By Maxey                                               H.B. No. 315
         76R1416 JSA-D                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to tuition, fees, and student loans of and certain
 1-3     benefits for certain graduate students employed as teaching
 1-4     assistants, assistant instructors, or research assistants at public
 1-5     institutions of higher education.
 1-6           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-7           SECTION 1.  Section 54.063, Education Code, is amended to
 1-8     read as follows:
 1-9           Sec. 54.063.  TEACHING OR RESEARCH ASSISTANT.  (a)  An
1-10     assistant instructor, [A] teaching assistant, or research assistant
1-11     of any institution of higher education and the spouse and children
1-12     of such an assistant instructor, [a] teaching assistant, or
1-13     research assistant are entitled to register in a state institution
1-14     of higher education by paying the tuition fees and other fees or
1-15     charges required for Texas residents under Section 54.051 of this
1-16     code, without regard to the length of time the assistant has
1-17     resided in Texas, if the instructor or assistant is employed at
1-18     least one-half time in a teaching or research assistant position
1-19     which relates to the instructor's or assistant's degree program
1-20     under rules and regulations established by the employer
1-21     institution.
1-22           (b)  The governing board of an institution of higher
1-23     education shall exempt from the payment of tuition fees a graduate
1-24     student who:
 2-1                 (1)  is employed at the institution as an assistant
 2-2     instructor, teaching assistant, or research assistant;
 2-3                 (2)  is researching or writing the report, thesis, or
 2-4     dissertation required by the student's graduate degree program; and
 2-5                 (3)  is not enrolled in a course with organized
 2-6     coursework.
 2-7           (c)  A student is considered to be enrolled as a full-time
 2-8     student for all purposes if the student:
 2-9                 (1)  is entitled to an exemption from tuition fees
2-10     under Subsection (b); or
2-11                 (2)  would be entitled to an exemption from tuition
2-12     fees under Subsection (b) except that the student is enrolled in a
2-13     course with organized coursework.
2-14           (d)  A student exempt from tuition fees under Subsection (b)
2-15     is also exempt from the payment of any fee imposed for the use of a
2-16     health or medical center or for health, hospital, or medical
2-17     services.  The exemption provided by this subsection does not apply
2-18     to any premium the student is required to pay to participate in a
2-19     group health insurance program for which the student is eligible.
2-20            (e)  In its appropriations to general academic teaching
2-21     institutions, the legislature shall compute the local funds
2-22     available to each institution as if the tuition fees for which an
2-23     exemption is granted under Subsection (b) were collected by the
2-24     institution.
2-25           (f)  In this section, "general academic teaching institution"
2-26     has the meaning assigned by Section 61.003.
2-27           SECTION 2.  Subchapter Z, Chapter 51, Education Code, is
 3-1     amended by adding Section 51.9085 to read as follows:
 3-2           Sec. 51.9085.  HEALTH INSURANCE FOR CERTAIN GRADUATE STUDENT
 3-3     EMPLOYEES.  The governing board of an institution of higher
 3-4     education at which a student entitled to an exemption from tuition
 3-5     fees under Section 54.063(b) is employed in a position listed in
 3-6     Section 54.063(b)(1) shall permit the student to participate in the
 3-7     group health insurance program provided to full-time employees of
 3-8     the institution in the same manner as a full-time employee.  A
 3-9     student participating in the group health insurance program is
3-10     entitled to the same state contribution as a full-time employee of
3-11     the institution.
3-12           SECTION 3.  The change in law made by this Act applies
3-13     beginning with the 1999 fall semester.
3-14           SECTION 4.  The importance of this legislation and the
3-15     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
3-16     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
3-17     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
3-18     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
3-19     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
3-20     passage, and it is so enacted.