| 1 | 1 | | 86R795 KKA-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Zaffirini S.B. No. 279 |
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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 completion and submission of a financial aid |
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| 8 | 8 | | application for costs of higher education as a condition of high |
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| 9 | 9 | | school graduation for public school students. |
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| 10 | 10 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 11 | 11 | | SECTION 1. Section 28.025(c), Education Code, is amended to |
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| 12 | 12 | | read as follows: |
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| 13 | 13 | | (c) A person may receive a diploma if the person is eligible |
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| 14 | 14 | | for a diploma under Section 28.0251. In other cases, a student may |
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| 15 | 15 | | graduate and receive a diploma only if: |
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| 16 | 16 | | (1) the student successfully completes the curriculum |
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| 17 | 17 | | requirements identified by the State Board of Education under |
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| 18 | 18 | | Subsection (a) and complies with Sections 28.0256 and [Section] |
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| 19 | 19 | | 39.025; or |
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| 20 | 20 | | (2) the student successfully completes an |
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| 21 | 21 | | individualized education program developed under Section 29.005. |
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| 22 | 22 | | SECTION 2. Subchapter B, Chapter 28, Education Code, is |
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| 23 | 23 | | amended by adding Section 28.0256 to read as follows: |
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| 24 | 24 | | Sec. 28.0256. FINANCIAL AID APPLICATION REQUIREMENT FOR |
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| 25 | 25 | | HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION. (a) Before graduating from high school, |
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| 26 | 26 | | each student must complete and submit a free application for |
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| 27 | 27 | | federal student aid (FAFSA) or, if applicable, a Texas application |
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| 28 | 28 | | for state financial aid (TASFA). |
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| 29 | 29 | | (b) A student is not required to comply with Subsection (a) |
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| 30 | 30 | | if: |
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| 31 | 31 | | (1) the student's parent or other person standing in |
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| 32 | 32 | | parental relation submits a signed form indicating that the parent |
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| 33 | 33 | | or other person authorizes the student to decline to complete and |
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| 34 | 34 | | submit the financial aid application; or |
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| 35 | 35 | | (2) the student signs and submits the form described |
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| 36 | 36 | | by Subdivision (1) on the student's own behalf if the student is 18 |
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| 37 | 37 | | years of age or older or the student's disabilities of minority have |
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| 38 | 38 | | been removed for general purposes under Chapter 31, Family Code. |
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| 39 | 39 | | (c) A school district or open-enrollment charter school |
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| 40 | 40 | | shall adopt a form to be used for purposes of Subsection (b). |
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| 41 | 41 | | SECTION 3. This Act applies beginning with students |
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| 42 | 42 | | enrolled at the 12th grade level during the 2020-2021 school year. |
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| 43 | 43 | | SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019. |
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