By Hilbert                                             H.B. No. 996
         76R1821 CAS-D                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to reimbursement by school districts for developmental
 1-3     courses taken by certain former district students at public
 1-4     institutions of higher education.
 1-5           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-6           SECTION 1.  Subchapter Z, Chapter 29, Education Code, is
 1-7     amended by adding Section 29.903 to read as follows:
 1-8           Sec. 29.903.  DEVELOPMENTAL COURSES AT INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER
 1-9     EDUCATION.  (a)  The school district in which a student attended
1-10     high school shall reimburse the institution of higher education the
1-11     student attends for the cost to the institution of a developmental
1-12     course or program in English language arts or mathematics that the
1-13     student is required to take under Section 51.306 if the student
1-14     achieved an overall grade average equivalent to an A or B at a high
1-15     school in the district.  For purposes of this subsection, the cost
1-16     to the institution does not include the amount of tuition and fees
1-17     the student pays for the course. If the student achieved an overall
1-18     high school grade average equivalent to an A or B in  more than one
1-19     district in this state, each of those districts shall pay a
1-20     proportionate share of the reimbursement based on the amount of
1-21     time the student attended each district.
1-22           (b)  As soon as practicable after the beginning of the
1-23     semester, the institution of higher education shall notify the
1-24     agency of the amount owed to the institution under this section.
 2-1     The agency shall notify each  district that owes money under this
 2-2     section of the amount owed, and not later than the 45th day after
 2-3     the day the district receives the notice, the district shall pay
 2-4     that amount to the agency or file a claim that the amount is in
 2-5     error or not owed.  As soon as practicable after receiving the
 2-6     payment, the agency shall forward the money to the institution of
 2-7     higher education.
 2-8           (c)  The commissioner shall adopt rules as necessary to
 2-9     implement this section, including rules for determining the cost to
2-10     institutions of higher education of developmental courses and rules
2-11     relating to verifying grade averages and amounts owed, resolving
2-12     disputed claims, and enforcing payment requirements.
2-13           (d)  In this section:
2-14                 (1)  "High school" includes grades 9 through 12.
2-15                 (2)  "Institution of higher education" has the meaning
2-16     assigned by Section 61.003.
2-17           SECTION 2.  This Act applies to reimbursement for a
2-18     developmental course beginning with a developmental course taken in
2-19     the academic year that begins in the fall semester, 1999.
2-20           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the
2-21     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
2-22     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
2-23     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
2-24     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
2-25     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
2-26     passage, and it is so enacted.