Texas 2009 - 81st Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB326 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
1	1	81R1545 JRJ-D
2	2	By: Shapiro S.B. No. 326
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to stabilizing the amount of tuition charged to certain
8	8	residents of this state by general academic teaching institutions.
9	9	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
10	10	SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 54, Education Code, is
11	11	amended by adding Section 54.016 to read as follows:
12	12	Sec. 54.016. TUITION STABILIZATION. (a) In this section:
13	13	(1) "Coordinating board" means the Texas Higher
14	14	Education Coordinating Board.
15	15	(2) "General academic teaching institution" has the
16	16	meaning assigned by Section 61.003.
17	17	(b) This section applies only to a student who:
18	18	(1) enrolls at a general academic teaching
19	19	institution as a first-time freshman;
20	20	(2) after satisfying the requirement of Subdivision
21	21	(1), remains continuously enrolled at a general academic teaching
22	22	institution until graduation, except as provided under rules
23	23	adopted under Subsection (g); and
24	24	(3) at all times while the student is enrolled at a
25	25	general academic teaching institution, is a resident of this state
26	26	for purposes of Subchapter B or is otherwise entitled to pay tuition
27	27	and fees at the rate provided for residents of this state.
28	28	(c) Except as provided under rules adopted under Subsection
29	29	(g), this section applies only to the amount of tuition charged
30	30	under this chapter to a student as follows:
31	31	(1) for a student enrolled in a four-year degree
32	32	program, on or before the fourth anniversary of the date the student
33	33	first enrolls in a general academic teaching institution; or
34	34	(2) for a student enrolled in a degree program of any
35	35	other length, not later than the end of the standard completion
36	36	period for that program, as established by the general academic
37	37	teaching institution awarding the degree.
38	38	(d) Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter but
39	39	subject to the applicability provisions of this section, a general
40	40	academic teaching institution may not charge to a student for any
41	41	course in which the student enrolls after the student's freshman
42	42	year tuition at a rate that exceeds the rate in effect for that
43	43	course during the student's freshman year or, for a course that was
44	44	not offered during the student's freshman year, a rate that exceeds
45	45	the rate in effect for an equivalent course during the student's
46	46	freshman year.
47	47	(e) Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter but
48	48	subject to the applicability provisions of this section, if a
49	49	student transfers from one general academic teaching institution to
50	50	another, the institution to which the student transfers may not
51	51	charge to the student for any course in which the student enrolls
52	52	after the student's freshman year tuition at a rate that exceeds the
53	53	rate in effect for that course at the receiving institution during
54	54	the student's freshman year or, for a course that was not offered at
55	55	the receiving institution during the student's freshman year, a
56	56	rate that exceeds the rate in effect for an equivalent course at the
57	57	receiving institution during the student's freshman year.
58	58	(f) In consultation with general academic teaching
59	59	institutions, the coordinating board shall adopt any rules
60	60	necessary to administer this section, including:
61	61	(1) rules relating to the equivalency of courses
62	62	offered during a student's freshman year and courses in which the
63	63	student enrolls after the student's freshman year;
64	64	(2) rules consistent with Subsection (e) that:
65	65	(A) provide for determining tuition rates for
66	66	students who transfer among general academic teaching
67	67	institutions; and
68	68	(B) prescribe the types of documentation a
69	69	transfer student must submit to establish eligibility under that
70	70	subsection; and
71	71	(3) rules as described by Subsection (g) to allow
72	72	students to suspend their enrollment or giving students additional
73	73	time to complete their degree programs.
74	74	(g) The coordinating board shall adopt rules to allow a
75	75	student to pay the tuition rates as provided by Subsection (d) or
76	76	(e), as applicable, if the student satisfies the other requirements
77	77	of this section but, solely as a result of a hardship or other good
78	78	cause shown, is unable to remain continuously enrolled at a general
79	79	academic teaching institution as required by Subsection (b)(2) or
80	80	to complete the student's degree program before the applicable date
81	81	described by Subsection (c). For purposes of this subsection, a
82	82	hardship or other good cause shown includes a showing of:
83	83	(1) a severe illness or other debilitating condition
84	84	that affects the student's ability to satisfy the requirement of
85	85	Subsection (b)(2) or (c); or
86	86	(2) the student's responsibility for the care of a
87	87	sick, injured, or needy person if the provision of care affects the
88	88	student's ability to satisfy the requirement of Subsection (b)(2)
89	89	or (c).
90	90	(h) This section does not apply to a student who enters a
91	91	general academic teaching institution for the first time before the
92	92	2009 fall semester. This subsection expires January 1, 2015.
93	93	SECTION 2. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board
94	94	shall adopt rules for the administration of Section 54.016,
95	95	Education Code, as added by this Act, as soon as practicable after
96	96	this Act takes effect. For that purpose, the coordinating board may
97	97	adopt the initial rules in the manner provided by law for emergency
98	98	rules.
99	99	SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
100	100	a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
101	101	provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
102	102	Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
103	103	Act takes effect September 1, 2009.