Bill Text: TX SB1073 | 2023-2024 | 88th Legislature | Introduced

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Bill Title: Relating to measures to assist students enrolled at public institutions of higher education who are homeless or who are or were in foster care.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2023-03-15 - Co-author authorized [SB1073 Detail]

Download: Texas-2023-SB1073-Introduced.html

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88R5522 CXP-F
By: West S.B. No. 1073

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to measures to assist students enrolled at public
institutions of higher education who are homeless or who are or were
in foster care.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 51.9356, Education Code, is amended to
read as follows:
Sec. 51.9356. DESIGNATION OF LIAISON OFFICER TO ASSIST
STUDENTS WHO ARE OR WERE IN FOSTER CARE OR WHO ARE HOMELESS. (a) In
this section:
(1) "Institution[, "institution] of higher education"
has the meaning assigned by Section 61.003.
(2) "Students who are homeless" has the meaning
assigned to the term "homeless children and youths" under 42 U.S.C.
Section 11434a and includes students who reside in a student
housing facility maintained by an institution of higher education
during an academic term but who are homeless between academic
terms.
(b) Each institution of higher education shall designate at
least one employee of the institution to act as a liaison officer
for current and incoming:
(1) students [at the institution] who are or were
[formerly] in the conservatorship of the Department of Family and
Protective Services; and
(2) students who are homeless.
(c) To the extent allowed by state or federal law, an [the]
institution of higher education shall identify [those] students
described by Subsection (b) from information provided to the
institution in admission or financial aid applications or other
available resources.
(d) An institution of higher education may designate under
Subsection (b) the same employee or employees to act as liaison
officer for each student population described in that subsection or
one or more different employees to act as liaison officer for each
of those student populations separately.
(e) [(c)] Each semester or other academic term, an
institution of higher education shall provide to the institution's
liaison officer or officers the names of and information regarding
the students described by Subsection (b) for whom the officer is
designated.
(f) A [(d) The] liaison officer shall provide to the
students described by Subsection (b) for whom the officer is
designated information regarding support services including
financial aid, on-campus and off-campus housing, food and meal
programs, and counseling services, [and] other resources available
to the students at the institution of higher education, and any
other relevant information to assist the students.
(g) A [(e) The] liaison officer may participate in any
training that enables the officer to carry out the officer's duties
and coordinate with liaison officers at other educational
institutions.
(h) [(f)] Each institution of higher education shall
publicize, including through the institution's Internet website,
social media, electronic mail, or other means of communication used
by the institution:
(1) the name of and contact information for the
institution's liaison officer or officers; and
(2) information regarding support services and other
resources available at the institution to the students described by
Subsection (b).
SECTION 2. The heading to Section 51.978, Education Code,
is amended to read as follows:
Sec. 51.978. TEMPORARY HOUSING BETWEEN ACADEMIC TERMS FOR
CERTAIN STUDENTS WHO WERE [FORMERLY] UNDER CONSERVATORSHIP OF
DEPARTMENT OF FAMILY AND PROTECTIVE SERVICES OR WHO ARE HOMELESS.
SECTION 3. Section 51.978(a), Education Code, is amended by
adding Subdivision (3) to read as follows:
(3) "Students who are homeless" has the meaning
assigned to the term "homeless children and youths" under 42 U.S.C.
Section 11434a and includes students who reside in a student
housing facility maintained by an institution of higher education
during an academic term but who are homeless between academic
terms.
SECTION 4. Section 51.978(b), Education Code, is amended to
read as follows:
(b) To be eligible to receive housing assistance from an
institution of higher education under Subsection (c), a student
must:
(1) be:
(A) a student who has [have] been under the
conservatorship of the Department of Family and Protective Services
or its predecessor in function on the day preceding:
(i) [(A)] the student's 18th birthday; or
(ii) [(B)] the date the student's
disabilities of minority are removed by a court under Chapter 31,
Family Code; or
(B) a student who is homeless;
(2) be enrolled full-time at the institution during
the academic term immediately preceding the period for which the
student requests the housing assistance;
(3) be registered or otherwise have taken the actions
required by the institution to permit the student to enroll
full-time at the institution during the academic term immediately
following the period for which the student requests the housing
assistance; and
(4) lack other reasonable temporary housing
alternatives between the academic terms described by Subdivisions
(2) and (3), as determined by the institution.
SECTION 5. Subchapter Z, Chapter 51, Education Code, is
amended by adding Section 51.9781 to read as follows:
Sec. 51.9781. PRIORITY ACCESS TO STUDENT HOUSING FOR
STUDENTS WHO ARE HOMELESS. (a) In this section:
(1) "Institution of higher education" has the meaning
assigned by Section 61.003.
(2) "Students who are homeless" has the meaning
assigned to the term "homeless children and youths" under 42 U.S.C.
Section 11434a and includes students who reside in a student
housing facility maintained by an institution of higher education
during an academic term but who are homeless between academic
terms.
(b) Each institution of higher education that maintains
student housing facilities shall give priority in the assignment of
housing in those facilities to students who are homeless.
SECTION 6. Section 61.0908, Education Code, is amended to
read as follows:
Sec. 61.0908. DESIGNATION OF LIAISON OFFICER TO ASSIST
STUDENTS WHO WERE [FORMERLY] IN FOSTER CARE OR WHO ARE HOMELESS.
(a) In this section, "students who are homeless" has the meaning
assigned to the term "homeless children and youths" under 42 U.S.C.
Section 11434a and includes students who reside in a student
housing facility maintained by an institution of higher education
during an academic term but who are homeless between academic
terms.
(b) The board shall designate at least one employee of the
board to act as a liaison officer for the following current and
incoming students at institutions of higher education:
(1) students who were formerly in the conservatorship
of the Department of Family and Protective Services; and
(2) students who are homeless.
(c) The board may designate under Subsection (b) the same
employee or employees to act as liaison officer for each student
population described in that subsection or one or more different
employees to act as liaison officer for each of those student
populations separately. A [The] liaison officer shall assist the
students for whom the officer is designated in coordinating college
readiness and student success efforts relating to the [those]
students.
SECTION 7. The changes in law made by this Act apply
beginning with the 2023-2024 academic year.
SECTION 8. 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.