1-1     By:  Hinojosa (Senate Sponsor - Lucio)                H.B. No. 2747

 1-2           (In the Senate - Received from the House May 5, 1997;

 1-3     May 6, 1997, read first time and referred to Committee on Finance;

 1-4     May 16, 1997, reported favorably by the following vote:  Yeas 11,

 1-5     Nays 0; May 16, 1997, sent to printer.)

 1-6                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-7                                   AN ACT

 1-8     relating to allowing students at public junior colleges to pay

 1-9     tuition and fees in installments.

1-10           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

1-11           SECTION 1.  Sections 54.007(a) and (c), Education Code, are

1-12     amended to read as follows:

1-13           (a)  The governing board of each institution of higher

1-14     education [other than a junior college] shall provide for the

1-15     payment of tuition and fees during the fall and spring semesters

1-16     through the following alternatives:

1-17                 (1)  full payment of tuition and fees in advance of the

1-18     beginning of the semester; or

1-19                 (2)  one-half payment of tuition and fees in advance of

1-20     the beginning of the semester, one-quarter payment prior to the

1-21     start of the sixth class week, and the final one-quarter payment

1-22     before the beginning of the eleventh class week.

1-23           (c)  A student who fails to make full payment of tuition and

1-24     fees, including any incidental fees, by the due date may be

1-25     prohibited from registering for classes until full payment is made.

1-26     A student who fails to make payment prior to the end of the

1-27     semester may be denied credit for the work done that semester. The

1-28     governing board may not impose on a student any sanction authorized

1-29     by this subsection unless the governing board includes in any

1-30     promissory note signed by a student the following statement printed

1-31     in bold-faced type or in capital letters:  "A STUDENT WHO FAILS TO

1-32     MAKE FULL PAYMENT OF TUITION AND FEES, INCLUDING ANY INCIDENTAL

1-33     FEES, BY THE DUE DATE MAY BE PROHIBITED FROM REGISTERING FOR

1-34     CLASSES UNTIL FULL PAYMENT IS MADE.  A STUDENT WHO FAILS TO MAKE

1-35     PAYMENT PRIOR TO THE END OF THE SEMESTER MAY BE DENIED CREDIT FOR

1-36     THE WORK DONE THAT SEMESTER." The governing board shall notify a

1-37     student of any delinquent tuition or fee payment as soon as

1-38     practicable.  The institution's [University] records may be

1-39     adjusted to reflect the student's failure to have properly enrolled

1-40     for that semester.

1-41           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect beginning with tuition and

1-42     fees imposed for the fall semester of 1997.

1-43           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the

1-44     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

1-45     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

1-46     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

1-47     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,

1-48     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its

1-49     passage, and it is so enacted.

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