By Turner                                             S.B. No. 1651
       74R9102 JSA-F
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    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)  The governing board
    1-8  of an institution of higher education may establish a program to
    1-9  provide students enrolled at the institution with a debit card.
   1-10        (b)  A student issued a debit card under the program may use
   1-11  the card to purchase merchandise or service available through the
   1-12  institution or through a person authorized to sell merchandise or
   1-13  service at the institution, as determined by the governing board.
   1-14        (c)  The program must allow a person who is in business to
   1-15  sell merchandise or service of the same kind as the merchandise or
   1-16  service that a student may purchase under Subsection (b) to
   1-17  participate in the program and accept a debit card payment from a
   1-18  student to whom a debit card has been issued under the program for
   1-19  purchase of that merchandise or service.
   1-20        (d)  An institution of higher education may not administer or
   1-21  sponsor a debit card program for students of the institution that
   1-22  does not conform to this section.
   1-23        (e)  In this section:
   1-24              (1)  "Governing board" and "institution of higher
    2-1  education" have the meanings assigned by Section 61.003.
    2-2              (2)  "Person" has the meaning assigned by Section
    2-3  1.201, Business & Commerce Code.
    2-4        (f)  A student debit card program offered by an institution
    2-5  of higher education must comply with this section not later than
    2-6  August 15, 1996.  This subsection expires January 1, 1997.
    2-7        SECTION 2.  The importance of this legislation and the
    2-8  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
    2-9  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
   2-10  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
   2-11  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
   2-12  and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
   2-13  passage, and it is so enacted.