HBA-MPM H.B. 3201 76(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 3201
By: Chavez
Higher Education
4/9/1999
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Currently, Mexican citizens who attend public junior colleges (colleges) in
counties along the border are required to pay the higher tuition rate
charged to foreign students.  H.B. 3201 authorizes the governing board of a
college operating in a county bordering Mexico to waive the foreign student
tuition charged to a resident student of Mexico who registers for lower
division courses at the college and who demonstrates financial need.  The
bill instead requires the student to pay tuition at the rate charged to
Texas residents residing outside the district.  Furthermore, this bill
requires the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to adopt rules
governing the determination of financial need of these students. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that rulemaking
authority is expressly delegated to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating
Board in SECTION 1 (Section 54.060, Education Code) of this bill. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends Section 54.060, Education Code, by adding Subsection
(i), as follows: 

(i)  Authorizes a governing board (board) of a junior college district
(district) operating a public junior college (college) in a county
bordering Mexico to waive the foreign student tuition prescribed by this
chapter for a resident student of Mexico who registers for lower division
courses at the college and who demonstrates a financial need after the
financial resources of the student and student's family are considered.
Requires the student to pay tuition at the rate charged Texas residents
residing outside the district.  Requires the Texas Higher Education
Coordinating Board to adopt rules governing the determination of financial
needs to students under this subsection. 

SECTION 2.  Makes this Act prospective beginning with tuition charged for
the 1999 fall semester. 

SECTION 3.Emergency clause.
  Effective date: upon passage.