LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD

Austin, Texas

FISCAL NOTE, 85TH LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION

April 10, 2017

TO:	Honorable Kel Seliger, Chair, Senate Committee on Higher Education
FROM:	Ursula Parks, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:	SB1123 by Zaffirini (Relating to conditions on the receipt of tuition and fee exemptions at public institutions of higher education for adopted students formerly in foster or other residential care.), As Introduced

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

The bill would amend the Education Code relating to conditions on the receipt of tuition and fee exemptions at public institutions of higher education for adopted students formerly in foster or other residential care. Currently the Education Code specifies that after initially qualifying for a mandatory exemption or waiver from payment of tuition and fees, a person may continue to receive the exemption or waiver in subsequent semesters only if certain conditions are met, with the exception of exemptions provided by Sec. 54.342 or 54.366. The bill would add Sec. 54.367 involving exemptions for adopted students formerly in foster or other residential care.

Each of the six public university systems indicated the bill would not have a significant fiscal impact to their component institutions. Additionally, the Department of State Health Services indicated the bill would not have a significant fiscal impact. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board indicated in its response that it is unknown how many students the bill would affect because the agency does not have the data on the number of students adopted and formerly in foster care who did not receive a continuation of tuition waivers based on the requirements of Education Code, Sec. 54.2001.

Local Government Impact

No significant fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.

Source Agencies:

530 Family and Protective Services, Department of, 710 Texas A&M University System Administrative and General Offices, 720 The University of Texas System Administration, 758 Texas State University System, 768 Texas Tech University System Administration, 769 University of North Texas System Administration, 781 Higher Education Coordinating Board, 783 University of Houston System Administration

LBB Staff:

UP, THo, DEH, JP, JLi