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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to student access to certain academic records; authorizing |
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a fee. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 51.9715, Education Code, is amended by |
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adding Subsections (c), (d), (e), (f), and (g) to read as follows: |
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(c) Except as provided by Subsections (d) and (e), on |
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request by a student, a postsecondary educational institution shall |
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release the student's transcript or the student's certificate of |
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completion of training issued by the institution under Chapter 132, |
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as applicable, to the student. |
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(d) On request by a student who has not fulfilled the |
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student's financial obligation to the institution, a postsecondary |
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educational institution must release the student's transcript or |
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the student's certificate of completion of training issued by the |
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institution under Chapter 132, as applicable, only if: |
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(1) the student has not been enrolled in the |
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institution for at least five years; and |
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(2) the student includes with the student's request a |
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copy of the posting for the job for which the student intends to |
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apply or a statement that the student intends to enroll in another |
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postsecondary educational institution. |
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(e) A transcript or certificate of completion of training |
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released on request by a student under Subsection (d) must be issued |
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directly to the employer or postsecondary educational institution |
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for which the student is requesting the transcript or certificate |
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of completion of training. |
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(f) A postsecondary educational institution may charge a |
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reasonable fee in connection with the release of a transcript or a |
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certificate of completion of training under this section. The |
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amount of a fee charged under this subsection must be the same for |
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each student, except that a postsecondary educational institution |
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may establish a policy that provides for charging a lower fee for |
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certain students based on criteria other than whether the student |
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has fulfilled the student's financial obligation to the |
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institution. |
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(g) In this section, "postsecondary educational |
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institution" includes an "institution of higher education" and a |
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"private or independent institution of higher education" as those |
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terms are defined by Section 61.003, and a "career school or |
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college" as defined by Section 132.001. |
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SECTION 2. Section 54.057(b), Education Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(b) The person shall pay the applicable amount to the |
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institution not later than the 30th day after the date the person is |
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notified of the person's liability for the amount owed. After |
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receiving the notice and until the amount is paid in full, the |
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person is not entitled to receive from the institution a |
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certificate or diploma, if not yet awarded on the date of the |
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notice, [or official transcript] that is based at least partially |
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on [or includes] credit for courses taken while the person was |
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erroneously classified as a resident of this state. |
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SECTION 3. Section 132.055(b)(6), Education Code, is |
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amended to read as follows: |
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(6) On [Except as provided by Section 132.062, on] |
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completion of training, the student is given a certificate by the |
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school or college indicating the program and that training was |
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satisfactorily completed. |
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SECTION 4. Section 132.062, Education Code, is repealed. |
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SECTION 5. 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, 2021. |