Sec. 51.940. STUDENT DEBIT CARDS. (a) The governing board of an institution of higher education may establish a program to provide students enrolled at the institution with a debit card.

(b) A student issued a debit card under the program may use the card to purchase merchandise or service available through the institution or through a person authorized to sell merchandise or service at the institution, as determined by the governing board.

(c) The program must allow a person who is in business to sell merchandise or service of the same kind as the merchandise or service that a student may purchase under Subsection (b) to participate in the program under the same or equivalent terms applicable to a person authorized to sell merchandise under Subsection (b) and accept a debit card payment from a student to whom a debit card has been issued under the program for purchase of that merchandise or service. The institution of higher education may assess participating businesses a fee sufficient to cover the cost of implementation and administration of this program.

(d) An institution of higher education may not administer or sponsor a debit card program for students of the institution that does not conform to this section.

(e) In this section:

(1) "Governing board" and "institution of higher education" have the meanings assigned by Section 61.003.

(2) "Person" has the meaning assigned by Section 1.201, Business & Commerce Code.

Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 316, Sec. 1, eff. June 5, 1995. Amended by Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 710, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1997.