1-1     By:  George (Senate Sponsor - Sibley)                 H.B. No. 2664
 1-2           (In the Senate - Received from the House April 9, 1999;
 1-3     April 12, 1999, read first time and referred to Committee on
 1-4     Education; May 11, 1999, reported favorably by the following vote:
 1-5     Yeas 5, Nays 0; May 11, 1999, sent to printer.)
 1-6                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-7                                   AN ACT
 1-8     relating to authorizing private or independent institutions of
 1-9     higher education to operate a student debit card program.
1-10           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-11           SECTION 1.  Subchapter Z, Chapter 51, Education Code, is
1-12     amended by adding Section 51.946 to read as follows:
1-13           Sec. 51.946.  STUDENT DEBIT CARDS AT PRIVATE OR INDEPENDENT
1-14     INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION.  (a)  The governing board of a
1-15     private or independent institution of higher education may
1-16     establish a program to provide students enrolled at the institution
1-17     with a debit card.
1-18           (b)  A student issued a debit card under the program may use
1-19     the card to purchase merchandise or service available through the
1-20     institution or through a person authorized to sell merchandise or
1-21     service at the institution, as determined by the governing board.
1-22           (c)  The program may allow a person who is in business to
1-23     sell merchandise or service of the same kind as the merchandise or
1-24     service that a student may purchase under Subsection (b) to
1-25     participate in the program under the same or equivalent terms
1-26     applicable to a person authorized to sell merchandise under
1-27     Subsection (b) and accept a debit card payment from a student to
1-28     whom a debit card has been issued under the program for purchase of
1-29     that merchandise or service.
1-30           (d)  The private or independent institution of higher
1-31     education may assess participating businesses a fee for the
1-32     implementation and administration of the program.
1-33           (e)  In this section:
1-34                 (1)  "Private or independent institution of higher
1-35     education" has the meaning assigned by Section 61.003.
1-36                 (2)  "Person" has the meaning assigned by Section
1-37     1.201, Business & Commerce Code.
1-38           SECTION 2.  The importance of this legislation and the
1-39     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
1-40     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
1-41     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
1-42     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
1-43     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
1-44     passage, and it is so enacted.
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