Texas 2021 - 87th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB369 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1		-	S.B. No. 369
	1	+	By: Kolkhorst S.B. No. 369
	2	+	(Allison)
2	3
3	4
	5	+	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
4	6		AN ACT
5	7		relating to the requirement to submit a financial aid application
6	8		as a condition of high school graduation for public school
7	9		students.
8	10		BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
9	11		SECTION 1. Sections 28.0256(a), (c), (d), and (e),
10	12		Education Code, are amended to read as follows:
11	13		(a) Before graduating from high school, each student must
12	14		complete and submit a free application for federal student aid
13	15		(FAFSA) or a Texas application for state financial aid (TASFA),
14	16		except as otherwise provided by Subsection (b).
15	17		(c) A school district or open-enrollment charter school
16	18		shall adopt a form to be used for purposes of Subsection (b). The
17	19		form must [be]:
18	20		(1) be approved by the agency; [and]
19	21		(2) provide the student or the student's parent or
20	22		other person standing in parental relation, as applicable, the
21	23		opportunity to decline to complete and submit a financial aid
22	24		application, as provided by Subsection (b); and
23	25		(3) be made available in English, Spanish, and any
24	26		other language spoken by a majority of the students enrolled in a
25	27		bilingual education or special language program under Subchapter B,
26	28		Chapter 29, in the district or school.
27	29		(d) If a school counselor notifies a school district or
28	30		open-enrollment charter school whether a student has complied with
29	31		this section for purposes of determining whether the student meets
30	32		high school graduation requirements under Section 28.025, the
31	33		school counselor may only indicate whether the student has complied
32	34		with this section and may not indicate the manner in which the
33	35		student complied, except as necessary for the district or school to
34	36		comply with rules adopted under Subsection (e)(2). A school
35	37		counselor may not indicate that a student has not complied with this
36	38		section if the school district or open-enrollment charter school
37	39		fails to provide the form adopted under Subsection (c) to the
38	40		student or the student's parent or other person standing in
39	41		parental relation to the student.
40	42		(e) The commissioner shall adopt rules as necessary to
41	43		implement this section, including rules to:
42	44		(1) establish:
43	45		(A) a timeline for:
44	46		(i) the distribution to students of the
45	47		free application for federal student aid or Texas application for
46	48		state financial aid and the form adopted under Subsection (c); and
47	49		(ii) the submission of a form under
48	50		Subsection (b);
49	51		(B) standards regarding the information that a
50	52		school district or open-enrollment charter school must provide to
51	53		students regarding:
52	54		(i) in accordance with Section
53	55		33.007(b)(5), instructions for filling out the free application for
54	56		federal student aid or Texas application for state financial aid;
55	57		and
56	58		(ii) the options available to a student
57	59		under Subsection (b) if the student wishes to decline to complete
58	60		and submit a financial aid application; and
59	61		(C) the method by which a student must provide to
60	62		a school district or open-enrollment charter school proof that the
61	63		student has completed and submitted the free application for
62	64		federal student aid or Texas application for state financial aid as
63	65		required by this section;
64	66		(2) require each school district and open-enrollment
65	67		charter school to report to the agency:
66	68		(A) the number of students who completed and
67	69		submitted a financial aid application under Subsection (a); and
68	70		(B) the number of students who received an
69	71		exception from complying with Subsection (a) under Subsection (b);
70	72		and
71	73		(3) ensure compliance with federal law regarding
72	74		confidentiality of student educational information, including the
73	75		Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (20 U.S.C.
74	76		Section 1232g), and any state law relating to the privacy of student
75	77		information.
76	78		SECTION 2. This Act applies beginning with the 2021-2022
77	79		school year.
78	80		SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
79	81		a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
80	82		provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
81	83		Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
82	84		Act takes effect September 1, 2021.
83		-	______________________________ ______________________________
84		-	President of the Senate Speaker of the House
85		-	I hereby certify that S.B. No. 369 passed the Senate on
86		-	April 23, 2021, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0.
87		-	______________________________
88		-	Secretary of the Senate
89		-	I hereby certify that S.B. No. 369 passed the House on
90		-	May 26, 2021, by the following vote: Yeas 143, Nays 4, two present
91		-	not voting.
92		-	______________________________
93		-	Chief Clerk of the House
94		-	Approved:
95		-	______________________________
96		-	Date
97		-	______________________________
98		-	Governor