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.