By: Moncrief S.B. No. 1311 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT 1-1 relating to providing scholarships to students at institutions of 1-2 higher education for certain out-of-state internship programs. 1-3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-4 SECTION 1. Chapter 56, Education Code, is amended by adding 1-5 Subchapter L to read as follows: 1-6 SUBCHAPTER L. TEXAS-WASHINGTON, D.C., INTERN 1-7 SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM 1-8 Sec. 56.221. PROGRAM NAME. The student financial assistance 1-9 program authorized by this subchapter is known as the 1-10 Texas-Washington, D.C., Intern Scholarship Program, and a grant 1-11 awarded under this subchapter is known as a Texas-Washington, D.C., 1-12 Intern Grant. 1-13 Sec. 56.222. PURPOSE. The purpose of this subchapter is to 1-14 provide a grant of money to enable a qualified person enrolled in 1-15 an institution of higher education to participate in a Washington, 1-16 D.C., internship program. 1-17 Sec. 56.223. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter: 1-18 (1) "Coordinating board" means the Texas Higher 1-19 Education Coordinating Board. 1-20 (2) "Grant" means a Texas-Washington, D.C., Intern 1-21 Grant awarded under this subchapter. 1-22 Sec. 56.224. ELIGIBLE PERSON. (a) To be eligible for a 1-23 grant, a person must: 2-1 (1) be a Texas resident as defined by coordinating 2-2 board rules; 2-3 (2) enroll for a full course load in an approved 2-4 institution of higher education as determined by coordinating board 2-5 rules; 2-6 (3) be from a low-income or middle-income family and 2-7 establish financial need as defined by coordinating board rules; 2-8 (4) have applied for any available financial 2-9 assistance; and 2-10 (5) have complied with any other administrative 2-11 requirements adopted by the coordinating board under this 2-12 subchapter. 2-13 (b) A person is not eligible to receive a grant if the 2-14 person has been convicted of a felony, a crime involving moral 2-15 turpitude, or an offense under Chapter 481, Health and Safety Code, 2-16 or under the law of any other jurisdiction involving a controlled 2-17 substance as defined by Chapter 481, Health and Safety Code, unless 2-18 the person has met the other applicable eligibility requirements 2-19 under this subchapter and has: 2-20 (1) received a certificate of discharge by the Texas 2-21 Department of Criminal Justice or the applicable correctional 2-22 facility or completed a period of probation ordered by a court and 2-23 at least two years have elapsed from the date of the receipt or 2-24 completion; or 2-25 (2) been pardoned, had the record of the offense 3-1 expunged from the person's record, or otherwise been released from 3-2 the resulting ineligibility to participate in the scholarship 3-3 program. 3-4 Sec. 56.225. ADMINISTRATIVE AUTHORITY. For each academic 3-5 year, the coordinating board shall provide not more than 100 grants 3-6 to be awarded by approved institutions to eligible students. The 3-7 coordinating board shall allocate the grants available to approved 3-8 institutions in proportion to the total enrollment of each 3-9 institution in the preceding academic year. The total amount of 3-10 grants distributed by the coordinating board may not exceed the 3-11 amount available for the Texas-Washington, D.C., Intern Scholarship 3-12 Program from appropriations, gifts and grants, or other funds. 3-13 Sec. 56.226. STANDARDS; AWARD OF GRANT. (a) The 3-14 coordinating board shall prescribe standards for the awarding of 3-15 grants by approved institutions based on financial need and other 3-16 appropriate factors. 3-17 (b) Each approved institution shall award the grants 3-18 allocated to the institution according to the standards and 3-19 applicable procedures prescribed by the coordinating board. 3-20 Sec. 56.227. PAYMENT OF GRANT; AMOUNT. On receipt of a copy 3-21 of a student's grant application and certification from the 3-22 applicable institution that the student has been awarded a grant, 3-23 the coordinating board shall distribute the amount of the grant to 3-24 the institution for disbursement to the student. The amount of a 3-25 grant may not exceed the lesser of the student's documented 4-1 financial need or $2,000. 4-2 Sec. 56.228. ADOPTION AND DISTRIBUTION OF RULES. (a) The 4-3 coordinating board shall adopt rules to administer this subchapter. 4-4 (b) The coordinating board shall distribute to each 4-5 institution of higher education copies of all rules adopted under 4-6 this subchapter. 4-7 Sec. 56.229. FUNDING. (a) The coordinating board may 4-8 accept gifts and grants from any public or private source for the 4-9 purposes of this subchapter. 4-10 (b) Texas-Washington, D.C., Intern Grants are payable from 4-11 gifts, grants, and funds appropriated by the legislature. 4-12 SECTION 2. (a) This Act takes effect September 1, 1997. 4-13 (b) The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board shall make 4-14 grants under the Texas-Washington, D.C., Intern Scholarship Program 4-15 beginning when the coordinating board determines sufficient funds 4-16 are available to provide a reasonable number of grants, but not 4-17 earlier than the 1998 spring semester. 4-18 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the 4-19 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 4-20 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 4-21 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 4-22 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.