Bill Text: TX HB29 | 2013-2014 | 83rd Legislature | Enrolled
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-Enrolled.html
H.B. No. 29 |
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relating to requiring certain general academic teaching | ||
institutions to offer a fixed tuition price 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 PRICE PLAN FOR UNDERGRADUATE | ||
STUDENTS AT CERTAIN GENERAL ACADEMIC TEACHING INSTITUTIONS. (a) | ||
In this section, "general academic teaching institution" and | ||
"public state college" have the meanings assigned by Section | ||
61.003. | ||
(b) This section applies only to a general academic teaching | ||
institution other than a public state college. | ||
(c) The governing board of an institution to which this | ||
section applies shall offer entering undergraduate students, | ||
including undergraduate students who transfer to the institution, | ||
the opportunity to participate in a fixed tuition price plan under | ||
which the institution agrees not to increase tuition charges per | ||
semester credit hour for a participating student for at least the | ||
first 12 consecutive semesters that occur after the date of the | ||
student's initial enrollment at any public or private institution | ||
of higher education, regardless of whether the student enrolls at | ||
any institution in those semesters, and subject to any restrictions | ||
or qualifications adopted by the governing board. For purposes of | ||
this section, one or more summer terms occurring in the same summer | ||
is considered a semester. | ||
(d) Unless the institution does not offer other tuition | ||
payment options, an institution to which this section applies may | ||
require an entering undergraduate student to accept or reject | ||
participation in the fixed tuition price plan offered under this | ||
section before the date of the student's initial enrollment at the | ||
institution. | ||
(e) This section does not require an institution to which | ||
this section applies to offer a variable tuition price plan or other | ||
tuition payment options to undergraduate students enrolled in the | ||
institution. | ||
(f) Fees charged by an institution to a student | ||
participating in a fixed tuition price plan under this section may | ||
not exceed the fees charged by the institution to a similarly | ||
situated student who elects not to participate in the plan, if the | ||
institution offers other tuition payment options. For purposes of | ||
this subsection, students are similarly situated if they share the | ||
same residency status, degree program, course load, course level, | ||
and other circumstances affecting the fees charged to the students. | ||
(g) This section does not apply to the tuition charged by an | ||
institution to which this section applies to a student who enters | ||
the institution for the first time before the 2014 fall semester. | ||
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. | ||
______________________________ | ______________________________ | |
President of the Senate | Speaker of the House | |
I certify that H.B. No. 29 was passed by the House on May 2, | ||
2013, by the following vote: Yeas 148, Nays 0, 2 present, not | ||
voting; that the House refused to concur in Senate amendments to | ||
H.B. No. 29 on May 23, 2013, and requested the appointment of a | ||
conference committee to consider the differences between the two | ||
houses; and that the House adopted the conference committee report | ||
on H.B. No. 29 on May 26, 2013, by the following vote: Yeas 147, | ||
Nays 0, 1 present, not voting. | ||
______________________________ | ||
Chief Clerk of the House | ||
I certify that H.B. No. 29 was passed by the Senate, with | ||
amendments, on May 21, 2013, by the following vote: Yeas 30, Nays | ||
1; at the request of the House, the Senate appointed a conference | ||
committee to consider the differences between the two houses; and | ||
that the Senate adopted the conference committee report on H.B. No. | ||
29 on May 27, 2013, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0. | ||
______________________________ | ||
Secretary of the Senate | ||
APPROVED: __________________ | ||
Date | ||
__________________ | ||
Governor |