By Wilson                                             H.B. No. 1445
         76R6280 JSA-D                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to financial assistance for certain intercollegiate
 1-3     athletes.
 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-5           SECTION 1.  Chapter 56, Education Code, is amended by adding
 1-6     Subchapter M to read as follows:
 1-7             SUBCHAPTER M.  TEXAS INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETE GRANTS
 1-8           Sec. 56.251.  DEFINITION.  In this subchapter, "program"
 1-9     means the Texas Intercollegiate Athlete Grant Program at an
1-10     institution of higher education.
1-11           Sec. 56.252.  PROGRAM ESTABLISHMENT.  (a)  The governing
1-12     board of an institution of higher education may establish a Texas
1-13     Intercollegiate Athlete Grant Program to provide grants to students
1-14     enrolled at the institution.  The institution's financial aid
1-15     office shall administer the program.
1-16           (b)  The governing board may adopt rules providing
1-17     application procedures for a grant under this subchapter.
1-18           Sec. 56.253.  GRANTS.  The program must provide a grant to a
1-19     qualified student in an amount determined by the governing board of
1-20     the institution establishing the program not to exceed $200 a month
1-21     for the period for which the grant is made.
1-22           Sec. 56.254.  PROGRAM FUNDING.  (a)  The governing board of
1-23     the institution establishing a program shall set aside each
1-24     academic year not less than five percent or more than 10 percent of
 2-1     the institution's total receipts from athletic activities to be
 2-2     used only for grants awarded to students under this subchapter.
 2-3           (b)  A grant provided under this subchapter to a student may
 2-4     not be considered in determining whether the student is entitled to
 2-5     other athletic scholarship aid, including aid for tuition, fees,
 2-6     room, board, or books.
 2-7           Sec. 56.255.  ELIGIBILITY.  To be eligible to receive a grant
 2-8     under this subchapter, a student must:
 2-9                 (1)  be enrolled in the institution awarding the grant;
2-10     and
2-11                 (2)  be a recipient of an athletic scholarship awarded
2-12     by the institution during the period for which the grant is to be
2-13     awarded.
2-14           Sec. 56.256.  LIMITATIONS ON GRANTS.  A grant awarded under
2-15     this subchapter terminates if the student awarded the grant:
2-16                 (1)  becomes ineligible to receive the grant;
2-17                 (2)  becomes ineligible to receive the student's
2-18     athletic scholarship; or
2-19                 (3)  ceases to participate in appropriate, scheduled
2-20     athletic activities of the institution awarding the grant.
2-21           SECTION 2.  The importance of this legislation and the
2-22     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
2-23     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
2-24     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
2-25     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
2-26     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
2-27     passage, and it is so enacted.