| 1 | 1 | | By: Schaefer H.B. No. 149 |
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| 2 | 2 | | |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 5 | 5 | | AN ACT |
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| 6 | 6 | | relating to temporary limitations on the amount of tuition and fees |
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| 7 | 7 | | charged by public institutions of higher education. |
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| 8 | 8 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 9 | 9 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 54, Education Code, is |
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| 10 | 10 | | amended by adding Section 54.0514 to read as follows: |
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| 11 | 11 | | Sec. 54.0514. TEMPORARY LIMITATION ON TOTAL AMOUNT OF |
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| 12 | 12 | | TUITION. (a) In this section, "tuition" includes: |
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| 13 | 13 | | (1) tuition for which the rates are prescribed by this |
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| 14 | 14 | | chapter; and |
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| 15 | 15 | | (2) tuition charged by an institution of higher |
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| 16 | 16 | | education under Section 54.0513 or another law authorizing an |
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| 17 | 17 | | institution to establish tuition rates. |
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| 18 | 18 | | (b) Notwithstanding Section 54.0513 or another law |
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| 19 | 19 | | authorizing an institution to establish tuition rates, the total |
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| 20 | 20 | | amount of tuition charged by an institution of higher education to a |
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| 21 | 21 | | student for a semester or term during the 2021-2022 or 2022-2023 |
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| 22 | 22 | | academic year or for the 2023 fall semester may not exceed the total |
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| 23 | 23 | | amount of tuition that the institution would have charged under |
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| 24 | 24 | | this chapter to a similarly situated student for the 2020 summer |
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| 25 | 25 | | term or fall semester, as applicable. |
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| 26 | 26 | | (c) For purposes of this section, students are similarly |
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| 27 | 27 | | situated if they share the same residency status, degree program, |
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| 28 | 28 | | course load, course level, tuition exemption status, and other |
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| 29 | 29 | | circumstances affecting the tuition charged to the student. |
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| 30 | 30 | | (d) This section does not ensure that the total amount of |
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| 31 | 31 | | tuition charged to an individual student does not increase based on |
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| 32 | 32 | | a change in the student's residency status, degree program, course |
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| 33 | 33 | | load, course level, tuition exemption status, or other circumstance |
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| 34 | 34 | | affecting the tuition charged to the student. |
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| 35 | 35 | | (e) The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board may adopt |
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| 36 | 36 | | rules as necessary to administer this section. |
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| 37 | 37 | | (f) This section expires December 31, 2023. |
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| 38 | 38 | | SECTION 2. Subchapter E, Chapter 54, Education Code, is |
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| 39 | 39 | | amended by adding Section 54.5002 to read as follows: |
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| 40 | 40 | | Sec. 54.5002. TEMPORARY LIMITATIONS ON FEE INCREASES. (a) |
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| 41 | 41 | | Notwithstanding any other provision of this subchapter or other |
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| 42 | 42 | | law, in each semester or term during the 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 |
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| 43 | 43 | | academic years and in the 2023 fall semester, the governing board of |
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| 44 | 44 | | an institution of higher education may not charge a fee under this |
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| 45 | 45 | | subchapter in an amount that is greater than the amount of the fee |
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| 46 | 46 | | charged by the institution for the 2020 summer term or fall |
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| 47 | 47 | | semester, as applicable. |
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| 48 | 48 | | (b) The limitation provided by this section applies to a fee |
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| 49 | 49 | | even if an increase in the amount of the fee is approved by a vote of |
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| 50 | 50 | | the students, student government, or student fee advisory committee |
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| 51 | 51 | | of the institution of higher education. |
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| 52 | 52 | | (c) This section expires December 31, 2023. |
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| 53 | 53 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 54 | 54 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 55 | 55 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 56 | 56 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 57 | 57 | | Act takes effect on the 91st day after the last day of the |
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| 58 | 58 | | legislative session. |
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