a) An institution of higher education may charge a
nonresident [A] student who holds a competitive scholarship of at
least $1,000 for the academic year or summer term for which the
student is enrolled resident tuition and fees [and who is either a
nonresident or a citizen of a country other than the United States
of America is entitled to pay the fees and charges required of Texas
residents] without regard to the length of time the student has
resided in Texas. The student must compete with other students,
including Texas residents, for the scholarship and the scholarship
must be awarded by a scholarship committee officially recognized by
the administration and be approved by the Texas Higher Education
Coordinating Board under criteria developed by the coordinating
board.
(c) A student who would be entitled to pay resident tuition
in the 2009-2010 academic year under this section as this section
existed on January 1, 2009, because the student is awarded a
competitive scholarship for that academic year in the amount
prescribed by Subsection (a) before the beginning of the 2009 fall
semester is entitled to continue to pay resident tuition under this
section as this section existed on January 1, 2009, in each semester
or other term in which the student is awarded such a scholarship, as
long as the student remains enrolled in the same certificate or
degree program. This subsection expires August 1, 2014.
(d) The difference between tuition charged to the student
under this section and the tuition the student would be charged if
this section did not apply to the student shall not be accounted for
in such a way as to reduce the general revenue appropriation to an
institution of higher education that charges a nonresident student
resident tuition and fees under this section.
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.
______________________________ ______________________________
President of the Senate Speaker of the House
I certify that H.B. No. 4244 was passed by the House on May 5,
2009, by the following vote: Yeas 144, Nays 0, 1 present, not
voting; that the House refused to concur in Senate amendments to
H.B. No. 4244 on May 29, 2009, and requested the appointment of a
conference committee to consider the differences between the two
houses; and that the House adopted the conference committee report
on H.B. No. 4244 on May 31, 2009, by the following vote: Yeas 146,
Nays 0, 1 present, not voting.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House
I certify that H.B. No. 4244 was passed by the Senate, with
amendments, on May 26, 2009, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays
0; at the request of the House, the Senate appointed a conference
committee to consider the differences between the two houses; and
that the Senate adopted the conference committee report on H.B. No.
4244 on June 1, 2009, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0.
______________________________
Secretary of the Senate
APPROVED: __________________
Date
__________________
Governor