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BILL ANALYSIS |
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By: Averitt |
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
Current law provides community colleges the ability to issue a fee to students for high cost
programs, including students under the Hinson-Hazelwood College Student Loan Program.
When the law was enacted, however, Texas technical colleges were not included.
SB 847 authorizes a fee for extraordinary costs associated with a specific program or course and provides that exemptions for Hinson-Hazlewood students do not apply to this fee.
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
SB 847 amends the Education Code to authorize the governing board of a public junior
college, public technical institute, or public state college, rather than a junior college district, to
establish a fee for extraordinary costs associated with a specific course or program. The bill
authorizes such a governing board to provide that the exemptions for certain veterans and the
children of certain members of the armed forces of the United States and the Texas National
Guard and the Texas Air National Guard do not apply to this fee. The bill makes its provisions
applicable beginning with fees charged for the 2009 fall semester.
EFFECTIVE DATE
Upon passage, or, if the Act does not receive the necessary vote, the Act takes effect September 1, 2009.