1-1     By:  Kitchen, Naishtat, et al.                        H.B. No. 1465
 1-2         (Senate Sponsor - Barrientos)
 1-3           (In the Senate - Received from the House April 11, 2001;
 1-4     April 17, 2001, read first time and referred to Committee on
 1-5     Education; May 3, 2001, reported favorably by the following vote:
 1-6     Yeas 8, Nays 0; May 3, 2001, sent to printer.)
 1-7                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-8                                   AN ACT
 1-9     relating to a pilot project for reduced tuition rates at certain
1-10     public junior colleges.
1-11           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-12           SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 130, Education Code, is
1-13     amended by adding Section 130.0033 to read as follows:
1-14           Sec. 130.0033.  PILOT PROJECT: REDUCED TUITION FOR CERTAIN
1-15     COURSES. (a)  The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board shall
1-16     establish a pilot project to measure the impact of reducing tuition
1-17     for junior college courses offered at times of low enrollment
1-18     demand in order to promote greater access to higher education and
1-19     more efficient use of junior college facilities and resources.  The
1-20     coordinating board shall select a reasonable number of public
1-21     junior colleges to participate in the pilot project.
1-22           (b)  The governing board of a public junior college selected
1-23     to participate in the pilot project may charge tuition for a course
1-24     or courses at a rate established by the governing board that is
1-25     less than the rate otherwise required by Section 54.051 or other
1-26     law if the governing board finds that the reduced tuition rate is
1-27     reasonably necessary to enable the junior college to make efficient
1-28     use of its facilities or faculty.  The finding must be stated in
1-29     the order or resolution establishing the reduced tuition rate.
1-30           (c)  Charging tuition at a reduced rate under this section
1-31     does not affect the right of the public junior college to a
1-32     proportionate share of state appropriations under Section 130.003
1-33     for the contact hours attributable to students paying tuition at
1-34     the reduced rate.
1-35           (d)  The governing board of each public junior college
1-36     participating in the pilot project shall prepare a report on the
1-37     effects of the reduced tuition on enrollment, facilities,
1-38     scheduling, and costs and shall deliver a copy of the report to the
1-39     coordinating board not later than October 30, 2002.
1-40           (e)  The coordinating board shall prepare a report compiling
1-41     the results of the pilot project at the public junior colleges
1-42     participating in the pilot project and shall submit a copy of the
1-43     report not later than December 15, 2002, to the governor, the
1-44     lieutenant governor, the speaker of the house of representatives,
1-45     and the chair of the standing committee of each house of the
1-46     legislature with primary jurisdiction over higher education.
1-47           SECTION 2.  (a)  This Act takes effect immediately if it
1-48     receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each
1-49     house, as provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.
1-50     If this Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate
1-51     effect, this Act takes effect September 1, 2001.
1-52           (b)  The pilot project under Section 130.0033, Education
1-53     Code, as added by this Act, applies beginning with the 2001 fall
1-54     semester.
1-55                                  * * * * *