1-1     By:  Lucio                                            S.B. No. 1776

 1-2           (In the Senate - Filed March 14, 1997; March 24, 1997, read

 1-3     first time and referred to Committee on Finance; April 18, 1997,

 1-4     reported favorably by the following vote:  Yeas 10, Nays 0;

 1-5     April 18, 1997, sent to printer.)

 1-6                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-7                                   AN ACT

 1-8     relating to the exemption of certain employees from the payment of

 1-9     student fees by the governing board of an institution of higher

1-10     education.

1-11           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

1-12           SECTION 1.  Subchapter E, Chapter 54, Education Code, is

1-13     amended by adding Section 54.546 to read as follows:

1-14           Sec. 54.546.  EMPLOYEE EXEMPTION FROM STUDENT FEES.  (a)  The

1-15     governing board of an institution of higher education may exempt a

1-16     student who is an employee of the institution from the payment of

1-17     all or any portion of a compulsory or voluntary fee imposed by the

1-18     institution granting the exemption.

1-19           (b)  In this section, "compulsory fee" and "voluntary fee"

1-20     have the meanings assigned by Section 54.503.

1-21           SECTION 2.  The importance of this legislation and the

1-22     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

1-23     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

1-24     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

1-25     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,

1-26     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its

1-27     passage, and it is so enacted.

1-28                                  * * * * *