Texas 2017 - 85th Regular

Texas House Bill HB2355 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
1	1	By: Thierry H.B. No. 2355
2	2
3	3
4	4	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
5	5	AN ACT
6	6	relating to measures to assist students at public institutions of
7	7	higher education who are homeless.
8	8	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
9	9	SECTION 1. Section 51.9356, Education Code, is amended to
10	10	read as follows:
11	11	Sec. 51.9356. DESIGNATION OF LIAISON OFFICER TO ASSIST
12	12	STUDENTS WHO WERE FORMERLY IN FOSTER CARE OR WHO ARE HOMELESS. (a)
13	13	In this section:
14	14	(1) "Institution[, "institution] of higher education"
15	15	has the meaning assigned by Section 61.003.
16	16	(2) "Students who are homeless" has the meaning
17	17	assigned to the term "homeless children and youths" under 42 U.S.C.
18	18	Section 11434a and includes students who reside in a student
19	19	housing facility maintained by an institution of higher education
20	20	during an academic term but who are homeless between academic
21	21	terms.
22	22	(b) Each institution of higher education shall designate at
23	23	least one employee of the institution to act as a liaison officer
24	24	for current and incoming students who:
25	25	(1) [students at the institution who] were formerly in
26	26	the conservatorship of the Department of Family and Protective
27	27	Services; or
28	28	(2) are homeless.
29	29	(c) The liaison officer shall provide to [those] students
30	30	described by Subsection (b) information regarding support
31	31	services, including financial aid, on and off campus housing, food
32	32	and meal plan programs, and counseling services, and other
33	33	resources available to the students at the institution of higher
34	34	education and any other relevant information to assist the
35	35	students.
36	36	SECTION 2. The heading to Section 51.978, Education Code,
37	37	is amended to read as follows:
38	38	Sec. 51.978. TEMPORARY HOUSING BETWEEN ACADEMIC TERMS FOR
39	39	CERTAIN STUDENTS WHO WERE FORMERLY UNDER CONSERVATORSHIP OF
40	40	DEPARTMENT OF FAMILY AND PROTECTIVE SERVICES OR WHO ARE HOMELESS.
41	41	SECTION 3. Section 51.978(a), Education Code, is amended by
42	42	adding Subdivision (3) to read as follows:
43	43	(3) "Students who are homeless" has the meaning
44	44	assigned to the term "homeless children and youths" under 42 U.S.C.
45	45	Section 11434a and includes students who reside in a student
46	46	housing facility maintained by an institution of higher education
47	47	during an academic term but who are homeless between academic
48	48	terms.
49	49	SECTION 4. Section 51.978(b), Education Code, is amended to
50	50	read as follows:
51	51	(b) To be eligible to receive housing assistance from an
52	52	institution of higher education under Subsection (c), a student
53	53	must:
54	54	(1) be:
55	55	(A) a student who has [have] been under the
56	56	conservatorship of the Department of Family and Protective Services
57	57	or its predecessor in function on the day preceding:
58	58	(i) [(A)] the student's 18th birthday; or
59	59	(ii) [(B)] the date the student's
60	60	disabilities of minority are removed by a court under Chapter 31,
61	61	Family Code; or
62	62	(B) a student who is homeless;
63	63	(2) be enrolled full-time at the institution during
64	64	the academic term immediately preceding the period for which the
65	65	student requests the housing assistance;
66	66	(3) be registered or otherwise have taken the actions
67	67	required by the institution to permit the student to enroll
68	68	full-time at the institution during the academic term immediately
69	69	following the period for which the student requests the housing
70	70	assistance; and
71	71	(4) lack other reasonable temporary housing
72	72	alternatives between the academic terms described by Subdivisions
73	73	(2) and (3), as determined by the institution.
74	74	SECTION 5. Subchapter Z, Chapter 51, Education Code, is
75	75	amended by adding Section 51.9781 to read as follows:
76	76	Sec. 51.9781. PRIORITY ACCESS TO STUDENT HOUSING FOR
77	77	STUDENTS WHO ARE HOMELESS. (a) In this section:
78	78	(1) "Institution of higher education" has the meaning
79	79	assigned by Section 61.003.
80	80	(2) "Students who are homeless" has the meaning
81	81	assigned to the term "homeless children and youths" under 42 U.S.C.
82	82	Section 11434a and includes students who reside in a student
83	83	housing facility maintained by an institution of higher education
84	84	during an academic term but who are homeless between academic
85	85	terms.
86	86	(b) Each institution of higher education that maintains
87	87	student housing facilities shall give priority in the assignment of
88	88	housing in those facilities to students who are homeless.
89	89	SECTION 6. Section 61.0908, Education Code, is amended to
90	90	read as follows:
91	91	Sec. 61.0908. DESIGNATION OF LIAISON OFFICER TO ASSIST
92	92	STUDENTS WHO WERE FORMERLY IN FOSTER CARE OR WHO ARE HOMELESS. (a)
93	93	In this section, "students who are homeless" has the meaning
94	94	assigned to the term "homeless children and youths" under 42 U.S.C.
95	95	Section 11434a and includes students who reside in a student
96	96	housing facility maintained by an institution of higher education
97	97	during an academic term but who are homeless between academic
98	98	terms.
99	99	(b) The Higher Education Coordinating B[b]oard shall
100	100	designate at least one employee of the board to act as a liaison
101	101	officer for current and incoming students at institutions of higher
102	102	education who:
103	103	(1) were formerly in the conservatorship of the
104	104	Department of Family and Protective Services; or
105	105	(2) are homeless.
106	106	(c) The liaison officer shall assist in coordinating
107	107	college readiness and student success efforts relating to [those]
108	108	students described by Subsection (b).
109	109	SECTION 7. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
110	110	a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
111	111	provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
112	112	Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
113	113	Act takes effect September 1, 2017.