0001| SENATE BILL 677 | 0002| 43rd legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 1997 | 0003| INTRODUCED BY | 0004| DON KIDD | 0005| | 0006| | 0007| | 0008| | 0009| | 0010| AN ACT | 0011| MAKING AN APPROPRIATION TO DETERMINE THE FEASIBILITY OF | 0012| CREATING A PREPAID COLLEGE TUITION PROGRAM. | 0013| | 0014| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO: | 0015| Section 1. PREPAID HIGHER EDUCATION TUITION PROGRAM-- | 0016| FEASIBILITY STUDY--GUIDELINES.-- | 0017| A. The commission on higher education shall conduct | 0018| a thorough study to determine the feasibility of creating a | 0019| prepaid higher education tuition program, which shall include | 0020| requirements that: | 0021| (1) prepaid tuition contracts, once paid, will | 0022| cover all tuition and required fees of the institution of | 0023| higher education; | 0024| (2) payments for prepaid tuition contracts may | 0025| be made either in a lump sum or in installments; | 0001| (3) the prepaid tuition contracts shall: | 0002| (a) allow purchasers to choose from | 0003| payment plans that pay the tuition and required fees for either | 0004| a community college, four-year or in-state, private post- | 0005| secondary educational institution; | 0006| (b) allow for rollover of prepaid higher | 0007| education tuition benefits from one plan to another, and that | 0008| provide that benefits may be used at any community college, | 0009| four-year or in-state, private post-secondary educational | 0010| institution; | 0011| (c) include penalties for termination of | 0012| the contract or default on any of the contract's terms or | 0013| conditions; and | 0014| (d) include provisions that allow | 0015| purchasers to change or switch beneficiaries; | 0016| (4) beneficiaries meet certain minimum | 0017| eligibility requirements; | 0018| (5) when setting contract prices, the | 0019| commission consider: | 0020| (a) the amount and estimated rate of | 0021| increase of tuition and fees at institutions of higher | 0022| education; | 0023| (b) expected investment returns; | 0024| (c) estimated administrative costs; and | 0025| (d) the period between the date the | 0001| contract is entered into and the date the beneficiary is | 0002| projected to graduate from high school; | 0003| (6) allow for gifts or bequests either on | 0004| behalf of a beneficiary or to the fund generally; | 0005| (7) institutions of higher education are | 0006| either required to participate or that the commission may | 0007| specify how and when institutions of higher education become | 0008| eligible to participate in the program; | 0009| (8) benefits under a prepaid tuition contract | 0010| are excluded from any calculation of a beneficiary's state | 0011| student-aid eligibility; and | 0012| (9) a program established pursuant to the | 0013| requirements set forth in this section shall not obligate or | 0014| encumber any money deposited in the state permanent fund, the | 0015| severance tax bond fund or any money that is a part of a state- | 0016| funded financial aid program. | 0017| B. The commission shall report its findings to the | 0018| appropriate interim legislative committee no later than October | 0019| 15, 1997. The report shall include a recommendation from the | 0020| commission regarding the feasibility of implementing a prepaid | 0021| higher education tuition program based on the requirements set | 0022| forth in Subsection A of this section. | 0023| Section 2. APPROPRIATION.--One hundred seventy-five | 0024| thousand dollars ($175,000) is appropriated from the general | 0025| fund to the commission on higher education for expenditure in | 0001| fiscal year 1998 for the purpose of conducting a study to | 0002| determine the feasibility of creating a prepaid higher | 0003| education tuition program with the requirements set forth in | 0004| Subsection A of Section 1 of this act. Any unexpended or | 0005| unencumbered balance remaining at the end of fiscal year 1998 | 0006| shall revert to the general fund. | 0007|  | 0008| | 0009| FORTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE | 0010| FIRST SESSION, 1997 | 0011| | 0012| | 0013| March 4, 1997 | 0014| | 0015| Mr. President: | 0016| | 0017| Your EDUCATION COMMITTEE, to whom has been referred | 0018| | 0019| SENATE BILL 677 | 0020| | 0021| has had it under consideration and reports same with | 0022| recommendation that it DO PASS, and thence referred to the | 0023| FINANCE COMMITTEE. | 0024| | 0025| Respectfully submitted, | 0001| | 0002| | 0003| | 0004| | 0005| __________________________________ | 0006| Cynthia Nava, Chairman | 0007| | 0008| | 0009| | 0010| Adopted_______________________ Not | 0011| Adopted_______________________ | 0012| (Chief Clerk) (Chief Clerk) | 0013| | 0014| | 0015| Date ________________________ | 0016| | 0017| | 0018| The roll call vote was 6 For 0 Against | 0019| Yes: 6 | 0020| No: 0 | 0021| Excused: Boitano, Duran, Gorham, Maloof | 0022| Absent: None | 0023| | 0024| | 0025| S0677ED1 | 0001| | 0002| | 0003| | 0004| FORTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE SB 677/a | 0005| FIRST SESSION, 1997 | 0006| | 0007| | 0008| March 15, 1997 | 0009| | 0010| Mr. President: | 0011| | 0012| Your FINANCE COMMITTEE, to whom has been referred | 0013| | 0014| SENATE BILL 677 | 0015| | 0016| has had it under consideration and reports same with | 0017| recommendation that it DO PASS, amended as follows: | 0018| | 0019| 1. On page 1, line 11, strike "MAKING AN APPROPRIATION". | 0020| | 0021| 2. On page 3, strike lines 23 through 25. | 0022| | 0023| 2. On page 4, strike lines 1 through 6. | 0024| | 0025| Respectfully submitted, | 0001| | 0002| | 0003| | 0004| | 0005| __________________________________ | 0006| Ben D. Altamirano, Chairman | 0007| | 0008| | 0009| | 0010| Adopted_______________________ Not | 0011| Adopted_______________________ | 0012| (Chief Clerk) (Chief Clerk) | 0013| | 0014| | 0015| Date ________________________ | 0016| | 0017| | 0018| The roll call vote was 8 For 0 Against | 0019| Yes: 8 | 0020| No: None | 0021| Excused: Aragon, Carraro, McKibben | 0022| Absent: None | 0023| | 0024| | 0025| S0677FC1 | 0001| |