1-1 By: Moncrief S.B. No. 1311 1-2 (In the Senate - Filed March 12, 1997; March 18, 1997, read 1-3 first time and referred to Committee on Finance; April 21, 1997, 1-4 reported adversely, with favorable Committee Substitute by the 1-5 following vote: Yeas 11, Nays 0; April 21, 1997, sent to printer.) 1-6 COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 1311 By: Moncrief 1-7 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-8 AN ACT 1-9 relating to providing scholarships to students at institutions of 1-10 higher education for certain out-of-state internship programs. 1-11 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-12 SECTION 1. Chapter 56, Education Code, is amended by adding 1-13 Subchapter L to read as follows: 1-14 SUBCHAPTER L. TEXAS-WASHINGTON, D.C., INTERN 1-15 SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM 1-16 Sec. 56.221. PROGRAM NAME. The student financial assistance 1-17 program authorized by this subchapter is known as the 1-18 Texas-Washington, D.C., Intern Scholarship Program, and a grant 1-19 awarded under this subchapter is known as a Texas-Washington, D.C., 1-20 Intern Grant. 1-21 Sec. 56.222. PURPOSE. The purpose of this subchapter is to 1-22 provide a grant of money to enable a qualified person enrolled in 1-23 an institution of higher education to participate in a Washington, 1-24 D.C., internship program. 1-25 Sec. 56.223. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter: 1-26 (1) "Coordinating board" means the Texas Higher 1-27 Education Coordinating Board. 1-28 (2) "Grant" means a Texas-Washington, D.C., Intern 1-29 Grant awarded under this subchapter. 1-30 Sec. 56.224. ELIGIBLE PERSON. (a) To be eligible for a 1-31 grant, a person must: 1-32 (1) be a Texas resident as defined by coordinating 1-33 board rules; 1-34 (2) enroll for a full course load in an approved 1-35 institution of higher education as determined by coordinating board 1-36 rules; 1-37 (3) be from a low-income or middle-income family and 1-38 establish financial need as defined by coordinating board rules; 1-39 (4) have applied for any available financial 1-40 assistance; and 1-41 (5) have complied with any other administrative 1-42 requirements adopted by the coordinating board under this 1-43 subchapter. 1-44 (b) A person is not eligible to receive a grant if the 1-45 person has been convicted of a felony, a crime involving moral 1-46 turpitude, or an offense under Chapter 481, Health and Safety Code, 1-47 or under the law of any other jurisdiction involving a controlled 1-48 substance as defined by Chapter 481, Health and Safety Code, unless 1-49 the person has met the other applicable eligibility requirements 1-50 under this subchapter and has: 1-51 (1) received a certificate of discharge by the Texas 1-52 Department of Criminal Justice or the applicable correctional 1-53 facility or completed a period of probation ordered by a court and 1-54 at least two years have elapsed from the date of the receipt or 1-55 completion; or 1-56 (2) been pardoned, had the record of the offense 1-57 expunged from the person's record, or otherwise been released from 1-58 the resulting ineligibility to participate in the scholarship 1-59 program. 1-60 Sec. 56.225. ADMINISTRATIVE AUTHORITY. For each academic 1-61 year, the coordinating board shall provide not more than 100 grants 1-62 to be awarded by approved institutions to eligible students. The 1-63 coordinating board shall allocate the grants available to approved 1-64 institutions in proportion to the total enrollment of each 2-1 institution in the preceding academic year. The total amount of 2-2 grants distributed by the coordinating board may not exceed the 2-3 amount available for the Texas-Washington, D.C., Intern Scholarship 2-4 Program from appropriations, gifts and grants, or other funds. 2-5 Sec. 56.226. STANDARDS; AWARD OF GRANT. (a) The 2-6 coordinating board shall prescribe standards for the awarding of 2-7 grants by approved institutions based on financial need and other 2-8 appropriate factors. 2-9 (b) Each approved institution shall award the grants 2-10 allocated to the institution according to the standards and 2-11 applicable procedures prescribed by the coordinating board. 2-12 Sec. 56.227. PAYMENT OF GRANT; AMOUNT. On receipt of a copy 2-13 of a student's grant application and certification from the 2-14 applicable institution that the student has been awarded a grant, 2-15 the coordinating board shall distribute the amount of the grant to 2-16 the institution for disbursement to the student. The amount of a 2-17 grant may not exceed the lesser of the student's documented 2-18 financial need or $2,000. 2-19 Sec. 56.228. ADOPTION AND DISTRIBUTION OF RULES. (a) The 2-20 coordinating board shall adopt rules to administer this subchapter. 2-21 (b) The coordinating board shall distribute to each 2-22 institution of higher education copies of all rules adopted under 2-23 this subchapter. 2-24 Sec. 56.229. FUNDING. (a) The coordinating board may 2-25 accept gifts and grants from any public or private source for the 2-26 purposes of this subchapter. 2-27 (b) Texas-Washington, D.C., Intern Grants are payable from 2-28 gifts, grants, and funds appropriated by the legislature. 2-29 SECTION 2. (a) This Act takes effect September 1, 1997. 2-30 (b) The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board shall make 2-31 grants under the Texas-Washington, D.C., Intern Scholarship Program 2-32 beginning when the coordinating board determines sufficient funds 2-33 are available to provide a reasonable number of grants, but not 2-34 earlier than the 1998 spring semester. 2-35 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the 2-36 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 2-37 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 2-38 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 2-39 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended. 2-40 * * * * *