Bill Text: TX HB3766 | 2017-2018 | 85th Legislature | Comm Sub
Bill Title: Relating to tuition and fee exemptions or waivers at public institutions of higher education.
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2017-05-08 - Committee report sent to Calendars [HB3766 Detail]
Download: Texas-2017-HB3766-Comm_Sub.html
85R28010 JRJ-F | |||
By: Lozano, Blanco | H.B. No. 3766 | ||
Substitute the following for H.B. No. 3766: | |||
By: Lozano | C.S.H.B. No. 3766 |
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relating to tuition and fee exemptions or waivers at public | ||
institutions of higher education. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Subchapter D, Chapter 54, Education Code, is | ||
amended by adding Section 54.201 to read as follows: | ||
Sec. 54.201. CERTAIN FINANCIAL AID ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION | ||
REQUIRED. (a) Notwithstanding any other law and subject to | ||
Subsection (b), to qualify for an exemption, waiver, or other | ||
benefit authorized under this subchapter for enrollment at an | ||
institution of higher education during an academic year, a person | ||
must: | ||
(1) complete a free application for federal student | ||
aid (FAFSA) for that academic year and: | ||
(A) submit the person's FAFSA student aid report | ||
to the institution; or | ||
(B) designate the institution as a preferred | ||
institution to receive the report from the United States Department | ||
of Education; or | ||
(2) if the person is not eligible to receive federal | ||
student aid, complete and submit to the institution the Texas | ||
Application for State Financial Aid (TASFA) or a similar | ||
application for state student financial assistance. | ||
(b) Subsection (a) does not apply to a person who receives a | ||
waiver under Section 54.216. | ||
SECTION 2. Sections 54.341(l) and (n), Education Code, are | ||
amended to read as follows: | ||
(l) To be eligible to receive an exemption under Subsection | ||
(k), the child must: | ||
(1) be a student who is classified as a resident under | ||
Subchapter B when the child enrolls in an institution of higher | ||
education; | ||
(2) be [ |
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(3) maintain: | ||
(A) a course load of at least 24 semester credit | ||
hours per academic year; and | ||
(B) a cumulative grade point average of at least | ||
2.5 on a four-point scale or the equivalent; | ||
(4) be 25 years of age or younger on the first class | ||
date [ |
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exemption is claimed; and | ||
(5) if eligible, have exhausted all benefits available | ||
to the child under the federal Post-9/11 Veterans Educational | ||
Assistance Act of 2008 (38 U.S.C. Section 3301 et seq.) or any other | ||
federal law authorizing educational benefits for veterans. | ||
(n) The Texas Veterans Commission by rule shall prescribe | ||
procedures by which a child assigned an exemption under Subsection | ||
(k) who suffered from a severe illness or other debilitating | ||
condition that affected the child's ability to use the exemption | ||
before reaching the age described by Subsection (l)(4) [ |
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be granted additional time to use the exemption corresponding to | ||
the time the child was unable to use the exemption because of the | ||
illness or condition. | ||
SECTION 3. Section 434.00791(b), Government Code, is | ||
amended to read as follows: | ||
(b) The commission shall ensure a system to electronically | ||
monitor the use of tuition and fee exemptions at institutions of | ||
higher education under Section 54.341, Education Code, is | ||
developed. The system must allow the commission to electronically | ||
receive, for each semester, the following information from | ||
institutions of higher education: | ||
(1) the name of the institution; | ||
(2) the name, identification number, and date of birth | ||
of each individual attending the institution and receiving benefits | ||
for the semester under Section 54.341, Education Code; | ||
(3) for each individual receiving benefits, the number | ||
of credit hours for which the individual received an exemption for | ||
the semester; | ||
(4) for each individual receiving benefits at the | ||
institution during the semester, the total cumulative number of | ||
credit hours for which the individual has received an exemption at | ||
the institution; [ |
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(5) for each individual receiving benefits, the length | ||
of service of the person eligible for an exemption under Section | ||
54.341(a), Education Code, as indicated by official documentation | ||
from the United States Department of Defense; and | ||
(6) any other information required by the commission. | ||
SECTION 4. (a) Except as otherwise provided by this | ||
section, the changes in law made by this Act apply beginning with | ||
tuition and fees charged for the 2017 fall semester. Tuition and | ||
fees charged for a term or semester before the 2017 fall semester | ||
are governed by the law in effect immediately before the effective | ||
date of this Act, and the former law is continued in effect for that | ||
purpose. | ||
(b) Section 54.201, Education Code, as added by this Act, | ||
applies to a person's eligibility for an exemption or waiver from | ||
the payment of all or part of tuition or other fees beginning with | ||
tuition and fees charged for the 2018 fall semester. | ||
SECTION 5. 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, 2017. |