Texas 2023 - 88th Regular

Texas House Bill HB1142 Compare Versions

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1	1	By: Thierry, Harrison, et al. H.B. No. 1142
2	2
3	3
4	4	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
5	5	AN ACT
6	6	relating to measures to assist students enrolled at public
7	7	institutions of higher education who are homeless or who are or were
8	8	in foster care.
9	9	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
10	10	SECTION 1. Section 51.9356, Education Code, is amended to
11	11	read as follows:
12	12	Sec. 51.9356. DESIGNATION OF LIAISON OFFICER TO ASSIST
13	13	STUDENTS WHO ARE OR WERE IN FOSTER CARE OR WHO ARE HOMELESS. (a) In
14	14	this section:
15	15	(1) "Institution[, "institution] of higher education"
16	16	has the meaning assigned by Section 61.003.
17	17	(2) "Students who are homeless" has the meaning
18	18	assigned to the term "homeless children and youths" under 42 U.S.C.
19	19	Section 11434a and includes students who reside in a student
20	20	housing facility maintained by an institution of higher education
21	21	during an academic term but who are homeless between academic
22	22	terms.
23	23	(b) Each institution of higher education shall designate at
24	24	least one employee of the institution to act as a liaison officer
25	25	for current and incoming:
26	26	(1) students [at the institution] who are or were
27	27	[formerly] in the conservatorship of the Department of Family and
28	28	Protective Services; and
29	29	(2) students who are homeless.
30	30	(c) To the extent allowed by state or federal law, an [the]
31	31	institution of higher education shall identify [those] students
32	32	described by Subsection (b)(1), and make best efforts to identify
33	33	students described by Subsection (b)(2), from information provided
34	34	to the institution in admission or financial aid applications or
35	35	other available resources.
36	36	(d) An institution of higher education may designate under
37	37	Subsection (b) the same employee or employees to act as liaison
38	38	officer for each student described in that subsection or one or more
39	39	different employees to act as liaison officer for each of those
40	40	students separately.
41	41	(e) [(c)] Each semester or other academic term, an
42	42	institution of higher education shall provide to the institution's
43	43	liaison officer or officers the names of and information regarding
44	44	the students described by Subsection (b) for whom the officer is
45	45	designated.
46	46	(f) A [(d) The] liaison officer shall provide to the
47	47	students described by Subsection (b) for whom the officer is
48	48	designated information regarding support services including
49	49	financial aid, on-campus and off-campus housing, food and meal
50	50	programs, and counseling services, [and] other resources available
51	51	to the students at the institution of higher education, and any
52	52	other relevant information to assist the students.
53	53	(g) A [(e) The] liaison officer may participate in any
54	54	training that enables the officer to carry out the officer's duties
55	55	and coordinate with liaison officers at other educational
56	56	institutions.
57	57	(h) [(f)] Each institution of higher education shall
58	58	publicize, including through the institution's Internet website,
59	59	social media, electronic mail, or other means of communication used
60	60	by the institution:
61	61	(1) the name of and contact information for the
62	62	institution's liaison officer or officers; and
63	63	(2) information regarding support services and other
64	64	resources available at the institution to the students described by
65	65	Subsection (b).
66	66	SECTION 2. The heading to Section 51.978, Education Code,
67	67	is amended to read as follows:
68	68	Sec. 51.978. TEMPORARY HOUSING BETWEEN ACADEMIC TERMS FOR
69	69	CERTAIN STUDENTS WHO WERE [FORMERLY] UNDER CONSERVATORSHIP OF
70	70	DEPARTMENT OF FAMILY AND PROTECTIVE SERVICES OR WHO ARE HOMELESS.
71	71	SECTION 3. Section 51.978(a), Education Code, is amended by
72	72	adding Subdivision (3) to read as follows:
73	73	(3) "Students who are homeless" has the meaning
74	74	assigned to the term "homeless children and youths" under 42 U.S.C.
75	75	Section 11434a and includes students who reside in a student
76	76	housing facility maintained by an institution of higher education
77	77	during an academic term but who are homeless between academic
78	78	terms.
79	79	SECTION 4. Section 51.978(b), Education Code, is amended to
80	80	read as follows:
81	81	(b) To be eligible to receive housing assistance from an
82	82	institution of higher education under Subsection (c), a student
83	83	must:
84	84	(1) be:
85	85	(A) a student who has [have] been under the
86	86	conservatorship of the Department of Family and Protective Services
87	87	or its predecessor in function on the day preceding:
88	88	(i) [(A)] the student's 18th birthday; or
89	89	(ii) [(B)] the date the student's
90	90	disabilities of minority are removed by a court under Chapter 31,
91	91	Family Code; or
92	92	(B) a student who is homeless;
93	93	(2) be enrolled full-time at the institution during
94	94	the academic term immediately preceding the period for which the
95	95	student requests the housing assistance;
96	96	(3) be registered or otherwise have taken the actions
97	97	required by the institution to permit the student to enroll
98	98	full-time at the institution during the academic term immediately
99	99	following the period for which the student requests the housing
100	100	assistance; and
101	101	(4) lack other reasonable temporary housing
102	102	alternatives between the academic terms described by Subdivisions
103	103	(2) and (3), as determined by the institution.
104	104	SECTION 5. Subchapter Z, Chapter 51, Education Code, is
105	105	amended by adding Section 51.9781 to read as follows:
106	106	Sec. 51.9781. PRIORITY ACCESS TO STUDENT HOUSING FOR
107	107	STUDENTS WHO ARE HOMELESS. (a) In this section:
108	108	(1) "Institution of higher education" has the meaning
109	109	assigned by Section 61.003.
110	110	(2) "Students who are homeless" has the meaning
111	111	assigned to the term "homeless children and youths" under 42 U.S.C.
112	112	Section 11434a and includes students who reside in a student
113	113	housing facility maintained by an institution of higher education
114	114	during an academic term but who are homeless between academic
115	115	terms.
116	116	(b) Each institution of higher education that maintains
117	117	student housing facilities may give priority in the assignment of
118	118	housing in those facilities to students who are homeless in
119	119	accordance with priorities established in the institution's
120	120	housing policy.
121	121	SECTION 6. Section 61.0908, Education Code, is amended to
122	122	read as follows:
123	123	Sec. 61.0908. DESIGNATION OF LIAISON OFFICER TO ASSIST
124	124	STUDENTS WHO WERE [FORMERLY] IN FOSTER CARE OR WHO ARE HOMELESS.
125	125	(a) In this section, "students who are homeless" has the meaning
126	126	assigned to the term "homeless children and youths" under 42 U.S.C.
127	127	Section 11434a and includes students who reside in a student
128	128	housing facility maintained by an institution of higher education
129	129	during an academic term but who are homeless between academic
130	130	terms.
131	131	(b) The board shall designate at least one employee of the
132	132	board to act as a liaison officer for the following current and
133	133	incoming students at institutions of higher education:
134	134	(1) students who were formerly in the conservatorship
135	135	of the Department of Family and Protective Services; and
136	136	(2) students who are homeless.
137	137	(c) The board may designate under Subsection (b) the same
138	138	employee or employees to act as liaison officer for each student
139	139	described in that subsection or one or more different employees to
140	140	act as liaison officer for each of those students separately. A
141	141	[The] liaison officer shall assist the students for whom the
142	142	officer is designated in coordinating college readiness and student
143	143	success efforts relating to the [those] students.
144	144	SECTION 7. The changes in law made by this Act apply
145	145	beginning with the 2023-2024 academic year.
146	146	SECTION 8. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
147	147	a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
148	148	provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
149	149	Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
150	150	Act takes effect September 1, 2023.