SRC-JJJ S.B. 332 76(R)BILL ANALYSIS


Senate Research CenterS.B. 332
By: Moncrief
Education
6/23/1999
Enrolled


DIGEST 

Currently, public and private institutions of higher education in Texas
offer a wide range of internship opportunities in the Washington, D.C.
area, and are typically arranged at the academic department level in each
institution.  Internships often combine intense practical work experience
and certain types of course work, which can lead to internships costing a
student quite a bit of money.  S.B. 332 will authorize institutions of
higher education  to impose a fee to support Washington, D.C., internships
and would abolish the Texas-Washington, D.C., intern scholarship program. 

PURPOSE

As enrolled, S.B. 332 authorizes institutions of higher education  to
impose a fee to support Washington, D.C., internships and abolishes the
Texas-Washington, D.C., intern scholarship program. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state
officer, institution, or agency. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends Chapter 54E, Education Code, by adding Section 54.5134,
as follows:   

Sec. 54.5134.  WASHINGTON, D.C., INTERNSHIP EDUCATION FEE.  Authorizes the
governing board of an institution of higher education  to collect from each
student registered at the institution a fee not to exceed $1 per semester
or summer session, if imposition of the fee is approved by a majority vote
of the students of the institution participating in a general student
election held for that purpose.  Authorizes the amount of the fee imposed
at an institution to be increased from one academic year to the next by
more than 10 percent only if approved by a majority of the vote of the
participating students.  Requires revenue from the fee to be deposited in a
fund established by the institution outside the state treasury and
identified as the institution's Washington, D.C., internship financial aid
fund (fund). Authorizes money in the fund to be used only to assist a
student participating in a Washington, D.C. internship program administered
by the institution.  Authorizes the fund to be used in accordance with
guidelines jointly developed by the student governing body and the
administration of the institution.  Provides that if a school has no
student governing body, the president may appoint a committee of students
to assist with the development of the guidelines.  Prohibits a fee under
this section from being considered in determining the maximum amount of
student  services fees that may be charged.   

SECTION 2.(a) Repealer: Chapter 56L, Education Code (Texas-Washington,
D.C., Intern Scholarship Program). 

(b)  Establishes that the repeal does not affect a grant awarded under that
subchapter before the effective date of this section  or the completion of
the internship pursuant to the grant, and the repealed law remains in
effect for that purpose. 


 SECTION 3.  (a) Provides that SECTION 1 of this Act applies beginning with
the 1999 fall semester. 
   
 (b)  Effective date of SECTION 2: September 1, 1999.

SECTION 4.  Emergency clause.
            Effective date: 90 days after adjournment.