Bill Text: TX SB1880 | 2019-2020 | 86th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to limitations on increases in fees and designated tuition charged by certain public institutions of higher education.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2019-04-24 - Left pending in committee [SB1880 Detail]
Download: Texas-2019-SB1880-Introduced.html
86R2962 KSD-D | ||
By: Schwertner | S.B. No. 1880 |
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relating to limitations on increases in fees and designated tuition | ||
charged by certain public institutions of higher education. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. This Act shall be known as the Higher Education | ||
Accountability Restoration Act. | ||
SECTION 2. Subchapter A, Chapter 54, Education Code, is | ||
amended by adding Section 54.0095 to read as follows: | ||
Sec. 54.0095. INFLATION RATE APPLICABLE TO CERTAIN TUITION | ||
OR FEE INCREASES. (a) In this section, "general academic teaching | ||
institution" and "public state college" have the meanings assigned | ||
by Section 61.003. | ||
(b) Not later than January 31 of each year, or as soon | ||
thereafter as practicable, the Legislative Budget Board shall | ||
publish and certify to the governing board of each general academic | ||
teaching institution other than a public state college the | ||
inflation rate to be used for purposes of Sections 54.0513 and | ||
54.5001 for the next academic year. | ||
(b-1) For purposes of applying Section 54.5001 for the | ||
2019-2020 academic year, the Legislative Budget Board shall publish | ||
and certify the applicable inflation rate as soon as practicable | ||
after this section takes effect. This subsection expires September | ||
1, 2020. | ||
(c) The inflation rate is the percentage increase, if any, | ||
as expressed in decimal form rounded to the nearest thousandth of | ||
one percent, in the consumer price index, as defined by Section | ||
341.201, Finance Code, for the preceding calendar year as compared | ||
to the consumer price index for the year preceding that year. | ||
SECTION 3. Section 54.0513, Education Code, is amended by | ||
adding Subsections (g), (g-1), (g-2), and (h) to read as follows: | ||
(g) The amount of tuition the governing board of a general | ||
academic teaching institution other than a public state college | ||
charges under this section to a student of the institution for an | ||
academic year may not exceed the total amount of tuition that the | ||
governing board would have charged under this section to a | ||
similarly situated student of the institution for the preceding | ||
academic year, as that amount is adjusted for each academic year for | ||
inflation according to the inflation rate determined under Section | ||
54.0095. The governing board may not increase the amount of tuition | ||
charged under this section to a student more than once in any | ||
academic year. For purposes of this subsection, students are | ||
similarly situated if they share the same residency status, degree | ||
program, course load, course level, tuition exemption status, and | ||
other circumstances affecting the tuition charged to the student. | ||
(g-1) Notwithstanding Subsection (g), for the 2019-2020 | ||
academic year, the amount of tuition charged to a student under this | ||
section by a general academic teaching institution other than a | ||
public state college may not exceed the total amount of tuition that | ||
the institution would have charged under this section to a | ||
similarly situated student for the 2018-2019 academic year, except | ||
that if the institution's governing board, before January 1, 2019, | ||
gave final approval to increased tuition rates to be charged by the | ||
institution under this section for the 2019-2020 academic year, the | ||
institution may charge tuition under this section for that year at | ||
those increased rates. For purposes of this subsection, students | ||
are similarly situated if they share the same residency status, | ||
degree program, course load, course level, tuition exemption | ||
status, and other circumstances affecting the tuition charged to | ||
the student. This subsection expires September 1, 2020. | ||
(g-2) If a student has paid an amount of tuition charged | ||
under this section by a general academic teaching institution other | ||
than a public state college for the 2019 fall semester in excess of | ||
the maximum amount permitted by this section, the institution, not | ||
later than January 1, 2020, shall refund to the student the excess | ||
amount of tuition paid. This subsection expires September 1, 2020. | ||
(h) In this section, "general academic teaching | ||
institution" and "public state college" have the meanings assigned | ||
by Section 61.003. | ||
SECTION 4. Subchapter E, Chapter 54, Education Code, is | ||
amended by adding Section 54.5001 to read as follows: | ||
Sec. 54.5001. LIMITATIONS ON FEE INCREASES WITHOUT STUDENT | ||
APPROVAL. (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) Notwithstanding any other provision of this subchapter | ||
or other law and except as provided by Subsection (d), the governing | ||
board of an institution to which this section applies may not | ||
increase the amount of a fee charged under this subchapter to an | ||
amount that is greater than the amount charged by the institution in | ||
the preceding academic year as adjusted for inflation according to | ||
the inflation rate determined under Section 54.0095. | ||
(c-1) Notwithstanding Subsection (c) and except as provided | ||
by Subsection (d), for the 2019-2020 academic year, the amount of a | ||
fee charged under this subchapter by an institution to which this | ||
section applies may not exceed the amount of the fee charged by that | ||
institution under this subchapter in the 2018-2019 academic year, | ||
if the institution charged the fee in that academic year, except | ||
that if the institution's governing board, before January 1, 2019, | ||
gave final approval to an increase in the fee to be charged for the | ||
2019-2020 academic year, the institution may charge the fee for | ||
that year at that increased rate. This subsection expires | ||
September 1, 2020. | ||
(d) Subsection (c) does not apply to an increase in the | ||
amount of a fee if the increase is approved by a vote of the students | ||
of the institution voting in a student election authorized by law | ||
for that purpose. | ||
(e) This section does not: | ||
(1) provide independent authority for the governing | ||
board of an institution to which this section applies to increase | ||
the amount of a fee or to call a student election to approve an | ||
increase in the amount of a fee; or | ||
(2) authorize the governing board of an institution to | ||
which this section applies to increase the amount of a fee charged | ||
under this subchapter to an amount that exceeds the maximum amount | ||
prescribed by the law authorizing the fee's imposition, if that law | ||
prescribes a maximum amount. | ||
SECTION 5. (a) Section 54.0513, Education Code, as amended | ||
by this Act, applies beginning with tuition charged by general | ||
academic teaching institutions other than public state colleges for | ||
the 2019-2020 academic year. Tuition charged by an institution for | ||
an academic year before that academic year is covered by the law in | ||
effect before the effective date of this Act, and the former law is | ||
continued in effect for that purpose. | ||
(b) Section 54.5001, Education Code, as added by this Act, | ||
applies beginning with fee increases for the 2019 fall semester. | ||
SECTION 6. 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, 2019. |