Enrolled Bill Summary

House Bill 2103	House Author:  Kolkhorst et al.
Effective:  Vetoed	Senate Sponsor:  Ogden

            House Bill 2103 amends the Education Code to require the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to establish the Correctional Officer Loan Repayment Assistance Pilot Program to provide repayment assistance for tuition and fees related to junior-level and senior‑level coursework at Sam Houston State University undertaken by certain correctional officers.

         Reason Given for Veto: "House Bill No. 2103 would provide student loan repayment assistance for correctional officers who take junior-level and senior-level courses at Sam Houston State University and fulfill certain other requirements.

         "Although correctional officers are needed across the state, this bill would limit them to attending only one specified university to achieve the intended benefit.

         "Furthermore, the state currently funds 19 financial aid programs; five of these are major financial aid programs and the other 14 target small groups of students. If the legislature funds the five major programs adequately, as I set forth in my 2008-2009 budget proposal, then we should not need other programs.  It is more cost effective for the Higher Education Coordinating Board and the institutions to administer a few large programs rather than many small programs."