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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 held by a |
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public institution of higher education or career school or college; |
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authorizing fees. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter Z, Chapter 51, Education Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 51.9716 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 51.9716. STUDENT TRANSCRIPTS AND DIPLOMAS. (a) In |
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this section: |
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(1) "Institution of higher education" has the meaning |
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assigned by Section 61.003. |
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(2) "Student" includes a former student. |
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(b) Notwithstanding any other provision of this code, an |
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institution of higher education may not withhold a student's |
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transcript or diploma on the basis that the student has not |
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fulfilled the student's financial obligation to the institution if |
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the student's outstanding financial obligation to the institution: |
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(1) is less than $500; or |
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(2) has been outstanding for more than five years. |
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(c) An institution of higher education may require a student |
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with an outstanding financial obligation to the institution of $500 |
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or more to enter into a repayment plan with the institution before |
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releasing the student's transcript or diploma to the student. The |
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institution must release the transcript or diploma to the student |
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on the student's initiation of payment under the repayment plan. |
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(d) An institution of higher education may charge a student |
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a fee in connection with the release of a transcript or diploma. |
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The amount of the fee may not exceed the cost of materials used to |
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print, mail, or electronically send the transcript or diploma. |
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SECTION 2. Section 132.062, Education Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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Sec. 132.062. STUDENT [WITHHOLDING] RECORDS. (a) A career |
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school or college may not withhold a student's transcript or |
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certificate of completion of training on the basis that [until] the |
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student has not fulfilled the student's financial obligation to the |
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school or college if the student's outstanding financial obligation |
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to the school or college: |
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(1) is less than $500; or |
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(2) has been outstanding for more than five years. |
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(b) A career school or college may require a student with an |
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outstanding financial obligation to the school or college of $500 |
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or more to enter into a repayment plan with the school or college |
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before releasing the student's transcript or certificate of |
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completion of training to the student. The career school or college |
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must release the transcript or certificate to the student on the |
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student's initiation of payment under the repayment plan. |
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(c) A career school or college may charge a student a fee in |
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connection with the release of a transcript or certificate of |
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completion of training. The amount of the fee may not exceed the |
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cost of materials used to print, mail, or electronically send the |
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transcript or certificate. |
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(d) For purposes of this section, "student" includes a |
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former student. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |