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. 1-45 * * * * *