HBA-EDN C.S.S.B. 1057 77(R)BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisC.S.S.B. 1057
By: Ellis, Rodney
Higher Education
4/27/2001
Committee Report (Substituted)



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Currently, the TEXAS grant program grants students the opportunity to
enroll in institutions of higher education.  An interim committee report
recommended improvements to help raise awareness of the program among
certain groups.  C.S.S.B. 1057 implements recommendations from the TEXAS
grant program legislative oversight committee report. 

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 56.304, Education Code) of this bill. 

ANALYSIS

C.S.S.B. 1057 amends the Education Code to require the Texas Higher
Education Coordinating Board (coordinating board) to adopt rules to provide
a person who is otherwise eligible to receive a TEXAS grant (grant)
additional time during which the person may receive a grant in the event of
a hardship or other good cause shown that prevents the person from
continuing the person's enrollment at an eligible institution during the
person's initial eligibility period.   

The bill authorizes the coordinating board to reimburse a nonprofit entity
that the coordinating board designates to operate or house a center for
financial aid information with money appropriated for that purpose for the
costs incurred by the entity. 

C.S.S.B. 1057 requires the coordinating board and the commissioner of
education to develop a plan or set of recommendations to ensure that
information on the grant program and other financial aid information is
adequately publicized to prospective students and financial aid recipients,
their parents, school counselors, student financial aid offices, and other
appropriate entities.  The bill requires the coordinating board and the
commissioner of education to report the results of the study and the plan
or recommendations to the legislature not later than October 1, 2002.  

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or if the Act does not receive the necessary vote, the Act
takes effect September 1, 2001. The Act applies beginning with students who
demonstrate eligibility to receive a grant for the 2001-2002 school year. 

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE

C.S.S.B. 1057 modifies the original by authorizing the Texas Higher
Education Coordinating Board (coordinating board) to reimburse a nonprofit
entity that the coordinating board designates to operate or house a center
for financial aid information with money appropriated for that purpose for
the costs incurred by the entity.