By Naishtat H.B. No. 3138 76R6395 KEL-F A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to the authority of a governing board of a public 1-3 institution of higher education to reduce tuition or prorate fees 1-4 charged to a student at that institution. 1-5 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-6 SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 54, Education Code, is 1-7 amended by adding Section 54.010 to read as follows: 1-8 Sec. 54.010. REDUCTION IN TUITION. (a) The governing board 1-9 of an institution of higher education may reduce the amount of 1-10 tuition charged to a student under this chapter to an amount less 1-11 than the amount otherwise required by this chapter if the board: 1-12 (1) offers the tuition reduction to the student as 1-13 part of an institutional policy adopted by the board to: 1-14 (A) increase the average semester credit hour 1-15 course load of students enrolled at the institution; or 1-16 (B) improve the retention and graduation rate of 1-17 students enrolled at the institution; and 1-18 (2) determines that the student is: 1-19 (A) enrolled in, and making satisfactory 1-20 progress toward completion of, a degree program offered at the 1-21 institution; and 1-22 (B) enrolled in at least 15 semester credit 1-23 hours at the institution during the semester or term for which the 1-24 reduction is offered. 2-1 (b) The governing board may offer a tuition reduction under 2-2 this section in a fixed dollar amount, a percentage amount, or any 2-3 other manner that the board considers appropriate. 2-4 (c) The amount of tuition reduction offered to a student 2-5 under this section for a semester or term may not exceed the amount 2-6 of tuition that would have been charged to the student under this 2-7 chapter for enrollment in three semester credit hours during that 2-8 semester or term. 2-9 (d) For a tuition reduction offered to a student under this 2-10 section, the governing board may prorate the amount of the 2-11 reduction based on: 2-12 (1) the number of semester credit hours in which the 2-13 student is enrolled; or 2-14 (2) the length of the semester or term for which the 2-15 student is enrolled. 2-16 (e) The governing board is not required to offer a tuition 2-17 reduction under this section to all institutions of higher 2-18 education under its governance or to all degree programs offered at 2-19 an institution of higher education under its governance. 2-20 SECTION 2. Subchapter E, Chapter 54, Education Code, is 2-21 amended by adding Section 54.5025 to read as follows: 2-22 Sec. 54.5025. PRORATION OF FEES. Based on the length of the 2-23 semester or term for which a student is enrolled, the governing 2-24 board of an institution of higher education may prorate the amount 2-25 of any fee charged to the student under this chapter. 2-26 SECTION 3. This Act takes effect beginning with tuition and 2-27 fees charged for the 1999 fall semester. 3-1 SECTION 4. The importance of this legislation and the 3-2 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 3-3 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 3-4 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 3-5 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended, 3-6 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its 3-7 passage, and it is so enacted.