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        |  | AN ACT | 
      
        |  | relating to creating an electronic application system for state | 
      
        |  | student financial assistance. | 
      
        |  | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | 
      
        |  | SECTION 1.  Subchapter C, Chapter 61, Education Code, is | 
      
        |  | amended by adding Section 61.07762 to read as follows: | 
      
        |  | Sec. 61.07762.  APPLICATION FOR STATE FINANCIAL AID.  (a) | 
      
        |  | The board shall adopt procedures to allow a person to complete and | 
      
        |  | submit the Texas Application for State Financial Aid (TASFA) or a | 
      
        |  | similar application for state student financial assistance by | 
      
        |  | electronic submission through the Internet website through which | 
      
        |  | the board provides the common admission application form required | 
      
        |  | by Section 51.762. | 
      
        |  | (a-1)  The board shall appoint an advisory committee | 
      
        |  | composed of financial aid personnel at institutions of higher | 
      
        |  | education and stakeholders who represent the needs of interested | 
      
        |  | students to assist the board in adopting the procedures required by | 
      
        |  | Subsection (a) and to develop recommendations for that purpose. | 
      
        |  | Not later than January 1, 2021, the board shall report the advisory | 
      
        |  | committee's recommendations to the standing committee of each house | 
      
        |  | of the legislature with jurisdiction over higher education.  This | 
      
        |  | subsection expires January 1, 2023. | 
      
        |  | (b)  For the purposes of this section, the board shall | 
      
        |  | continuously maintain an online database of institutions of higher | 
      
        |  | education to which state student financial assistance may be | 
      
        |  | applied. | 
      
        |  | (c)  The personal information of an individual maintained by | 
      
        |  | the board for the purposes of this section is confidential and is | 
      
        |  | not subject to disclosure under Chapter 552, Government Code. | 
      
        |  | (d)  The board may adopt rules as necessary to implement this | 
      
        |  | section. | 
      
        |  | SECTION 2.  The changes in law made by this Act apply | 
      
        |  | beginning with applications for state student financial assistance | 
      
        |  | submitted for the 2022-2023 academic year. | 
      
        |  | SECTION 3.  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, 2019. | 
      
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        |  | ______________________________ | ______________________________ | 
      
        |  | President of the Senate | Speaker of the House | 
      
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        |  | I certify that H.B. No. 2140 was passed by the House on April | 
      
        |  | 25, 2019, by the following vote:  Yeas 130, Nays 4, 2 present, not | 
      
        |  | voting. | 
      
        |  |  | 
      
        |  | ______________________________ | 
      
        |  | Chief Clerk of the House | 
      
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        |  | I certify that H.B. No. 2140 was passed by the Senate on May | 
      
        |  | 22, 2019, by the following vote:  Yeas 31, Nays 0. | 
      
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        |  | ______________________________ | 
      
        |  | Secretary of the Senate | 
      
        |  | APPROVED:  _____________________ | 
      
        |  | Date | 
      
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        |  | _____________________ | 
      
        |  | Governor |