By Wise                                         H.B. No. 1592

      75R2768 CAG-D                           

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to a state government internship program for certain

 1-3     students in certain fields of higher education.

 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 1-5           SECTION 1.  Chapter 61, Education Code, is amended by adding

 1-6     Subchapter S to read as follows:

 1-7             SUBCHAPTER S.  STATE GOVERNMENT INTERNSHIP PROGRAM

 1-8           Sec. 61.851.  INTERNSHIP PROGRAM.  (a)  The board shall

 1-9     administer a state government internship program in cooperation

1-10     with general academic teaching institutions and private or

1-11     independent institutions of higher education to support students of

1-12     those institutions who desire to participate in the program.

1-13           (b)  The program shall provide internships, as funding

1-14     permits, for students enrolled in government, history, public

1-15     affairs, political science, or other fields involving government or

1-16     public policy to reside in the Austin area for a semester or term

1-17     during which the student works in an office or department of state

1-18     government in connection with the internship.  A participating

1-19     institution must require the student to enroll in an academic

1-20     course for credit as a full-time student for the semester or term

1-21     of the internship and to complete a written project determined by

1-22     the institution.

1-23           (c)  The board shall seek the cooperation of state offices

1-24     and agencies in connection with the program and shall coordinate

 2-1     the placement of internship students during their internships.

 2-2           (d)  The board shall allocate available internships to

 2-3     participating institutions as the board determines appropriate

 2-4     considering all relevant factors, including the enrollment of

 2-5     eligible students at each institution, the proximity of each

 2-6     institution to the city of Austin, and the resources available to

 2-7     the institution and its students to provide similar learning

 2-8     opportunities.

 2-9           (e)  The board, in cooperation with the participating

2-10     institution, shall supervise the internship of a student in the

2-11     program.

2-12           Sec. 61.852.  STUDENTS ELIGIBLE.  (a)  Each participating

2-13     institution selects students of the institution to participate in

2-14     the program.

2-15           (b)  The board shall establish criteria for institutions to

2-16     use in selecting students for the program.

2-17           Sec. 61.853.  FUNDING.  (a)  The program is funded by

2-18     appropriations made for purposes of the program.

2-19           (b)  The board may solicit or accept gifts and grants from

2-20     any source to fund the program.

2-21           (c)  If funding permits, the board may pay a student

2-22     participating in the program a reasonable stipend.

2-23           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997.

2-24           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the

2-25     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

2-26     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

2-27     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

 3-1     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.