By Wilson, Chavez, Kamel, Lewis of Tarrant H.B. No. 2010 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to restrictions on the extension of athletic scholarships 1-3 or similar financial assistance at public institutions of higher 1-4 education. 1-5 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-6 SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 56, Education Code, is 1-7 amended by adding Section 56.004 to read as follows: 1-8 Sec. 56.004. ATHLETIC SCHOLARSHIP RESTRICTIONS. (a) An 1-9 institution of higher education or other entity may award a 1-10 scholarship, grant, or other financial assistance funded by state 1-11 revenue to a student on the basis of the student's status as a 1-12 student athlete only if: 1-13 (1) for an entering freshman student, the student's 1-14 high school grade point average is equal to or greater than the 1-15 average high school grade point average of all entering freshman 1-16 students for the academic year preceding the academic year of the 1-17 student's admission to the institution; or 1-18 (2) for any other student, the student's cumulative 1-19 college-level grade point average is equal to or greater than the 1-20 average cumulative college-level grade point average of all 1-21 undergraduate students enrolled at the institution in the preceding 1-22 academic year. 1-23 (b) A scholarship, grant, or other financial assistance 1-24 awarded by the institution shall be conditioned on the student's 2-1 compliance with Subsection (a) in each academic year the student 2-2 receives the scholarship, grant, or other assistance. 2-3 (c) For the purposes of this section, "student athlete" 2-4 means a student who competes or participates in a sport, game, or 2-5 other competition involving substantial physical ability or skill 2-6 for, on a team organized or sponsored by, the institution of higher 2-7 education the student attends. 2-8 SECTION 2. (a) This Act takes effect September 1, 1997, and 2-9 applies only to a scholarship, grant, or other financial aid 2-10 awarded on or after that date. 2-11 (b) A scholarship, grant, or other financial aid awarded or 2-12 promised to a person before the effective date of this Act, 2-13 including a scholarship awarded subject to future conditions the 2-14 student must fulfill, is exempt from the application of Section 2-15 56.004, Education Code, as added by this Act. 2-16 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the 2-17 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 2-18 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 2-19 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 2-20 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.