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AN ACT
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relating to requiring certain general academic teaching |
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institutions to offer a fixed tuition price plan to undergraduate |
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students. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 54, Education Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 54.017 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 54.017. FIXED TUITION PRICE PLAN FOR UNDERGRADUATE |
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STUDENTS AT CERTAIN GENERAL ACADEMIC TEACHING INSTITUTIONS. (a) |
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In this section, "general academic teaching institution" and |
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"public state college" have the meanings assigned by Section |
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61.003. |
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(b) This section applies only to a general academic teaching |
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institution other than a public state college. |
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(c) The governing board of an institution to which this |
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section applies shall offer entering undergraduate students, |
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including undergraduate students who transfer to the institution, |
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the opportunity to participate in a fixed tuition price plan under |
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which the institution agrees not to increase tuition charges per |
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semester credit hour for a participating student for at least the |
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first 12 consecutive semesters that occur after the date of the |
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student's initial enrollment at any public or private institution |
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of higher education, regardless of whether the student enrolls at |
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any institution in those semesters, and subject to any restrictions |
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or qualifications adopted by the governing board. For purposes of |
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this section, one or more summer terms occurring in the same summer |
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is considered a semester. |
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(d) Unless the institution does not offer other tuition |
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payment options, an institution to which this section applies may |
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require an entering undergraduate student to accept or reject |
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participation in the fixed tuition price plan offered under this |
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section before the date of the student's initial enrollment at the |
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institution. |
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(e) This section does not require an institution to which |
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this section applies to offer a variable tuition price plan or other |
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tuition payment options to undergraduate students enrolled in the |
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institution. |
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(f) Fees charged by an institution to a student |
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participating in a fixed tuition price plan under this section may |
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not exceed the fees charged by the institution to a similarly |
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situated student who elects not to participate in the plan, if the |
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institution offers other tuition payment options. For purposes of |
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this subsection, students are similarly situated if they share the |
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same residency status, degree program, course load, course level, |
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and other circumstances affecting the fees charged to the students. |
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(g) This section does not apply to the tuition charged by an |
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institution to which this section applies to a student who enters |
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the institution for the first time before the 2014 fall semester. |
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SECTION 2. 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, 2013. |
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______________________________ |
______________________________ |
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President of the Senate |
Speaker of the House |
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I certify that H.B. No. 29 was passed by the House on May 2, |
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2013, by the following vote: Yeas 148, Nays 0, 2 present, not |
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voting; that the House refused to concur in Senate amendments to |
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H.B. No. 29 on May 23, 2013, and requested the appointment of a |
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conference committee to consider the differences between the two |
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houses; and that the House adopted the conference committee report |
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on H.B. No. 29 on May 26, 2013, by the following vote: Yeas 147, |
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Nays 0, 1 present, not voting. |
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______________________________ |
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Chief Clerk of the House |
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I certify that H.B. No. 29 was passed by the Senate, with |
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amendments, on May 21, 2013, by the following vote: Yeas 30, Nays |
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1; at the request of the House, the Senate appointed a conference |
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committee to consider the differences between the two houses; and |
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that the Senate adopted the conference committee report on H.B. No. |
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29 on May 27, 2013, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0. |
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______________________________ |
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Secretary of the Senate |
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APPROVED: __________________ |
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Date |
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__________________ |
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Governor |