By Maxey H.B. No. 628 Substitute the following for H.B. No. 628: By Rodriguez C.S.H.B. No. 628 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to tuition fees and student loans of certain graduate 1-3 students employed as teaching assistants, assistant instructors, or 1-4 research assistants at certain public institutions of higher 1-5 education. 1-6 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-7 SECTION 1. Section 54.063, Education Code, is amended to 1-8 read as follows: 1-9 Sec. 54.063. Teaching or Research Assistant. (a) A 1-10 teaching assistant or research assistant of any institution of 1-11 higher education and the spouse and children of such a teaching 1-12 assistant or research assistant are entitled to register in a state 1-13 institution of higher education by paying the tuition fees and 1-14 other fees or charges required for Texas residents under Section 1-15 54.051 of this code, without regard to the length of time the 1-16 assistant has resided in Texas, if the assistant is employed at 1-17 least one-half time in a teaching or research assistant position 1-18 which relates to the assistant's degree program under rules and 1-19 regulations established by the employer institution. 1-20 (b) The governing board of a general academic teaching 1-21 institution may exempt from the payment of tuition fees a graduate 1-22 student who: 1-23 (1) is employed at the institution as a teaching 1-24 assistant, assistant instructor, or research assistant; 2-1 (2) is researching or writing the report, thesis, or 2-2 dissertation required by the student's graduate degree program; and 2-3 (3) is not enrolled in a course with organized 2-4 coursework. 2-5 (c) A student is considered to be enrolled as a full-time 2-6 student for purposes of repayment of student loans if the student: 2-7 (1) is entitled to an exemption from tuition fees 2-8 under Subsection (b); or 2-9 (2) would be entitled to an exemption from tuition 2-10 fees under Subsection (b) except that the student is enrolled in a 2-11 course with organized coursework. 2-12 (d) In its appropriations to general academic teaching 2-13 institutions, the legislature shall compute the local funds 2-14 available to each institution as if the tuition fees for which an 2-15 exemption is granted under Subsection (b) were collected by the 2-16 institution. 2-17 (e) In this section, "general academic teaching institution" 2-18 has the meaning assigned by Section 61.003. 2-19 SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act applies 2-20 beginning with tuition fees due for the fall semester of 1995. 2-21 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the 2-22 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 2-23 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 2-24 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 2-25 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended, 2-26 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its 2-27 passage, and it is so enacted.