HB1784 - Relating to measures to assist students enrolled at public institutions of higher education who are homeless or who are or were in foster care.

  89R26421 CMO-D     By: Bucy, Rose, et al. H.B. No. 1784       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.  The heading to 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 .          SECTION 2.  Section 51.9356, Education Code, is amended by   amending Subsections (a), (b), and (d) and adding Subsections (b-1)   and (g) to read as follows:          (a)  In this section :                 (1)  "Institution [ , "institution ] of higher education"   has the meaning assigned by Section 61.003.                 (2)     "Students who are homeless" means students under   25 years of age who are considered "homeless children and youths"   under 42 U.S.C. Section 11434a and includes students who have been   verified by an institution of higher education for purposes of this   section as either:                       (A)     having been a homeless child or youth at any   time during the 24 months immediately preceding the student's   enrollment at the institution; or                       (B)     experiencing homelessness at any time while   enrolled at the institution.          (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 .           (b-1)   To the extent allowed by state or federal law, each   [ 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)  The liaison officer shall :                 (1)     contact a person designated under 42 U.S.C.   Section 11432(g)(1)(J)(ii) as necessary to facilitate the   transition of students described by Subsection (b) from secondary   to postsecondary education; and                 (2)   provide to those [ the ] students [ described by   Subsection (b) ] information regarding support services and other   resources available to the students at the institution of higher   education, including information about financial aid, on-campus   and off-campus housing, food and meal programs, and counseling   services, and any other relevant information to assist the   students.           (g)     The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board may adopt   rules and establish policies and procedures to ensure that a   liaison officer designated under this section to serve students who   are homeless participates in a professional development program   under 42 U.S.C. Section 11432(d)(5).          SECTION 3.  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 4.  Section 51.978(a), Education Code, is amended by   adding Subdivision (3) to read as follows:                 (3)     "Students who are homeless" means students under   25 years of age who are considered "homeless children and youths"   under 42 U.S.C. Section 11434a and includes students who have been   verified by an institution of higher education for purposes of this   section as either:                       (A)     having been a homeless child or youth at any   time during the 24 months immediately preceding the student's   enrollment at the institution; or                       (B)     experiencing homelessness at any time while   enrolled at the institution.          SECTION 5.  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 :                       (A)     for which the student requests the housing   assistance; or                       (B)   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 6.  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" means students under   25 years of age who are considered "homeless children and youths"   under 42 U.S.C. Section 11434a and includes students who have been   verified by an institution of higher education for purposes of this   section as either:                       (A)     having been a homeless child or youth at any   time during the 24 months immediately preceding the student's   enrollment at the institution; or                       (B)     experiencing homelessness at any time while   enrolled at the institution.           (b)     An 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 7.  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"   means students   under 25 years of age who are considered "homeless children and   youths"   under 42 U.S.C. Section 11434a and includes students who   have been verified by an institution of higher education for   purposes of this section as either:                 (1)     having been a homeless child or youth at any time   during the 24 months immediately preceding the student's enrollment   at the institution; or                 (2)     experiencing homelessness at any time while   enrolled at the institution.           (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 liaison officer shall assist in coordinating   college readiness and student success efforts relating to [ those ]   students described by Subsection (b) .           (d)     The board may establish policies and procedures to   ensure that a liaison officer designated under this section to   serve students who are homeless participates in a professional   development program under 42 U.S.C. Section 11432(d)(5).          SECTION 8.  Section 61.0909, Education Code, is amended to   read as follows:          Sec. 61.0909.  MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING REGARDING   EXCHANGE OF INFORMATION FOR STUDENTS WHO WERE  [ FORMERLY ] IN FOSTER   CARE OR WHO ARE HOMELESS . (a)  In this section :                 (1)  "Agency" means the Texas Education Agency.                 (2)  "Department" [ , "department" ] means the Department   of Family and Protective Services.                 (3)     "Students who are homeless" means students under   25 years of age who are considered "homeless children and youths"     under 42 U.S.C. Section 11434a and includes students who have been   verified by an institution of higher education for purposes of this   section as either:                       (A)     having been a homeless child or youth at any   time during the 24 months immediately preceding the student's   enrollment at the institution; or                       (B)     experiencing homelessness at any time while   enrolled at the institution.          (b)  The board , the agency, and the department shall enter   into a memorandum of understanding regarding the exchange of   information as appropriate to facilitate :                 (1)   the department's evaluation of educational   outcomes of students at institutions of higher education who were   [ formerly ] in the conservatorship of the department ; and       [Text truncated for display. Full text available on Congress.gov.]