By: Zaffirini S.B. No. 487 73R2735 JRD-D A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to the establishment of the Texas Academy of Foreign 1-3 Languages and Culture. 1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-5 SECTION 1. Chapter 11, Education Code, is amended by adding 1-6 Subchapter H to read as follows: 1-7 SUBCHAPTER H. TEXAS ACADEMY OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES AND CULTURE 1-8 Sec. 11.921. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter: 1-9 (1) "Academy" means the Texas Academy of Foreign 1-10 Languages and Culture. 1-11 (2) "Agency" means the Central Education Agency. 1-12 Sec. 11.922. ACADEMY. (a) The academy is established in 1-13 the agency. 1-14 (b) The State Board of Education, subject to the 1-15 availability of funds, may establish an office in the agency to 1-16 administer this subchapter. 1-17 (c) The State Board of Education may adopt rules to 1-18 administer this subchapter. 1-19 (d) The agency may receive appropriations and may receive 1-20 gifts and grants to implement this subchapter. 1-21 (e) The purpose of the academy is to: 1-22 (1) advance the study of foreign languages and 1-23 cultures in Texas; 1-24 (2) advance educational and cultural exchange between 2-1 Texas and current and prospective trade partners; 2-2 (3) encourage the involvement of nonprofit and private 2-3 entities in international studies and in cultural and educational 2-4 exchanges; and 2-5 (4) access federal and private funds for international 2-6 education. 2-7 Sec. 11.923. CONTRACTS. (a) The academy shall accomplish 2-8 its purposes through contracts with a National Endowment for the 2-9 Humanities grant recipient for this state under 20 U.S.C. Section 2-10 956. The academy shall contract with a grant recipient to provide 2-11 on behalf of the academy: 2-12 (1) scholarships to selected college and university 2-13 juniors and seniors who are majoring in a foreign language and who 2-14 intend to pursue teaching careers; 2-15 (2) financial support to selected institutions and 2-16 organizations for cultural exchange programs between Texas and its 2-17 current and prospective trade partners that include photographic 2-18 exhibitions, film and video documentary programs, print resources, 2-19 conferences, and literary projects; and 2-20 (3) financial support to selected teachers and 2-21 scholars to conduct lectures and research projects in key foreign 2-22 countries and to cover reasonable and necessary domestic expenses 2-23 of teachers and scholars of other nations qualified to lecture and 2-24 conduct research in Texas. 2-25 (b) A contract with a grant recipient under Subsection (a) 2-26 of this section must provide that: 2-27 (1) the grant recipient shall award scholarships and 3-1 financial aid that uses academy money to persons and entities based 3-2 on a competitive program established by the grant recipient; 3-3 (2) the grant recipient shall establish controls 3-4 designed to ensure that persons and entities who receive 3-5 scholarships or financial support use the money for the intended 3-6 purpose; 3-7 (3) the grant recipient shall make regular reports to 3-8 the agency on its expenditures under the contract, including the 3-9 identity of persons and entities chosen by the grant recipient to 3-10 receive scholarships or financial support under the contract, and 3-11 on other information related to the contract that may be required 3-12 by the agency; and 3-13 (4) the transactions of the grant recipient under the 3-14 contract are subject to audit by the state auditor in accordance 3-15 with Chapter 321, Government Code. 3-16 (c) The grant recipient may also accomplish the purposes of 3-17 the subject matter of a contract under this section with money that 3-18 is not received under the contract, to the extent allowed under 3-19 this subchapter and federal law. 3-20 Sec. 11.924. COORDINATION. The academy shall coordinate its 3-21 programs with institutions of higher education that have 3-22 established academies for the humanities. 3-23 SECTION 2. Notwithstanding the authority granted by Section 3-24 11.922(d), Education Code, as added by this Act, general revenue 3-25 may not be appropriated for costs related to the implementation of 3-26 this Act during the fiscal biennium beginning September 1, 1993. 3-27 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the 4-1 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 4-2 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 4-3 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 4-4 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended, 4-5 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its 4-6 passage, and it is so enacted.