H.B. 1890 78(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


H.B. 1890
By: Morrison
Higher Education
Committee Report (Unamended)



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Under current law, the tuition rebate program that permits college
students to apply for a $1,000 rebate of his or her college tuition upon
graduation if undergraduate course requirements have been completed
"efficiently," which in some cases means the student has taken as few
classes as possible. Furthermore, the number of rebates awarded appears to
be low compared to graduation rates at Texas' public colleges and
universities.  As proposed, HB 1890 exempts up to nine hours of advanced
placement classes from the total of "hours attempted."   This bill makes
the rebate available to more students while furthering the program's goal
of efficiency by easing these requirements in the area of advanced
placement credit. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any
additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or
institution. 

ANALYSIS

HB 1890 amends Section 54.0065(a), Education Code, to add an exception to
the provisions governing tuition rebates to provide that, for purposes of
this subsection, only the number of semester credit hours earned
exclusively by examination in excess of nine semester credit hours is
treated as hours attempted.  The bill provides that the change in law made
by this Act to Section 54.0065, Education Code, applies only to a student
who graduates from an institution of higher education on or after the
effective date of this Act. 

EFFECTIVE DATE

This Act takes effect immediately if it receives a vote of two-thirds of
all the members elected to each house, as provided by Section 39, Article
III, Texas Constitution.  If this Act does not receive the vote necessary
for immediate effect, this Act takes effect September 1, 2003.