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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the requirements for and procedures governing tuition |
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equalization grants. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Sections 61.221 and 61.224, Education Code, are |
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amended to read as follows: |
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Sec. 61.221. TUITION EQUALIZATION GRANTS AUTHORIZED. In |
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order to provide the maximum possible utilization of existing |
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educational resources and facilities within this state, both public |
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and private, the coordinating board is authorized to provide |
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tuition equalization grants to Texas residents enrolled in any |
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approved private Texas college or university, based on student |
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financial need, but not to exceed a grant amount of more than that |
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specified in the appropriation by the legislature or as provided by |
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Section 61.227. |
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Sec. 61.224. APPLICATION OF GENERAL APPROPRIATIONS ACT |
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RIDERS. Those riders in the General Appropriations Act that apply |
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to expenditure of state funds at state-supported colleges and |
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universities shall also apply to expenditure of state funds at any |
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college or university attended by a [which any] student receiving |
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aid under this subchapter [may attend]. |
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SECTION 2. The heading to Section 61.225, Education Code, |
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is amended to read as follows: |
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Sec. 61.225. ELIGIBILITY FOR GRANT; PERSONS RECEIVING |
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[AWARDED] GRANTS BEFORE 2005-2006 ACADEMIC YEAR. |
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SECTION 3. Section 61.225(b), Education Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(b) To be eligible for a tuition equalization grant, a |
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person must: |
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(1) be a Texas resident as defined under Subchapter B, |
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Chapter 54, [by the coordinating board] and meet, at a minimum, the |
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resident requirements defined by law for Texas resident tuition in |
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fully state-supported institutions of higher education; |
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(2) be enrolled for at least one-half of a full course |
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load conforming to an individual degree plan in an approved college |
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or university; |
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(3) be required to pay more tuition than is required at |
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a public college or university and be charged no less than the |
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regular tuition required of all students enrolled at the |
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institution; |
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(4) establish financial need in accordance with |
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procedures and regulations of the coordinating board; |
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(5) not be a recipient of any form of athletic |
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scholarship while receiving the tuition equalization grant; and |
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(6) have complied with other requirements adopted by |
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the coordinating board under this subchapter. |
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SECTION 4. The heading to Section 61.2251, Education Code, |
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as added by Chapter 1230 (H.B. 1172), Acts of the 79th Legislature, |
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Regular Session, 2005, is amended to read as follows: |
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Sec. 61.2251. ELIGIBILITY FOR GRANT; PERSONS INITIALLY |
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RECEIVING [AWARDED] GRANTS DURING OR AFTER 2005-2006 ACADEMIC YEAR. |
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SECTION 5. Sections 61.2251(b), (c), and (e), Education |
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Code, as added by Chapter 1230 (H.B. 1172), Acts of the 79th |
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Legislature, Regular Session, 2005, are amended to read as follows: |
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(b) To be eligible for a tuition equalization grant in the |
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first academic year in which the person receives the grant, a person |
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must: |
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(1) be a Texas resident as defined under Subchapter B, |
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Chapter 54, [by the coordinating board] and meet, at a minimum, the |
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resident requirements defined by law for Texas resident tuition in |
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fully state-supported institutions of higher education; |
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(2) be enrolled in at least three-fourths of a full |
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course load conforming to an individual degree plan in an approved |
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college or university; |
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(3) be required to pay more tuition than is required at |
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a public college or university and be charged no less than the |
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regular tuition required of all students enrolled at the |
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institution; |
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(4) establish financial need in accordance with |
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procedures and regulations of the coordinating board; |
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(5) not be a recipient of any form of athletic |
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scholarship while receiving a tuition equalization grant; |
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(6) make satisfactory academic progress toward a |
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degree or certificate as determined by the institution at which the |
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person is enrolled; and |
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(7) have complied with other requirements adopted by |
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the coordinating board under this subchapter. |
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(c) After qualifying for a tuition equalization grant under |
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Subsection (b), a person may receive a tuition equalization grant |
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in a subsequent academic year in which the person is enrolled at an |
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approved institution only if the person: |
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(1) meets the requirements of Subsection (b), |
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including, as of the end of the full academic year in which the |
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person initially receives a tuition equalization grant, making |
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satisfactory academic progress toward a degree or certificate as |
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determined by the institution at which the person is enrolled; |
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(2) as of the end of each subsequent academic year in |
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which the person receives a tuition equalization grant, has |
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completed at least: |
