| 1 | 1 | | By: Lucio III, et al. (Senate Sponsor - Lucio) H.B. No. 452 |
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| 2 | 2 | | (In the Senate - Received from the House May 16, 2011; |
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| 3 | 3 | | May 16, 2011, read first time and referred to Committee on Higher |
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| 4 | 4 | | Education; May 20, 2011, reported favorably by the following vote: |
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| 5 | 5 | | Yeas 7, Nays 0; May 20, 2011, sent to printer.) |
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| 6 | 6 | | |
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| 7 | 7 | | |
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| 8 | 8 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 9 | 9 | | AN ACT |
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| 10 | 10 | | relating to temporary housing between academic terms for certain |
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| 11 | 11 | | postsecondary students who have been under the conservatorship of |
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| 12 | 12 | | the Department of Family and Protective Services. |
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| 13 | 13 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 14 | 14 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter Z, Chapter 51, Education Code, is |
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| 15 | 15 | | amended by adding Section 51.976 to read as follows: |
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| 16 | 16 | | Sec. 51.976. TEMPORARY HOUSING BETWEEN ACADEMIC TERMS FOR |
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| 17 | 17 | | CERTAIN STUDENTS FORMERLY UNDER CONSERVATORSHIP OF DEPARTMENT OF |
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| 18 | 18 | | FAMILY AND PROTECTIVE SERVICES. (a) In this section: |
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| 19 | 19 | | (1) "Institution of higher education" has the meaning |
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| 20 | 20 | | assigned by Section 61.003. |
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| 21 | 21 | | (2) "Academic term" includes a summer session. |
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| 22 | 22 | | (b) To be eligible to receive housing assistance from an |
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| 23 | 23 | | institution of higher education under Subsection (c), a student |
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| 24 | 24 | | must: |
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| 25 | 25 | | (1) have been under the conservatorship of the |
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| 26 | 26 | | Department of Family and Protective Services or its predecessor in |
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| 27 | 27 | | function on the day preceding: |
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| 28 | 28 | | (A) the student's 18th birthday; or |
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| 29 | 29 | | (B) the date the student's disabilities of |
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| 30 | 30 | | minority are removed by a court under Chapter 31, Family Code; |
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| 31 | 31 | | (2) be enrolled full-time at the institution during |
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| 32 | 32 | | the academic term immediately preceding the period for which the |
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| 33 | 33 | | student requests the housing assistance; |
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| 34 | 34 | | (3) be registered or otherwise have taken the actions |
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| 35 | 35 | | required by the institution to permit the student to enroll |
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| 36 | 36 | | full-time at the institution during the academic term immediately |
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| 37 | 37 | | following the period for which the student requests the housing |
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| 38 | 38 | | assistance; and |
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| 39 | 39 | | (4) lack other reasonable temporary housing |
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| 40 | 40 | | alternatives between the academic terms described by Subdivisions |
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| 41 | 41 | | (2) and (3), as determined by the institution. |
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| 42 | 42 | | (c) On the student's request, each institution of higher |
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| 43 | 43 | | education shall assist an eligible student in locating temporary |
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| 44 | 44 | | housing for any period beginning on the last day of an academic term |
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| 45 | 45 | | and ending on the first day of the immediately following academic |
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| 46 | 46 | | term, according to the institution's academic calendar. |
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| 47 | 47 | | (d) For each eligible student under Subsection (b) who also |
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| 48 | 48 | | demonstrates financial need, the institution may: |
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| 49 | 49 | | (1) provide a stipend to cover any reasonable costs of |
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| 50 | 50 | | the temporary housing that are not covered by other financial aid |
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| 51 | 51 | | immediately available to the student for that purpose; or |
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| 52 | 52 | | (2) provide temporary housing directly to the student |
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| 53 | 53 | | for the applicable period. |
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| 54 | 54 | | (e) The receipt of a stipend under Subsection (d) does not |
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| 55 | 55 | | prohibit the student from receiving additional stipends under that |
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| 56 | 56 | | subsection in one or more subsequent periods, based on the |
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| 57 | 57 | | student's demonstrated financial need. |
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| 58 | 58 | | (f) An institution of higher education may use any available |
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| 59 | 59 | | revenue, including legislative appropriations, and may solicit and |
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| 60 | 60 | | accept gifts, grants, and donations for the purposes of this |
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| 61 | 61 | | section. The institution shall use any gifts, grants, and |
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| 62 | 62 | | donations received for the purposes of this section before using |
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| 63 | 63 | | other revenue. |
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| 64 | 64 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 65 | 65 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 66 | 66 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 67 | 67 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 68 | 68 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2011. |
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| 69 | 69 | | * * * * * |
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