Honorable Jim Murphy, Chair, House Committee on Higher Education
FROM:
Jerry McGinty, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:
HB237 by Bernal (relating to student access to certain academic records; authorizing a fee.), Committee Report 1st House, Substituted
No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.
The bill relates to student access to certain academic records and would authorize postsecondary educational institutions to charge a fee. The bill would require institutions to release a transcript to a student that had not fulfilled their financial obligations to the institution if the student has not been enrolled for at least five years, the student included the posting for a job or a statement they intend to enroll in another postsecondary educational institution, and the student 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. The transcript must be released directly to the employer or postsecondary educational institution. The institution can charge a reasonable fee for release of a transcript but the fee can not be adjusted based on the student's financial obligation.
Designated tuition and fees within Subchapter E of the Texas Education Code, Chapter 54, except for laboratory fees, student teaching fees, and special course fees, are classified as institutional funds; therefore, there would be no impact to the State. Laboratory fees, student teaching fees, and special course fees under Subchapter E of the Texas Education Code, Chapter 54, are accounted for as educational and general income, or statutory tuition, in the General Appropriations Act. It is assumed that the provisions of the bill would not have a significant effect on this income.
Based on information provided by The University of Texas System and University of Houston System, the bill could result in a loss in designated tuition revenue at several of their component institutions, which could reach a significant amount.
Local Government Impact
No significant fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.
Source Agencies:
304 Comptroller of Public Accounts, 710 Texas A&M Univ System Admin, 720 UT Sys Admin, 758 Texas State University System, 768 Texas Tech Univ Sys Admin, 769 UNT System Administration, 781 Higher Education Coordinating Board, 783 Univ of Houston Sys Admin