Bill Text: TX HB29 | 2013-2014 | 83rd Legislature | Introduced
NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft
Bill Title: Relating to requiring certain general academic teaching institutions to offer a fixed tuition price plan to undergraduate students.
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Republican 8-5)
Status: (Passed) 2013-06-14 - Effective immediately [HB29 Detail]
Download: Texas-2013-HB29-Introduced.html
Bill Title: Relating to requiring certain general academic teaching institutions to offer a fixed tuition price plan to undergraduate students.
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Republican 8-5)
Status: (Passed) 2013-06-14 - Effective immediately [HB29 Detail]
Download: Texas-2013-HB29-Introduced.html
83R1465 KSD-D | ||
By: Branch | H.B. No. 29 |
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relating to requiring general academic teaching institutions to | ||
offer a fixed tuition rate plan to undergraduate students. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 54, Education Code, is | ||
amended by adding Section 54.017 to read as follows: | ||
Sec. 54.017. FIXED TUITION RATE OPTION FOR UNDERGRADUATE | ||
STUDENTS AT GENERAL ACADEMIC TEACHING INSTITUTIONS. (a) In this | ||
section: | ||
(1) "Coordinating board" means the Texas Higher | ||
Education Coordinating Board. | ||
(2) "General academic teaching institution" has the | ||
meaning assigned by Section 61.003. | ||
(b) Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter and | ||
except as otherwise provided by this section, the governing board | ||
of a general academic teaching institution shall offer each | ||
entering undergraduate student, including each undergraduate | ||
student who transfers to the institution regardless of the number | ||
of semester credit hours transferred by the student, the | ||
opportunity to participate in a fixed tuition rate plan. | ||
(c) A fixed tuition rate plan offered under this section | ||
must provide that: | ||
(1) during the 48 months immediately following the | ||
date of a student's initial enrollment at the general academic | ||
teaching institution, the institution may not charge tuition to the | ||
student for a semester or other academic term at a rate that exceeds | ||
the rate the institution would have charged the student for the same | ||
courses during: | ||
(A) the first academic year in which the student | ||
enrolled at the institution, if the student initially enrolled for | ||
a fall or spring semester; or | ||
(B) the academic year immediately following the | ||
summer term in which the student enrolled at the institution, if the | ||
student initially enrolled for a summer term; and | ||
(2) after the fourth anniversary of the date the | ||
student first enrolls at the institution, regardless of whether the | ||
student is continuously enrolled in the institution after that | ||
initial enrollment, the institution may not charge tuition to the | ||
student for a semester or other academic term at a rate that exceeds | ||
the rate the institution would have charged the student under | ||
Subdivision (1) had the student initially enrolled in the | ||
institution one year after the student's actual initial enrollment. | ||
(d) A fixed tuition rate charged to a student by a general | ||
academic teaching institution under Subsection (c) does not apply | ||
to the student after the student has been awarded a baccalaureate | ||
degree by the institution. A student who previously completed a | ||
baccalaureate degree program at the institution is considered to be | ||
an entering undergraduate student for purposes of this section if | ||
the student subsequently enrolls in another undergraduate degree | ||
program at the institution. | ||
(e) Each general academic teaching institution shall notify | ||
each entering undergraduate student, including each undergraduate | ||
student who transfers to the institution, of the fixed tuition rate | ||
plan offered under this section. | ||
(f) In consultation with the general academic teaching | ||
institutions, the coordinating board shall adopt any rules the | ||
coordinating board considers appropriate for the administration of | ||
this section. | ||
(g) This section does not require a general academic | ||
teaching institution to offer an alternative tuition plan to | ||
undergraduate students enrolled in the institution. | ||
(h) This section does not apply to the tuition charged by a | ||
general academic teaching institution to a student who enters the | ||
institution for the first time before the 2013 fall semester. This | ||
subsection expires January 1, 2020. | ||
SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives | ||
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as | ||
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this | ||
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this | ||
Act takes effect September 1, 2013. |