By Wilson                                       H.B. No. 2010

      75R6477 JSA-D                           

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to prohibiting athletic scholarships or similar financial

 1-3     assistance at public institutions of higher education.

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

 1-5           SECTION 1.  Subchapter A, Chapter 56, Education Code, is

 1-6     amended by adding Section 56.004 to read as follows:

 1-7           Sec. 56.004.  ATHLETIC SCHOLARSHIPS PROHIBITED.  (a)  An

 1-8     institution of higher education or other entity may not award a

 1-9     scholarship, grant, or other financial assistance funded by state

1-10     revenue to a student on the basis of the student's status as a

1-11     student athlete.

1-12           (b)  For purposes of this section, "student athlete" means a

1-13     student who competes or participates in a sport, game, or other

1-14     competition involving substantial physical ability or skill for, or

1-15     on a team organized or sponsored by, the institution of higher

1-16     education the student attends.

1-17           SECTION 2.  (a)  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997, and

1-18     applies only to a scholarship or other financial aid awarded on or

1-19     after that date.

1-20           (b)  A scholarship or other financial aid awarded or promised

1-21     to a person before the effective date of this Act, including a

1-22     scholarship awarded subject to future conditions the student must

1-23     fulfill, is exempt from the application of Section 56.004,

1-24     Education Code, as added by this Act.

 2-1           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the

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

 2-3     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

 2-4     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

 2-5     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.