HBA-SEB H.B. 315 76(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 315
By: Maxey
Higher Education
2/23/1999
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Currently, a graduate student at a Texas university must register for nine
credit hours per semester in order to be employed as a teaching assistant
(T.A.), research assistant (R.A.), or assistant instructor (A.I.).  A
student working as a T.A., R.A., or A.I. who has completed the organized
coursework requirements and is writing a dissertation, thesis, or report
may need to register for empty hours in order to satisfy the nine-hour
registration requirement.  Also, the graduate student may face financial
strain when faced with rising costs of tuition, fees, health care, and
housing.  H.B. 315 waives the cost of tuition and fees for a graduate
student working as a T.A., R.A., or A.I. who is not enrolled in any
organized coursework  and is writing a dissertation, thesis, or report.
This bill also permits such a student to participate in the university's
health insurance program as though the student were a full-time employee of
the university.    

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 Section 54.063, Education Code, by creating Subsection
(a) from existing text and adding new subsections (b), (c), (d), (e), and
(f) as follows: 

Sec. 54.063.  TEACHING OR RESEARCH ASSISTANT.  (a)  Includes assistant
instructors in institutions of higher education, their spouses and children
in a list of those entitled to register in a state institution of higher
education by paying Texas residents' tuition and fees if the instructor or
assistant meets the specified eligibility requirements.  Makes conforming
changes.   

(b)  Requires the governing board of an institution of higher learning to
exempt a graduate student from tuition fees if the student works at the
institution as an assistant instructor, teaching assistant, or research
assistant, is writing the required report, thesis, or dissertation for the
student's degree program, and is not enrolled in a course with organized
coursework. 

(c)  Provides that if a student is entitled to the tuition exemption under
Subsection (b) or would be exempt, except that the student is enrolled in a
course with organized coursework, then the student is considered to be
enrolled as a full-time student.    

(d)  Establishes that a student who is exempt from tuition fees under
Subsection (b) is also exempt from the payment of fees for the use of a
health or medical center, with the exception of any health insurance
premium that the student is required to pay. 

(e)  Requires the legislature to compute the local funds available to each
institution as if the institution had collected all tuition fees, including
those for which exemptions under Subsection (b) were granted. 

(f)  Provides that "general academic teaching institution" has the meaning
assigned in  Section 61.003 (Definitions), which lists Texas institutions
of higher education that fall under that category. 

SECTION 2.  Amends Subchapter Z, Chapter 51, Education Code, by adding
Section 51.9085, as follows: 

Sec. 51.9085.  HEALTH INSURANCE FOR CERTAIN GRADUATE STUDENT EMPLOYEES.
Requires the governing board of an institution of higher education to
permit a student who is exempt from tuition fees under Section 54.063(b),
Education Code, to participate in the institution's group health insurance
program in the same manner as a fulltime employee of the institution, and
with the same state contribution.   

SECTION 3.  Provides that this Act applies beginning with the 1999 fall
semester. 

SECTION 4.  Emergency clause.
            Effective date: upon passage.