By:  Wilson                                            H.B. No. 168
       73R1747 SOS-F
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-1                                AN ACT
    1-2  relating to financial assistance for certain intercollegiate
    1-3  athletes.
    1-4        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-5        SECTION 1.  Chapter 56, Education Code, is amended by adding
    1-6  Subchapter J to read as follows:
    1-7          SUBCHAPTER J.  TEXAS INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETE GRANTS
    1-8        Sec. 56.161.  DEFINITION.  In this subchapter, "program"
    1-9  means the Texas Intercollegiate Athlete Grant Program.
   1-10        Sec. 56.162.  PROGRAM ESTABLISHMENT.  The governing board of
   1-11  an institution of higher education may establish a Texas
   1-12  Intercollegiate Athlete Grant Program to provide grants to eligible
   1-13  students enrolled at the institution.
   1-14        Sec. 56.163.  PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION.  (a)  The program must:
   1-15              (1)  provide a grant to an eligible applicant in an
   1-16  amount determined by the governing board of the institution of
   1-17  higher education establishing the program but not to exceed $200 a
   1-18  month for the period for which the grant is made; and
   1-19              (2)  be administered by the institution's financial aid
   1-20  office.
   1-21        (b)  The governing board may adopt rules providing
   1-22  application procedures for a grant under this subchapter.
   1-23        Sec. 56.164.  PROGRAM FUNDING.  (a)  The governing board of
   1-24  the institution of higher education establishing the program may
    2-1  set aside each academic year not less than five percent nor more
    2-2  than 10 percent of the institution's total receipts from athletic
    2-3  activities to be used only for grants awarded to students under
    2-4  this subchapter.
    2-5        (b)  A grant provided under this subchapter to an eligible
    2-6  student may not be considered in determining whether the student is
    2-7  entitled to other athletic scholarship aid, including aid for
    2-8  tuition, fees, room, board, and books.
    2-9        Sec. 56.165.  ELIGIBILITY.  To be eligible to receive a grant
   2-10  under this subchapter, a person must be:
   2-11              (1)  enrolled in an institution of higher education;
   2-12  and
   2-13              (2)  a recipient of an athletic scholarship during the
   2-14  period for which the grant is to be awarded.
   2-15        Sec. 56.166.  LIMITATIONS ON GRANTS.  A grant awarded under
   2-16  this subchapter terminates if the person awarded the grant:
   2-17              (1)  becomes ineligible to receive the grant;
   2-18              (2)  becomes ineligible to receive the person's
   2-19  athletic scholarship; or
   2-20              (3)  ceases to participate in appropriate, scheduled
   2-21  athletic activities of the institution of higher education awarding
   2-22  the grant.
   2-23        SECTION 2.  The importance of this legislation and the
   2-24  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
   2-25  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
   2-26  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
   2-27  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
    3-1  and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
    3-2  passage, and it is so enacted.