HBA-KMH H.B. 2664 76(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 2664
By: George
Higher Education
3/18/1999
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Under the current Section 51.940, Education Code, public institutions of
higher education are given statutory authority to establish a program to
provide students with a debit card for purchases on or off campus.  Private
or independent universities could benefit from the same statutory
authority. 

H.B. 2664 authorizes the governing board of a private or independent
institution of higher education (governing board) to establish a program to
provide students enrolled at the institution with a debit card and allows
the governing board to open the program to outside merchants, under certain
conditions. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does
not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state
officer, department, agency, or institution. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends Subchapter Z, Chapter 51, Education Code, by adding
Section 51.946, as follows: 

Sec.  51.946.  STUDENT DEBIT CARDS AT PRIVATE OR INDEPENDENT INSTITUTIONS
OF HIGHER EDUCATION.  (a) Authorizes the governing board of a private or
independent institution of higher education (governing board) to establish
a program to provide students enrolled at the institution with a debit
card. 

(b) Authorizes a student with a debit card under the program to use the
card to purchase merchandise or service available through the institution
or though a person authorized to sell merchandise or service at the
institution, as determined by the governing board. 

(c) Authorizes the program to allow certain merchants to participate in the
program and to allow students to use debit cards with those merchants. 

(d) Authorizes a private or independent institution of higher education to
assess participating businesses a fee sufficient to cover the cost of
implementation and administration of this program. 

(e) Defines "private institution of higher education" and "person."

SECTION 2.  Emergency clause.
                       Effective date:  90 days after adjournment.