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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the establishment of the Texas Leadership Scholars |
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Program to serve as a merit-based scholarship and leadership |
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opportunity for high-achieving, emerging leaders with financial |
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need. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Chapter 61, Education Code, is amended by adding |
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Subchapter N to read as follows: |
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SUBCHAPTER N. TEXAS LEADERSHIP SCHOLARS PROGRAM |
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Sec. 61.751. DEFINITION. In this subchapter, "program" |
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means the Texas Leadership Scholars Program established under this |
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subchapter. |
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Sec. 61.752. INITIATIVE: ESTABLISHMENT; ADMINISTRATION; |
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PURPOSE. |
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(a) The Texas Leadership Scholars Program is established. |
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(b) The board shall establish and administer, using funds |
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appropriated or otherwise available for the purpose, scholarships |
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for high-achieving, low-income students, and academic achievement |
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support and leadership development for student awarded program |
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scholarships. |
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(c) To qualify for a scholarship under this section, a |
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student must: |
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(1) be eligible for automatic admission in a general |
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academic teaching institution pursuant to Section 51.803 or be |
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nominated by their school district and have achieved another |
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academic distinction recognized by the Board; and |
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(2) be considered economically disadvantaged as |
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determined by board rule; and |
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(3) maintain a minimum overall grade point average at |
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a general academic teaching institution as determined by board |
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rule. |
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(d) The board may enter into agreements with general |
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academic teaching institutions or other agencies of higher |
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education to provide students in the program with research-based |
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support to make satisfactory academic progress, graduate on-time |
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and engage in leadership development opportunities, including but |
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not limited to program cohort learning communities, mentoring, |
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research and internship opportunities, networking with state |
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government, business, and civic leaders, and statewide cohort |
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learning institutes or seminars. |
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Sec. 61.753. GRANTS, GIFTS, AND DONATIONS. The board may |
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solicit, accept, and spend grants, gifts, and donations from any |
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public or private source for the purposes of this subchapter. |
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Sec. 61.754. RULES. The board shall adopt rules for the |
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administration of this subchapter, including rules providing for |
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the determination of scholarship amount, student scholarship |
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eligibility, satisfactory academic progress criteria, and program |
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administration. |
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SECTION 2. (a) The Texas Higher Education Coordinating |
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Board shall adopt rules to administer Subchapter N, Chapter 61, |
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Education Code, as added by this Act, as soon as practicable after |
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the effective date of this Act. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |