SRC-HRD S.B. 1311 75(R)   BILL ANALYSIS


Senate Research Center   S.B. 1311
By: Moncrief
Finance
4-4-97
As Filed


DIGEST 

Currently, there is no source of state funding to assist students who wish
to participate in unpaid Washington, D.C. internships.  There are concerns
that this lack of funding may provide a serious deterrent to those
students from low- to middle-income families.  This bill would establish
the Texas-Washington, D.C. Intern Scholarship Program to finance
Washington, D.C. internships for students from low- to middle-income
families.  

PURPOSE

As proposed, S.B. 1311 creates a  Texas-Washington, D.C. Intern
Scholarship Program, administered by the Texas Higher Education
Coordinating Board, to finance Washington, D.C. internships for low- to
middle-income students.  

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

Rulemaking authority is granted to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating
Board under SECTION 1 (Section 56.226, Education Code) of this bill.    

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. Amends Chapter 56, Education Code, to add a Subchapter L, as
follows: 

SUBCHAPTER L.  TEXAS-WASHINGTON, D.C. INTERN
SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM

Sec. 56.221.  PROGRAM NAME.  Provides that the student financial
assistance program authorized by this subchapter is known as the
Texas-Washington, D.C. Intern Scholarship Program (program) and a grant
awarded under this chapter is known as a Texas-Washington, D.C. Intern
grant. 

Sec. 56.222.  PURPOSE.  Provides that the purpose of this subchapter is to
provide a grant of money to enable a qualified person enrolled in an
institution of higher education to participate in a Washington, D.C.
internship program. 

Sec. 56.223.  ELIGIBLE PERSON.  Sets forth eligibility requirements for a
Texas-Washington, D.C. Intern grant.  Provides that a person is not
eligible to receive a Texas-Washington, D.C. Intern grant under certain
conditions.   

Sec. 56.224.  ADMINISTRATIVE AUTHORITY.  Requires the Texas Higher
Education Coordinating Board (coordinating board) to provide a
Texas-Washington, D.C. Intern grant to an eligible person enrolled in an
institution of higher education based on the financial need of that
person.  Prohibits the total amount of Texas-Washington, D.C. Intern
grants distributed by the coordinating board from exceeding the amount
appropriated for the program. 

Sec. 56.225.  PAYMENT OF GRANT; AMOUNT.  Sets forth requirements for the
coordinating board upon receipt of a person's Texas-Washington, D.C.
Intern grant application, an enrollment report from the institution of
higher education enrolling the person  providing the coordinating board
with the information the board requires to determine the person's
eligibility, and a certification of the amount of financial need from the
institution of higher education.   

Sec. 56.226.  ADOPTION AND DISTRIBUTION OF RULES.  Requires the
coordinating board to adopt rules to administer this subchapter.  Requires
the coordinating board to distribute to each institution of higher
education copies of all rules adopted under this subchapter.   

Sec. 56.227.  FUNDING.  Authorizes the coordinating board to accept gifts
and grants from many public or private source for purposes of this
subchapter.  Provides that Texas-Washington, D.C. Intern grants are
payable from gifts, grants, and funds appropriated by the legislature. 

SECTION 2. (a) Effective date: September 1, 1997.
  
(b)  Requires the coordinating board to make grants under the program
beginning with the 1998 fall semester. 

SECTION 3. Emergency clause.