BILL ANALYSIS H.B. 1792 By: Junell 03-02-95 Committee Report (Unamended) BACKGROUND Historically, Texas charges one of the lowest tuition rates at public institution of higher education in the country. In fact, it is often less expensive for a resident of another state to attend school in Texas paying a nonresident tuition than to pay resident tuition in his or her home state. The tuition paid by nonresident students attending Texas public colleges and university does not come close to defraying the entire cost of providing that education. PURPOSE As proposed, H.B. 1792 will raise the tuition paid by non-Texas residents to the average of the five most populous states, excluding Texas. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Chapter 54 B, Education Code, Sections 54.051 (a) and (d) to read as follows: Sec. 54.051. TUITION RATES. (a) Defines coordinating board, general academic teaching institution, medical and dental unit, and public junior college. Subsection (d) authorizes that nonresident students at general academic teaching institutions or medical and dental units shall pay tuition per semester credit hour equal to the average of the nonresident undergraduate tuition charged to a resident of this state at a public state university in each of the five most populous states other than this state, as computed by the coordinating board under this subsection. The coordinating board shall set the rate for each academic year and report that rate to each appropriate institution not later than January 1 of the calendar year in which the academic year begins, or as soon after as practicable. SECTION 2. Repeals Chapter 54 B, Education Code, Section 54.0511: Sec. 54.0511. COST OF EDUCATION. (a) This section is repealed. SECTION 3. Effective date: (a) Fall 1995. (b) The coordinating board shall calculate the nonresident tuition applicable to the 1995-1996 academic year and shall use the tuition rates in effect for the 1994-1995 academic year. SECTION 4. Emergency clause. SUMMARY OF COMMITTEE ACTION H.B. 1792 was considered by the committee in a public hearing on March 14, 1995. The following persons testified neutrally on the bill: Mr. Mike Kerker, LBB; and Mr. Kenneth Ashworth, Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. The bill was reported favorably without amendment, with the recommendation that it do pass and be printed, by a record vote of 6 ayes, 0 nays, 0 pnv, 3 absent.