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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to tuition and fees charged to employees of public |
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institutions of higher education and a spouse, child, or dependent |
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of those employees. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 54.059, Education Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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Sec. 54.059. FACULTY AND DEPENDENTS. (a) In this section: |
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(1) "Child" means a child of any age. |
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(2) "Faculty member" has the meaning assigned by |
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Section 51.917. |
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(b) A faculty member or other employee [teacher or
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professor] of an institution of higher education[,] and the spouse, |
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child, or dependent [and children] of the employee who enrolls in |
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any institution of higher education is [such a teacher or
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professor, are] entitled to pay [register in an institution of
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higher education by paying the] tuition [fee] and [other] fees at |
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the rate established by the governing board of the institution at |
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which the person is enrolled. That rate may not exceed one-half of |
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the rate charged by the institution to a similarly situated |
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resident student [or charges required for Texas residents without
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regard to the length of time the teacher or professor has resided in
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Texas]. For purposes of this subsection, students are similarly |
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situated if they share the same residency status, degree program, |
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course load, course level, tuition exemption status, and other |
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circumstances affecting the tuition charged to the student. |
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(c) A faculty member or other employee [teacher or
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professor] of an institution of higher education and a spouse, |
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child, or dependent of the employee is [the teacher's or professor's
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family are] entitled to the benefits provided by [benefit of] this |
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section only if: |
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(1) the employee [teacher or professor] is employed at |
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least one-half time on a regular monthly salary basis by an |
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institution of higher education; and |
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(2) neither the employee nor the employee's spouse |
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holds an elective public office in this state. |
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(d) An institution of higher education may not consider a |
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person's eligibility for the benefits provided by this section in |
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determining whether to admit the person to the institution. |
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SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act applies |
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beginning with tuition and fees charged for the 2007 fall semester. |
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SECTION 3. 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. |