| 1 | 1 | | 88R6011 CXP-F |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Eckhardt S.B. No. 597 |
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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 the designation of liaison officers to assist certain |
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| 8 | 8 | | students at public institutions of higher education who are |
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| 9 | 9 | | parents. |
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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. Subchapter Z, Chapter 51, Education Code, is |
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| 12 | 12 | | amended by adding Section 51.9357 to read as follows: |
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| 13 | 13 | | Sec. 51.9357. DESIGNATION OF LIAISON OFFICER TO ASSIST |
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| 14 | 14 | | CERTAIN STUDENTS WHO ARE PARENTS; REPORT. (a) In this section: |
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| 15 | 15 | | (1) "Coordinating board" means the Texas Higher |
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| 16 | 16 | | Education Coordinating Board. |
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| 17 | 17 | | (2) "Institution of higher education" has the meaning |
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| 18 | 18 | | assigned by Section 61.003. |
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| 19 | 19 | | (b) Each institution of higher education shall designate at |
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| 20 | 20 | | least one employee of the institution to act as a liaison officer |
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| 21 | 21 | | for current or incoming students at the institution who are the |
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| 22 | 22 | | parent or guardian of a child younger than 18 years of age. The |
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| 23 | 23 | | liaison officer shall provide to the students information regarding |
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| 24 | 24 | | support services and other resources available to the students at |
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| 25 | 25 | | the institution, including: |
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| 26 | 26 | | (1) resources to access: |
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| 27 | 27 | | (A) medical and behavioral health coverage and |
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| 28 | 28 | | services; and |
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| 29 | 29 | | (B) public benefit programs, including programs |
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| 30 | 30 | | related to food security, affordable housing, and housing |
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| 31 | 31 | | subsidies; |
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| 32 | 32 | | (2) parenting and child care resources; |
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| 33 | 33 | | (3) employment assistance; |
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| 34 | 34 | | (4) transportation assistance; |
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| 35 | 35 | | (5) student academic success strategies; and |
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| 36 | 36 | | (6) any other resources developed by the institution |
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| 37 | 37 | | to assist the students. |
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| 38 | 38 | | (c) Not later than May 1 of each academic year, an |
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| 39 | 39 | | institution of higher education shall submit to the coordinating |
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| 40 | 40 | | board a report that contains the following information regarding |
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| 41 | 41 | | students enrolled at the institution for the current academic year |
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| 42 | 42 | | who are the parent or guardian of a child younger than 18 years of |
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| 43 | 43 | | age: |
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| 44 | 44 | | (1) the number of those students; |
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| 45 | 45 | | (2) demographic data, including age, race, sex, |
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| 46 | 46 | | ethnicity, and national origin; |
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| 47 | 47 | | (3) academic data, including full-time or part-time |
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| 48 | 48 | | enrollment status and graduation, transfer, and withdrawal rates; |
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| 49 | 49 | | and |
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| 50 | 50 | | (4) other data as prescribed by coordinating board |
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| 51 | 51 | | rule. |
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| 52 | 52 | | (d) The coordinating board shall adopt rules to administer |
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| 53 | 53 | | this section, including rules to ensure compliance with federal law |
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| 54 | 54 | | regarding confidentiality of student medical or educational |
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| 55 | 55 | | information, including the Health Insurance Portability and |
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| 56 | 56 | | Accountability Act of 1996 (42 U.S.C. Section 1320d et seq.), the |
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| 57 | 57 | | Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (20 U.S.C. |
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| 58 | 58 | | Section 1232g), and any state law relating to the privacy of student |
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| 59 | 59 | | information. |
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| 60 | 60 | | SECTION 2. Subchapter C, Chapter 61, Education Code, is |
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| 61 | 61 | | amended by adding Section 61.09081 to read as follows: |
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| 62 | 62 | | Sec. 61.09081. DESIGNATION OF LIAISON OFFICER TO ASSIST |
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| 63 | 63 | | CERTAIN STUDENTS WHO ARE PARENTS. The board shall designate at |
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| 64 | 64 | | least one employee of the board to act as a liaison officer for |
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| 65 | 65 | | current or incoming students at institutions of higher education |
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| 66 | 66 | | who are the parent or guardian of a child younger than 18 years of |
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| 67 | 67 | | age. The liaison officer shall assist in coordinating college |
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| 68 | 68 | | readiness and student success efforts relating to those students. |
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| 69 | 69 | | SECTION 3. (a) As soon as practicable after the effective |
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| 70 | 70 | | date of this Act, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board |
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| 71 | 71 | | shall adopt rules to implement Sections 51.9357 and 61.09081, |
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| 72 | 72 | | Education Code, as added by this Act. |
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| 73 | 73 | | (b) This Act applies beginning with the 2023-2024 academic |
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| 74 | 74 | | year. |
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| 75 | 75 | | SECTION 4. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 76 | 76 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 77 | 77 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 78 | 78 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 79 | 79 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |
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