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(A) 24 semester credit hours in the person's most |
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recent full academic year, if the person is enrolled in an |
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undergraduate degree or certificate program; or |
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(B) 18 semester credit hours in the person's most |
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recent full academic year, if the person is enrolled in a graduate |
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or professional degree program; [and] |
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(3) has earned an overall grade point average of at |
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least 2.5 on a four-point scale or the equivalent on coursework |
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previously attempted at public or private institutions of higher |
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education; and |
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(4) has completed at least 75 percent of the semester |
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credit hours attempted in the person's most recent full academic |
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year. |
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(e) The coordinating board shall adopt rules to allow a |
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person who is otherwise eligible to receive a tuition equalization |
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grant, in the event of a hardship or for other good cause shown, to |
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receive a tuition equalization grant if the person does not: |
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(1) make satisfactory academic progress as required |
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under Subsection (b)(6) or (c)(1); |
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(2) complete the semester credit hours required by |
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Subsection (c)(2) or (4); |
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(3) maintain the grade point average required by |
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Subsection (c)(3); or |
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(4) complete the person's certificate or degree |
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program within the period prescribed by Subsection (d). |
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SECTION 6. Section 61.2251, Education Code, as added by |
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Chapter 1181 (S.B. 1227), Acts of the 79th Legislature, Regular |
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Session, 2005, is redesignated as Section 61.2252, Education Code, |
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to read as follows: |
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Sec. 61.2252 [61.2251]. REESTABLISHING ELIGIBILITY FOR |
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GRANT. If a person who receives an initial tuition equalization |
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grant after the 2004-2005 academic year fails to meet any of the |
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applicable requirements of this subchapter after the completion of |
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any semester or term, the person may not receive a tuition |
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equalization grant during the next semester or term in which the |
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person enrolls. The person may become eligible to receive a |
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tuition equalization grant in a subsequent semester or term if the |
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person: |
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(1) completes a semester or term during which the |
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student is not eligible for a tuition equalization grant; and |
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(2) meets all the applicable requirements of this |
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subchapter. |
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SECTION 7. Sections 61.227(a), (b), and (e), Education |
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Code, are amended to read as follows: |
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(a) On determination of a person's [receipt of a
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certification of the amount of] financial need [from an approved
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institution], the institution at which the student is enrolled |
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[coordinating board] shall certify the amount of the tuition |
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equalization grant based on financial need but not to exceed the |
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maximum [a] grant amount [of more than that] specified by |
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legislative [in the] appropriation or authorized under Subsection |
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(c) or (e) [by the legislature, or more than the difference between
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the tuition at the private institution attended and the tuition at
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public colleges and universities]. |
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(b) The proper amount of the tuition equalization grant |
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shall be paid to the student through the college or university in |
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which the student [he] is enrolled. |
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(e) Notwithstanding any restrictions provided by Subsection |
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(c) on the amount of a grant, a tuition equalization grant for an |
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academic period for an undergraduate student who establishes |
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exceptional financial need in accordance with the procedures and |
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rules of the coordinating board may be certified by the institution |
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at which the undergraduate student is enrolled [coordinating board] |
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in an amount not to exceed 150 percent of the amount of the grant |
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that the student would otherwise have been awarded for that period |
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under the other provisions of this section. |
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SECTION 8. Section 61.230, Education Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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Sec. 61.230. ANNUAL REPORT. [(a)] The coordinating board |
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shall include in its annual report to the legislature on financial |
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aid in this state a breakdown of tuition equalization grant |
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recipients by ethnicity indicating the percentage of each ethnic |
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group that received tuition equalization grant money [for each
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academic year] at each institution. |
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SECTION 9. Section 61.228, Education Code, is repealed. |
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SECTION 10. The changes in law made by this Act apply |
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beginning with tuition equalization grants awarded for the |
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2011-2012 academic year. A tuition equalization grant awarded for |
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an academic year before that academic year is covered by the law in |
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effect when the grant was awarded, and that law is continued in |
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effect for that purpose. |
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SECTION 11. This Act takes effect immediately if it |
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receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each |
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house, as provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. |
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If this Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate |
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effect, this Act takes effect September 1, 2011. |