BILL ANALYSIS



H.B. 1836
By: Lewis
04-20-95
Committee Report (Amended)


BACKGROUND

Current law exempts students from Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico
and Oklahoma from paying out-of-state tuition at Texas public
junior colleges or technical institutes that are in counties
immediately adjacent to the above-mentioned states.  This exemption
prevents the loss of students and tuition fees for schools that
draw heavily from neighboring states.  When Texas tuition rises,
many out-of-state residents are forced to withdraw due to an
inability to accommodate the financial strain.

Lamar University Institute of Technology, Lamar University at
Orange and Lamar University at Port Arthur are not included in this
exempting language.  These are two-year institutions in counties
immediately adjacent to the state of Louisiana.  The lower tuition
exemption could significantly increase the enrollment at each of
these campuses.  


PURPOSE

As proposed, H.B. 1836 is to allow Louisiana residents to pay in-state tuition at the following components of the Lamar University
System:  LU-Orange, LU-Port Arthur and LU Institute of Technology. 



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, by amending
Subsections (a) and (e) and adding Subsection (f) to read as
follows:

     Sec. 1.  54.060.  RESIDENT OF BORDERING STATE OR NATION OR
PARTICIPANT IN STUDENT EXCHANGE PROGRAM: TUITION.  (a)  Allows the
residents of Louisiana not to be required to pay out-of-state
tuition at the two-year institutions of the Lamar University
Systems.  Louisiana residents enrolled at one of these institutions
will be required to pay fees equivalent to those paid by Texas
residents.

(e)  Adds the two-year institutions of the Lamar University System
to the Subsection.

(f)  Defines "public technical institute" as denoted in Section
61.003 of the Higher Education Code; and defines "two-year
institutions in the Lamar University System" as Lamar University at
Orange, Lamar University at Port Arthur, or the Lamar University
Institute of Technology in Beaumont.

SECTION 2.  Effective date:  Fall, 1995.

SECTION 3.  Emergency clause.


EXPLANATION OF AMENDMENTS

Amends page 3, between lines 1 and 2.

The amendment allows for a two-year institution of Lamar University
System to be considered an institution of that system
notwithstanding any legislation passed in the 74th Legislature that
would transfer the Lamar University System's governance to another
board of regents.  If there is no legislation passed that transfers
the governance of the Lamar University System to another board of
regents, this subsection, as added by this amendment, will expire
on January 1, 1996.

SUMMARY OF COMMITTEE ACTION

H.B. 1836 was considered by the committee in a public hearing on
March 21, 1995.  The bill was left pending.

H.B. 1836 was considered by the committee in a public hearing on
April 4, 1995.  The committee considered an amendment to the bill. 


The following person testified neutrally on the bill:
Mr. Don Brown.

The bill was left pending.

H.B. 1836 was considered by the committee in a formal meeting on
April 20, 1995.  The committee considered an amendment to the bill. 
The amendment was adopted without objection by a non-record vote. 
The bill was reported favorably as amended, with the recommendation
that it do pass and be printed, by a record vote of 7 ayes, 0 nays,
0 pnv, 2 absent.