H.B. No. 3122
    1-1                                AN ACT
    1-2  relating to debit cards provided to students of public institutions
    1-3  of higher education.
    1-4        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-5        SECTION 1.  Subchapter Z, Chapter 51, Education Code, is
    1-6  amended by adding Section 51.940 to read as follows:
    1-7        Sec. 51.940.  STUDENT DEBIT CARDS.  (a)  This section applies
    1-8  only to:
    1-9              (1)  an institution that is a component of The Texas
   1-10  A&M University System; or
   1-11              (2)  an institution that is a component of the Texas
   1-12  State University System.
   1-13        (b)  The governing board of an institution of higher
   1-14  education to which this section applies may establish a program to
   1-15  provide students enrolled at the institution with a debit card.
   1-16        (c)  A student issued a debit card under the program may use
   1-17  the card to purchase merchandise or service available through the
   1-18  institution or through a person authorized to sell merchandise or
   1-19  service at the institution, as determined by the governing board.
   1-20        (d)  The program must allow a person who is in business to
   1-21  sell merchandise or service of the same kind as the merchandise or
   1-22  service that a student may purchase under Subsection (c) to
   1-23  participate in the program under the same or equivalent terms
    2-1  applicable to a person authorized to sell merchandise under
    2-2  Subsection (c) and accept a debit card payment from a student to
    2-3  whom a debit card has been issued under the program for purchase of
    2-4  that merchandise or service.
    2-5        (e)  An institution of higher education may not administer or
    2-6  sponsor a debit card program for students of the institution that
    2-7  does not conform to this section.
    2-8        (f)  In this section:
    2-9              (1)  "Governing board" and "institution of higher
   2-10  education" have the meanings assigned by Section 61.003.
   2-11              (2)  "Person" has the meaning assigned by Section
   2-12  1.201, Business & Commerce Code.
   2-13        (g)  A student debit card program offered by an institution
   2-14  of higher education must comply with this section not later than
   2-15  August 15, 1996.  This subsection expires January 1, 1997.
   2-16        SECTION 2.  The importance of this legislation and the
   2-17  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
   2-18  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
   2-19  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
   2-20  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
   2-21  and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
   2-22  passage, and it is so enacted.