BILL ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 452

By: Lucio III

Human Services

Committee Report (Substituted)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Although many foster youth want to attend and graduate from college, studies show that a much smaller percentage of fewer former foster youth succeed in obtaining a bachelor's degree, compared to the general population.  The lack of housing options between academic terms is an obstacle in a former foster youth's pursuit of a college education.  A former foster youth who is a student at an institution of higher education may have a home in a residence hall during the school year but may not have a home, family, or stable situation to rely on when school is out and residence halls are closed.

C.S.H.B. 452 seeks to ensure that a former foster youth who is a student at an institution of higher education has living arrangements during and between academic semesters.

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

C.S.H.B. 452 amends the Education Code to require each institution of higher education to assist an eligible student, on the student's request, in locating temporary housing for any period beginning on the last day of an academic term and ending on the first day of the immediately following academic term, according to the institution's academic calendar.  The bill requires a student, in order to be eligible to receive such housing assistance, to have been under the conservatorship of the Department of Family and Protective Services or its predecessor in function on the day preceding the student's 18th birthday or the date the student's disabilities of minority are removed by a court; to be enrolled full-time at the institution during the academic term immediately preceding the period for which the student requests the housing assistance; to be registered or otherwise have taken the actions required by the institution to permit the student to enroll full-time at the institution during the academic term immediately following the period for which the student requests the housing assistance; and to lack other reasonable temporary housing alternatives between those academic terms, as determined by the institution. The bill authorizes the institution, for each eligible student who also demonstrates financial need, to provide a stipend to cover any reasonable costs of the temporary housing that are not covered by other financial aid immediately available to the student for that purpose or to provide temporary housing directly to the student for the applicable period.  The bill specifies that the receipt of such a stipend does not prohibit the student from receiving additional stipends in one or more subsequent periods, based on the student's demonstrated financial need.  The bill authorizes an institution of higher education to use any available revenue, including legislative appropriations, and to solicit and accept gifts, grants, and donations for the purposes of the bill's provisions.  The bill requires the institution to use any gifts, grants, and donations received for the purposes of the bill's provisions before using other revenue.

C.S.H.B. 452 provides for the meaning of "institution of higher education" and defines "academic term" to include a summer session.

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2011.

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL AND SUBSTITUTE

C.S.H.B. 452 differs from the original, in a provision establishing eligibility requirements for housing assistance, by requiring a student to have been under the conservatorship of the Department of Family and Protective Services or its predecessor in function on the day preceding the student's 18th birthday or the date the student's disabilities of minority are removed by a court, whereas the original requires the student to have been under conservatorship at any time before the student's 18th birthday.