| 1 | 1 | | 83R4899 AED-F |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Gonzales H.B. No. 1004 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 7 | | relating to an electronic system adopted and maintained by public |
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| 8 | 8 | | institutions of higher education to employ a person to track the |
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| 9 | 9 | | academic progress of military veterans or their family members |
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| 10 | 10 | | receiving student financial assistance. |
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| 11 | 11 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 12 | 12 | | SECTION 1. The heading to Section 56.006, Education Code, |
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| 13 | 13 | | is amended to read as follows: |
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| 14 | 14 | | Sec. 56.006. FACILITATING [EMPLOYEE TRAINED IN STUDENT |
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| 15 | 15 | | FINANCIAL] ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS FOR VETERANS AND FAMILIES; TRACKING |
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| 16 | 16 | | ACADEMIC PROGRESS. |
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| 17 | 17 | | SECTION 2. Section 56.006, Education Code, is amended by |
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| 18 | 18 | | amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsection (a-1) to read as |
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| 19 | 19 | | follows: |
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| 20 | 20 | | (a) Each institution of higher education shall ensure that |
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| 21 | 21 | | one or more persons employed by the institution is trained: |
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| 22 | 22 | | (1) in understanding state and federal student |
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| 23 | 23 | | financial assistance programs available to military veterans or |
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| 24 | 24 | | their family members, especially programs specifically applicable |
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| 25 | 25 | | to military veterans or their family members; [and] |
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| 26 | 26 | | (2) in assisting military veterans and eligible family |
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| 27 | 27 | | members in understanding and obtaining the benefits available under |
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| 28 | 28 | | those programs; and |
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| 29 | 29 | | (3) in tracking, through the electronic auditing |
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| 30 | 30 | | system as described by Subsection (a-1), the academic progress of |
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| 31 | 31 | | military veterans or family members of veterans receiving student |
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| 32 | 32 | | financial assistance, in verifying the information provided by the |
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| 33 | 33 | | system, and in providing guidance in understanding and using the |
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| 34 | 34 | | information. |
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| 35 | 35 | | (a-1) Each institution of higher education shall adopt and |
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| 36 | 36 | | maintain an electronic auditing system to verify the enrollment and |
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| 37 | 37 | | completion of courses that count toward the degree plan of military |
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| 38 | 38 | | veterans or family members of veterans receiving student financial |
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| 39 | 39 | | assistance. The electronic auditing system must, through the |
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| 40 | 40 | | institution's Internet website, allow a student described by this |
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| 41 | 41 | | subsection to track the student's progress towards completing the |
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| 42 | 42 | | student's degree plan. |
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| 43 | 43 | | SECTION 3. Each public institution of higher education in |
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| 44 | 44 | | this state shall implement the electronic auditing system as |
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| 45 | 45 | | required by Section 56.006, Education Code, as amended by this Act, |
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| 46 | 46 | | beginning with the 2014 fall semester. |
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| 47 | 47 | | SECTION 4. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 48 | 48 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 49 | 49 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 50 | 50 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 51 | 51 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2013. |
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