Bill Text: TX HB2490 | 2025-2026 | 89th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to student access to certain academic records held by a public institution of higher education or career school or college; authorizing fees.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2025-02-05 - Filed [HB2490 Detail]
Download: Texas-2025-HB2490-Introduced.html
| 89R10353 RDR-F | ||
| By: Bucy | H.B. No. 2490 | |
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| relating to student access to certain academic records held by a | ||
| public institution of higher education or career school or college; | ||
| authorizing fees. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Subchapter Z, Chapter 51, Education Code, is | ||
| amended by adding Section 51.9716 to read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 51.9716. STUDENT TRANSCRIPTS AND DIPLOMAS. (a) In | ||
| this section: | ||
| (1) "Institution of higher education" has the meaning | ||
| assigned by Section 61.003. | ||
| (2) "Student" includes a former student. | ||
| (b) Notwithstanding any other provision of this code, an | ||
| institution of higher education may not withhold a student's | ||
| transcript or diploma on the basis that the student has not | ||
| fulfilled the student's financial obligation to the institution if | ||
| the student's outstanding financial obligation to the institution: | ||
| (1) is less than $500; or | ||
| (2) has been outstanding for more than five years. | ||
| (c) An institution of higher education may require a student | ||
| with an outstanding financial obligation to the institution of $500 | ||
| or more to enter into a repayment plan with the institution before | ||
| releasing the student's transcript or diploma to the student. The | ||
| institution must release the transcript or diploma to the student | ||
| on the student's initiation of payment under the repayment plan. | ||
| (d) An institution of higher education may charge a student | ||
| a fee in connection with the release of a transcript or diploma. | ||
| The amount of the fee may not exceed the cost of materials used to | ||
| print, mail, or electronically send the transcript or diploma. | ||
| SECTION 2. Section 132.062, Education Code, is amended to | ||
| read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 132.062. STUDENT [ |
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| school or college may not withhold a student's transcript or | ||
| certificate of completion of training on the basis that [ |
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| student has not fulfilled the student's financial obligation to the | ||
| school or college if the student's outstanding financial obligation | ||
| to the school or college: | ||
| (1) is less than $500; or | ||
| (2) has been outstanding for more than five years. | ||
| (b) A career school or college may require a student with an | ||
| outstanding financial obligation to the school or college of $500 | ||
| or more to enter into a repayment plan with the school or college | ||
| before releasing the student's transcript or certificate of | ||
| completion of training to the student. The career school or college | ||
| must release the transcript or certificate to the student on the | ||
| student's initiation of payment under the repayment plan. | ||
| (c) A career school or college may charge a student a fee in | ||
| connection with the release of a transcript or certificate of | ||
| completion of training. The amount of the fee may not exceed the | ||
| cost of materials used to print, mail, or electronically send the | ||
| transcript or certificate. | ||
| (d) For purposes of this section, "student" includes a | ||
| former student. | ||
| SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. | ||
