By Wilson                                        H.B. No. 275

      75R1934 JSA-D                           

                                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 L to read as follows:

 1-7             SUBCHAPTER L.  TEXAS INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETE GRANTS

 1-8           Sec. 56.251.  DEFINITION.  In this subchapter, "program"

 1-9     means the Texas Intercollegiate Athlete Grant Program at an

1-10     institution of higher education.

1-11           Sec. 56.252.  PROGRAM ESTABLISHMENT.  (a)  The governing

1-12     board of an institution of higher education may establish a Texas

1-13     Intercollegiate Athlete Grant Program to provide grants to students

1-14     enrolled at the institution.  The institution's financial aid

1-15     office shall administer the program.

1-16           (b)  The governing board may adopt rules providing

1-17     application procedures for a grant under this subchapter.

1-18           Sec. 56.253.  GRANTS.  The program must provide a grant to a

1-19     qualified student in an amount determined by the governing board of

1-20     the institution establishing the program not to exceed $200 a month

1-21     for the period for which the grant is made.

1-22           Sec. 56.254.  PROGRAM FUNDING.  (a)  The governing board of

1-23     the institution establishing a program shall set aside each

1-24     academic year not less than five percent or more than 10 percent of

 2-1     the institution's total receipts from athletic activities to be

 2-2     used only for grants awarded to students under this subchapter.

 2-3           (b)  A grant provided under this subchapter to a student may

 2-4     not be considered in determining whether the student is entitled to

 2-5     other athletic scholarship aid, including aid for tuition, fees,

 2-6     room, board, or books.

 2-7           Sec. 56.255.  ELIGIBILITY.  To be eligible to receive a grant

 2-8     under this subchapter, a student must be:

 2-9                 (1)  enrolled in the institution awarding the grant;

2-10     and

2-11                 (2)  a recipient of an athletic scholarship awarded by

2-12     the institution during the period for which the grant is to be

2-13     awarded.

2-14           Sec. 56.256.  LIMITATIONS ON GRANTS.  A grant awarded under

2-15     this subchapter terminates if the student awarded the grant:

2-16                 (1)  becomes ineligible to receive the grant;

2-17                 (2)  becomes ineligible to receive the student's

2-18     athletic scholarship; or

2-19                 (3)  ceases to participate in appropriate, scheduled

2-20     athletic activities of the institution awarding the grant.

2-21           SECTION 2.  The importance of this legislation and the

2-22     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

2-23     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

2-24     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

2-25     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,

2-26     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its

2-27     passage, and it is so enacted.