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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to state funding and designated tuition charged for |
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courses provided during off-peak hours at certain public |
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institutions of higher education. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 61, Education Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 61.0592 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 61.0592. FUNDING FOR COURSES PROVIDED DURING OFF-PEAK |
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HOURS AT CERTAIN INSTITUTIONS. (a) The purposes of this section |
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are: |
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(1) to ensure that student demand for courses is met; |
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and |
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(2) to encourage the efficient use of existing |
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instructional facilities while reducing the need for new |
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instructional facilities. |
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(b) This section applies only to funding for a course |
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provided by: |
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(1) The University of Texas at Austin; |
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(2) Texas A&M University; or |
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(3) Texas Tech University. |
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(c) To carry out the purposes of this section, for each |
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institution of higher education listed under Subsection (b), the |
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board shall include in the formulas established under Section |
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61.059 funding in amounts sufficient to cover the institution's |
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revenue loss resulting from any reduction in tuition rates under |
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Section 54.061. |
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(d) In addition to the funding included under Subsection |
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(c), in the formulas established under Section 61.059, as an |
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incentive for the institutions to reduce tuition rates under |
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Section 54.061, the board may include additional funding that |
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represents a portion of the savings to the state resulting from the |
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institution's efficient use of resources. |
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SECTION 2. Subchapter B, Chapter 54, Education Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 54.061 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 54.061. REDUCED DESIGNATED TUITION RATES FOR COURSES |
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PROVIDED DURING OFF-PEAK HOURS AT CERTAIN INSTITUTIONS. (a) This |
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section applies only to a course offered by an institution of higher |
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education: |
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(1) beginning at 6 p.m. or later during a weekday; |
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(2) on weekends; or |
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(3) at other times when the institution's |
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instructional facilities would otherwise be underutilized, as |
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determined by the governing board of the institution. |
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(b) In accordance with coordinating board rules and for the |
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purposes stated in Section 61.0592, the governing board of an |
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institution of higher education to which Section 61.0592 applies |
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may establish tuition rates under Section 54.0513 for a course |
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described by Subsection (a) that are not more than 25 percent lower |
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than the rates that would otherwise apply to the course under that |
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section. |
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(c) This section applies only if the legislature |
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specifically appropriates money to institutions to which Section |
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61.0592 applies for the state fiscal biennium ending August 31, |
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2009, to cover the tuition revenue lost to the institutions by the |
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application of this section. |
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SECTION 3. As soon as practicable after the effective date |
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of this Act, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board shall |
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adopt rules under which public institutions of higher education may |
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establish lower tuition rates in accordance with Section 54.061, |
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Education Code, as added by this Act. |
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SECTION 4. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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Act takes effect September 1, 2007. |
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* * * * * |