88R3547 CXP-D     By: Talarico, Lujan, Raney, Cook H.B. No. 1323       A BILL TO BE ENTITLED   AN ACT   relating to the measures to encourage eligible students to claim   certain tuition and fee exemptions at public institutions of higher   education for students who are or have been in foster or other   residential care.          BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:          SECTION 1.  Section 54.366(b), Education Code, is amended to   read as follows:          (b)  The Texas Education Agency and the Texas Higher   Education Coordinating Board shall develop outreach programs to   ensure that students in the conservatorship of the Department of   Family and Protective Services and in grades 9 through 12 [9-12] are   aware of the availability of the exemption from the payment of   tuition and fees provided by this section.  The outreach programs   must include the provision of informational materials regarding the   exemption to each:                (1)  residential child-care facility as defined by   Section 42.002, Human Resources Code;                (2)  foster parent or relative or other designated   caregiver for a student enrolled in grade 9 through 12; and                (3)  school district, open-enrollment charter school,   and private school offering grade nine or above.          SECTION 2.  Section 54.367(b), Education Code, is amended to   read as follows:          (b)  The Texas Education Agency and the Texas Higher   Education Coordinating Board shall develop outreach programs to   ensure that adopted students in grades 9 through 12 [9-12] formerly   in foster or other residential care are aware of the availability of   the exemption from the payment of tuition and fees provided by this   section. The outreach programs must include the provision of   informational materials regarding the exemption to each:                (1)  residential child-care facility as defined by   Section 42.002, Human Resources Code;                (2)  adoptive parent of a student in grade 9 through 12   who was formerly in foster or other residential care; and                (3)  school district, open-enrollment charter school,   and private school offering grade nine or above.          SECTION 3.  Subchapter D, Chapter 54, Education Code, is   amended by adding Section 54.3671 to read as follows:          Sec. 54.3671.  STREAMLINED ELIGIBILITY DETERMINATION AND   APPLICATION PROCESS FOR CERTAIN STUDENTS. The Texas Higher   Education Coordinating Board and the Department of Family and   Protective Services shall jointly design and implement a   streamlined eligibility determination and application process for   the tuition and fee exemptions provided by Sections 54.366 and   54.367. The streamlined process must:                (1)  be designed to decrease the administrative burden   on the department and students in determining exemption eligibility   by reducing data collection, data entry, and the copying and   recopying of applications;                (2)  include a system through which a student may apply   for an exemption electronically through the department's Internet   website; and                (3)  for a student determined by the department to be   eligible for an exemption, provide for the automatic submission by   the department to the institution of higher education indicated by   the student of the tuition waiver letter or other documentation   required by the institution to verify the student's eligibility.          SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives   a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as   provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this   Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this   Act takes effect September 1, 2023.