By Jones of Dallas                                    H.B. No. 3089

         75R7597 JSA-D                           

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to financial aid policies for the support of a student

 1-3     with a disability or chronic illness.

 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 1-5           SECTION 1.  Subchapter A, Chapter 56, Education Code, is

 1-6     amended by adding Section 56.004 to read as follows:

 1-7           Sec. 56.004.  STUDENT LOANS FOR STUDENT WITH DISABILITY OR

 1-8     CHRONIC ILLNESS.  (a)  An institution of higher education or other

 1-9     agency of this state that administers federally insured student

1-10     loans may not adopt or enforce a policy that prevents a student

1-11     with a disability or chronic illness from receiving the maximum

1-12     amount of loan funds for which the student is eligible under

1-13     federal law to the extent the student requires the loan amount to

1-14     cover tuition and fees, other costs associated with attending the

1-15     institution, reasonable living expenses, and medical or personal

1-16     care expenses incurred in connection with treatment of the

1-17     student's disability or illness.

1-18           (b)  This section does not prohibit the institution from

1-19     enforcing a policy limiting the maximum amount of loan funds that

1-20     other students at the institution may receive if federal law

1-21     permits the institution to establish that policy.

1-22           (c)  For purposes of this section, a student has a disability

1-23     if the student has a disability for purposes of the Americans with

1-24     Disabilities Act (42 U.S.C. Section 12101 et seq.).

 2-1           SECTION 2.  The importance of this legislation and the

 2-2     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

 2-3     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

 2-4     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

 2-5     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,

 2-6     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its

 2-7     passage, and it is so enacted.