| TO: | Honorable Dan Branch, Chair, House Committee on Higher Education |
| FROM: | Ursula Parks, Director, Legislative Budget Board |
| IN RE: | HB1052 by Lavender (relating to the automatic admission to a public institution of higher education of a child of a person who was killed or sustained a fatal injury in the line of duty in the United States armed forces.), Committee Report 1st House, Substituted |
The bill amends the Education Code relating to the automatic admission to a public institution of higher education of a child of a person who was killed or sustained a fatal injury in the line of duty in the United States armed forces. The bill amends Sec. 51.803(e) to add that a general academic institution shall admit an applicant as an undergraduate student if the applicant is a child of a member of the armed forces of the United States, including the National Guard, who was killed or sustained a fatal injury in the line of duty. The applicant would still have to meet the minimum requirements for admission.
Based on analysis of information provided by the Higher Education Coordinating Board, The University of Texas System, Texas A&M University System, Texas State University System, University of North Texas System, University of Houston System, and Texas Tech University System, it is assumed that provisions of the bill can be absorbed with existing resources.
In addition, the population of students impacted by the provisions of this bill could qualify for the Hazlewood Exemption if the parent and child meet the eligibility requirements prescribed by that section of the Education Code. Tuition and fee exemptions in this section provide awards for children of certain deceased, disabled, or missing in action veterans. The exemption applies to statutory tuition, designated tuition, and certain fees at public higher education institutions, including general academic institutions, health related institutions, public community/junior colleges, and other two year institutions.
It is assumed that the majority of this population would have enrolled in an institution of higher education prior to this bill and utilized the Hazlewood Exemption if it was available to the individual. Under the provisions of this bill, the individual may choose to attend a different institution than otherwise planned. It is likely that there may be some cost shifting from the community colleges to the general academics for students that will choose to enroll at a general academic institution now. It is assumed that certain general academics may see their share of costs for the Hazlewood Exemption increase as a result of this bill, although it is assumed there would be a corresponding decrease at another institution for the cost of the exemption.
| Source Agencies: | 710 Texas A&M University System Administrative and General Offices, 720 The University of Texas System Administration, 768 Texas Tech University System Administration, 758 Texas State University System, 769 University of North Texas System Administration, 781 Higher Education Coordinating Board, 783 University of Houston System Administration
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| LBB Staff: | UP, KK, SK, EH, GO
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