| 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 certain requirements for a public institution of higher |
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| 8 | 8 | | education policy requiring students to reside on campus. |
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| 9 | 9 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 10 | 10 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter Z, Chapter 51, Education Code, is |
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| 11 | 11 | | amended by adding Section 51.979 to read as follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | Sec. 51.979. POLICY REQUIRING STUDENTS TO RESIDE ON CAMPUS. |
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| 13 | 13 | | (a) In this section, "institution of higher education" has the |
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| 14 | 14 | | meaning assigned by Section 61.003. |
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| 15 | 15 | | (b) If an institution of higher education adopts a policy |
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| 16 | 16 | | requiring a student to reside for any period of time on the |
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| 17 | 17 | | institution's campus, the policy must: |
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| 18 | 18 | | (1) allow a student to qualify for an exemption from |
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| 19 | 19 | | that requirement on demonstration that: |
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| 20 | 20 | | (A) the cost for the student to reside off campus |
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| 21 | 21 | | is less than the cost to reside on campus during that period; and |
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| 22 | 22 | | (B) the student is unable to afford the cost to |
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| 23 | 23 | | reside on campus without incurring debt; and |
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| 24 | 24 | | (2) prescribe the procedure and documentation |
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| 25 | 25 | | required for a student to demonstrate qualification for the |
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| 26 | 26 | | exemption. |
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| 27 | 27 | | SECTION 2. This Act applies beginning with the 2021-2022 |
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| 28 | 28 | | academic year. |
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| 29 | 29 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 30 | 30 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 31 | 31 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 32 | 32 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 33 | 33 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2021. |
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