By:  Lucio                                            S.B. No. 1776

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

                                       AN ACT

 1-1     relating to the exemption of certain employees from the payment of

 1-2     student fees by the governing board of an institution of higher

 1-3     education.

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

 1-5           SECTION 1.  Subchapter E, Chapter 54, Education Code, is

 1-6     amended by adding Section 54.546 to read as follows:

 1-7           Sec. 54.546.  EMPLOYEE EXEMPTION FROM STUDENT FEES.  (a)  The

 1-8     governing board of an institution of higher education may exempt a

 1-9     student who is an employee of the institution from the payment of

1-10     all or any portion of a compulsory or voluntary fee imposed by the

1-11     institution granting the exemption.

1-12           (b)  In this section, "compulsory fee" and "voluntary fee"

1-13     have the meanings assigned by Section 54.503.

1-14           SECTION 2.  The importance of this legislation and the

1-15     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

1-16     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

1-17     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

1-18     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,

1-19     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its

1-20     passage, and it is so enacted.