HBA-KMH C.S.H.B. 2664 76(R)BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisC.S.H.B. 2664 By: George Higher Education 3/26/1999 Committee Report (Substituted) 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 are currently unable to issue such a card. C.S.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 or independent institution of higher education" and "person." SECTION 2. Emergency clause. Effective date: 90 days after adjournment. COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE C.S.H.B. 2664 modifies the original in SECTION 1 to clarify that the phrase "private or independent institution of education" has the meaning assigned by Section 61.003 (Definitions), Education Code, rather than have.