Texas 2009 - 81st Regular

Texas House Bill HB685 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
1	1	81R3787 KSD-D
2	2	By: Herrero H.B. No. 685
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to a fixed tuition rate provided by general academic
8	8	teaching institutions and public junior colleges to certain
9	9	undergraduate students.
10	10	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
11	11	SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 54, Education Code, is
12	12	amended by adding Section 54.016 to read as follows:
13	13	Sec. 54.016. FIXED TUITION RATE FOR UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS.
14	14	(a) In this section:
15	15	(1) "Coordinating board" means the Texas Higher
16	16	Education Coordinating Board.
17	17	(2) "General academic teaching institution" and
18	18	"public junior college" have the meanings assigned by Section
19	19	61.003.
20	20	(b) Except as otherwise provided by this section, in a
21	21	semester or other academic term, the governing board of a general
22	22	academic teaching institution or public junior college may not
23	23	charge tuition to an undergraduate student under Section 54.0513,
24	24	or under any other law granting the institution or college
25	25	discretion to set the tuition rate, at a rate that exceeds the rate
26	26	the institution or college charged the student during the first
27	27	semester or other academic term the student enrolled in the
28	28	institution or college if the student is currently and at all times
29	29	while enrolled at the institution or college has been a resident of
30	30	this state for purposes of Subchapter B or was otherwise entitled to
31	31	pay tuition at the rate provided for residents of this state.
32	32	(c) If a student enrolls in a general academic teaching
33	33	institution after transferring from another public or private
34	34	institution of higher education, Subsection (b) does not apply to
35	35	the student after the second anniversary of the date of that
36	36	enrollment, regardless of whether the student was ever previously
37	37	enrolled at the institution. For any other student enrolled in a
38	38	general academic teaching institution, Subsection (b) does not
39	39	apply to the student after:
40	40	(1) the fourth anniversary of the date the student
41	41	first enrolls at the institution, if the student is enrolled in a
42	42	four-year degree program; or
43	43	(2) the end of the standard completion period for the
44	44	degree program in which the student is enrolled, as established by
45	45	the institution awarding the degree, if the student is enrolled in a
46	46	degree program other than a four-year degree program.
47	47	(d) For a student enrolled in a public junior college,
48	48	Subsection (b) does not apply to the student after the second
49	49	anniversary of the date the student first enrolls at the college.
50	50	(e) Each general academic teaching institution or public
51	51	junior college shall notify each entering undergraduate student,
52	52	including each undergraduate student who transfers to the
53	53	institution or college, of the eligibility requirements for a fixed
54	54	tuition rate under this section.
55	55	(f) In consultation with the general academic teaching
56	56	institutions and public junior colleges, the coordinating board
57	57	shall adopt any rules the coordinating board considers appropriate
58	58	for the administration of this section.
59	59	(g) This section does not apply to a student who enters a
60	60	general academic teaching institution or public junior college for
61	61	the first time before the 2010 fall semester. This subsection
62	62	expires January 1, 2016.
63	63	SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
64	64	a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
65	65	provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
66	66	Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
67	67	Act takes effect September 1, 2009.