| 1 | 1 | | 89R5381 CMO-D |
|---|
| 2 | 2 | | By: Meza H.B. No. 299 |
|---|
| 3 | 3 | | |
|---|
| 4 | 4 | | |
|---|
| 5 | 5 | | |
|---|
| 6 | 6 | | |
|---|
| 7 | 7 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
|---|
| 8 | 8 | | AN ACT |
|---|
| 9 | 9 | | relating to a study by the Legislative Budget Board concerning the |
|---|
| 10 | 10 | | long-term effects of regulating tuition rates and amounts charged |
|---|
| 11 | 11 | | by public institutions of higher education. |
|---|
| 12 | 12 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|---|
| 13 | 13 | | SECTION 1. Chapter 322, Government Code, is amended by |
|---|
| 14 | 14 | | adding Section 322.0166 to read as follows: |
|---|
| 15 | 15 | | Sec. 322.0166. STUDY CONCERNING REGULATION OF TUITION. (a) |
|---|
| 16 | 16 | | In this section, "institution of higher education" has the meaning |
|---|
| 17 | 17 | | assigned by Section 61.003, Education Code. |
|---|
| 18 | 18 | | (b) The board shall conduct a study to examine the long-term |
|---|
| 19 | 19 | | costs, benefits, and other effects of any legislative action that |
|---|
| 20 | 20 | | may be taken to regulate the rates and amounts of tuition charged by |
|---|
| 21 | 21 | | institutions of higher education, including by repealing the |
|---|
| 22 | 22 | | statutory authority of those institutions to establish tuition |
|---|
| 23 | 23 | | rates as they determine appropriate. The study may explore all |
|---|
| 24 | 24 | | topics relevant to the matter, but in assessing the effects of |
|---|
| 25 | 25 | | regulation, the study must strive to strike a balance between |
|---|
| 26 | 26 | | promoting the affordability and accessibility of higher education |
|---|
| 27 | 27 | | in this state and the institutions' need for sufficient revenue to |
|---|
| 28 | 28 | | maintain educational quality for students and competitiveness with |
|---|
| 29 | 29 | | other institutions outside this state. In the study, the board |
|---|
| 30 | 30 | | shall: |
|---|
| 31 | 31 | | (1) recommend to the legislature an appropriate rate |
|---|
| 32 | 32 | | or rates of tuition for institutions of higher education compared |
|---|
| 33 | 33 | | to the rates currently established by the institutions; |
|---|
| 34 | 34 | | (2) evaluate the potential effects of regulating |
|---|
| 35 | 35 | | tuition rates and amounts on student access to higher education |
|---|
| 36 | 36 | | opportunities in this state, including the effect on enrollment by |
|---|
| 37 | 37 | | disadvantaged or underrepresented Texans, and the potential |
|---|
| 38 | 38 | | effects on affordability, student financial aid, and student loan |
|---|
| 39 | 39 | | debt; |
|---|
| 40 | 40 | | (3) estimate the potential loss or gain of funding or |
|---|
| 41 | 41 | | revenue by the institutions as a result of any repeal of the |
|---|
| 42 | 42 | | existing statutory authority of those institutions to establish |
|---|
| 43 | 43 | | tuition rates; and |
|---|
| 44 | 44 | | (4) if the board projects that regulating tuition |
|---|
| 45 | 45 | | rates and amounts would result in a loss of revenue under |
|---|
| 46 | 46 | | Subdivision (3): |
|---|
| 47 | 47 | | (A) identify any sources of funding or revenue, |
|---|
| 48 | 48 | | such as institutional endowments, that would be available or |
|---|
| 49 | 49 | | necessary to offset the projected decrease in revenue; and |
|---|
| 50 | 50 | | (B) recommend a specific portion or amount of |
|---|
| 51 | 51 | | endowment money that could be used to offset the reduced tuition |
|---|
| 52 | 52 | | revenues. |
|---|
| 53 | 53 | | (c) Not later than December 1, 2026, the board shall submit |
|---|
| 54 | 54 | | to the governor, the lieutenant governor, the speaker of the house |
|---|
| 55 | 55 | | of representatives, and the presiding officer of each standing |
|---|
| 56 | 56 | | legislative committee having jurisdiction over higher education or |
|---|
| 57 | 57 | | state appropriations a report on the results of the study and the |
|---|
| 58 | 58 | | board's recommendations for legislative or other action. |
|---|
| 59 | 59 | | (d) This section expires September 1, 2027. |
|---|
| 60 | 60 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
|---|
| 61 | 61 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
|---|
| 62 | 62 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
|---|
| 63 | 63 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
|---|
| 64 | 64 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |
|---|