HBA-BSM H.B. 3265 77(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 3265
By: Lewis, Glenn
Higher Education
4/1/2001
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Currently, institutions of higher education (institution) are required to
provide written notice of possible sanctions for failure to make full
payment in promissory notes for all students paying on the authorized
installment payment plan for tuition and fees.  Because of this
requirement, institutions desiring to impose sanctions on students failing
to pay their tuition and fees must have a written promissory note signed by
such students.  However, this requirement is seen by some as a burdensome
administrative procedure, as students receive information relating to other
institutional policies and procedures in college catalogs and course
pamphlets.  House Bill 3265 authorizes the governing board of an
institution to provide the required notification to students regarding
penalties inside material already provided to the student when the student
registers, and requires the governing board to include the notification in
any promissory note signed by the student. 

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. 

ANALYSIS

House Bill 3265 amends the Education Code to prohibit a governing board of
a public institution of higher education (board) from imposing any sanction
on a student for failure to make full payment of tuition and fees unless
when the student registers or selects a method of payment of tuition to be
paid to the board, the board gives to the student a written notice of
possible sanctions.  The bill requires the board to include the statement
in any promissory note signed by the student.  

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 the 2001
fall semester.