87R17234 CXP-D
 
  By: Bernal, Neave, Crockett, Ortega H.B. No. 237
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to student access to certain academic records; authorizing
  a fee.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 51.9715, Education Code, is amended by
  adding Subsections (c), (d), (e), (f), and (g) to read as follows:
         (c)  Except as provided by Subsections (d) and (e), on
  request by a student, a postsecondary educational institution shall
  release the student's transcript or the student's certificate of
  completion of training issued by the institution under Chapter 132,
  as applicable, to the student.
         (d)  On request by a student who has not fulfilled the
  student's financial obligation to the institution, a postsecondary
  educational institution must release the student's transcript or
  the student's certificate of completion of training issued by the
  institution under Chapter 132, as applicable, only if the student:
               (1)  has not been enrolled in the institution for at
  least five years;
               (2)  includes with the student's request a copy of the
  posting for the job for which the student intends to apply or a
  statement that the student intends to enroll in another
  postsecondary educational institution; and
               (3)  has made a good faith effort to fulfill the
  student's financial obligation to the institution, such as by
  entering into a payment plan with the institution.
         (e)  A transcript or certificate of completion of training
  released on request by a student under Subsection (d) must be issued
  directly to the employer or postsecondary educational institution
  for which the student is requesting the transcript or certificate
  of completion of training.
         (f)  A postsecondary educational institution may charge a
  reasonable fee in connection with the release of a transcript or a
  certificate of completion of training under this section. The
  amount of a fee charged under this subsection must be the same for
  each student, except that a postsecondary educational institution
  may establish a policy that provides for charging a lower fee for
  certain students based on criteria other than whether the student
  has fulfilled the student's financial obligation to the
  institution.
         (g)  In this section, "postsecondary educational
  institution" includes an "institution of higher education" and a
  "private or independent institution of higher education" as those
  terms are defined by Section 61.003, and a "career school or
  college" as defined by Section 132.001.
         SECTION 2.  Section 54.057(b), Education Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         (b)  The person shall pay the applicable amount to the
  institution not later than the 30th day after the date the person is
  notified of the person's liability for the amount owed.  After
  receiving the notice and until the amount is paid in full, the
  person is not entitled to receive from the institution a
  certificate or diploma, if not yet awarded on the date of the
  notice, [or official transcript] that is based at least partially
  on [or includes] credit for courses taken while the person was
  erroneously classified as a resident of this state.
         SECTION 3.  Section 132.055(b)(6), Education Code, is
  amended to read as follows:
               (6)  On [Except as provided by Section 132.062, on]
  completion of training, the student is given a certificate by the
  school or college indicating the program and that training was
  satisfactorily completed.
         SECTION 4.  Section 132.062, Education Code, is repealed.
         SECTION 5.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
  a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
  provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
  Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
  Act takes effect September 1, 2021.