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.