TX
Texas House Bill HB2557

Texas 2019 - 86th Regular

Texas House Bill HB2557 Compare Versions

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1-86R20058 MM-D
1+86R13025 MM-D
22 By: Schaefer H.B. No. 2557
3- Substitute the following for H.B. No. 2557:
4- By: Schaefer C.S.H.B. No. 2557
53
64
75 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
86 AN ACT
9- relating to collection and reporting of certain information
10- regarding tuition and fee exemptions granted by institutions of
11- higher education to veterans and their family members.
7+ relating to information about certain veterans and their dependents
8+ reported by institutions of higher education to the Texas Veterans
9+ Commission.
1210 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
13- SECTION 1. Sections 54.341(h) and (o), Education Code, are
11+ SECTION 1. Section 434.00791(b), Government Code, is
1412 amended to read as follows:
15- (h) The governing board of each institution of higher
16- education shall electronically report to the Texas Veterans
17- Commission the information required by Section 434.00791,
18- Government Code, and to the Legislative Budget Board the
19- information required by Section 322.025, Government Code, relating
20- to each individual receiving an exemption from fees and charges
21- under Subsection (a), (a-2), (b), or (k). The institution shall
22- report the information not later than January 31 of each year for
23- the fall semester, June 30 of each year for the spring semester, and
24- September 30 of each year for the summer session.
25- (o) The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, the
26- Legislative Budget Board, and the Texas Veterans Commission shall
27- coordinate to provide each respective agency with any information
28- required to ensure the proper administration of this section and
29- the proper execution of each agency's statutory responsibilities
30- concerning this section.
31- SECTION 2. Chapter 322, Government Code, is amended by
32- adding Section 322.025 to read as follows:
33- Sec. 322.025. DATA COLLECTION AND REPORT REGARDING TUITION
34- AND FEE EXEMPTIONS FOR VETERANS AND FAMILY MEMBERS. (a) In this
35- section, "institution of higher education" has the meaning assigned
36- by Section 61.003, Education Code.
37- (b) Using existing resources, the board shall collect from
38- each institution of higher education, for each semester, the
39- following information regarding tuition and fee exemptions granted
40- by the institution under Section 54.341, Education Code:
41- (1) the age of each individual attending the
42- institution and receiving benefits for the semester;
43- (2) for each individual receiving benefits, the number
13+ (b) The commission shall ensure a system to electronically
14+ monitor the use of tuition and fee exemptions at institutions of
15+ higher education under Section 54.341, Education Code, is
16+ developed. The system must allow the commission to electronically
17+ receive, for each semester, the following information from
18+ institutions of higher education:
19+ (1) the name of the institution;
20+ (2) the name, identification number, and date of birth
21+ of each individual attending the institution and receiving benefits
22+ for the semester under Section 54.341, Education Code;
23+ (3) for each individual receiving benefits, the number
4424 of credit hours for which the individual received an exemption for
4525 the semester;
46- (3) for each individual receiving benefits at the
26+ (4) for each individual receiving benefits at the
4727 institution during the semester, the total cumulative number of
4828 credit hours for which the individual has received an exemption at
49- the institution;
50- (4) for each individual receiving benefits, whether
51- the person is a veteran or the family member of a veteran;
52- (5) in a manner that does not identify the person
53- receiving benefits and as indicated by official documentation from
54- the United States Department of Defense, for a veteran who is
55- eligible for benefits or whose service allows another person to be
56- eligible for benefits:
57- (A) whether the veteran served as an active duty
58- member or a member of a reserve component of the armed forces; and
59- (B) the veteran's length of service; and
60- (6) any other information required by the board.
61- (c) Not later than November 1 of each year, the board shall
62- submit to the legislature a report regarding the data collected by
63- the board under Subsection (b) for the most recent academic year.
64- SECTION 3. The changes in law made by this Act apply
65- beginning with tuition and fee exemptions granted under Section
66- 54.341, Education Code, for the 2019 fall semester.
67- SECTION 4. Not later than November 1, 2020, the Legislative
68- Budget Board shall submit its initial report required under Section
69- 322.025, Government Code, as added by this Act.
70- SECTION 5. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
71- a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
72- provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
73- Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
74- Act takes effect September 1, 2019.
29+ the institution; [and]
30+ (5) in a manner that does not identify the individual
31+ receiving benefits, the length of service of each individual
32+ receiving benefits as indicated by official documentation from the
33+ United States Department of Defense; and
34+ (6) any other information required by the commission.
35+ SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019.