By Dunnam, Rangel, Farabee H.B. No. 2867 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to a program that allows institutions of higher education 1-3 in Texas to match a scholarship offered to Texas students by 1-4 out-of-state institutions. 1-5 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-6 SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 61, Education Code, is 1-7 amended by adding Section 61.086 to read as follows: 1-8 Sec. 61.086. MATCHING SCHOLARSHIPS TO RETAIN STUDENTS IN 1-9 TEXAS. (a) The board shall adopt rules that allow a public or 1-10 private or independent institution of higher education to use any 1-11 funds appropriated to the institution or that the institution may 1-12 use for the award of scholarships or grants to match, in whole or 1-13 in part, any nonathletic scholarship or grant offer, including an 1-14 offer of the payment of tuition, fees, room and board, or a 1-15 stipend, received by a graduate of a Texas public or private high 1-16 school from an out-of-state institution of higher education. 1-17 (b) In adopting rules under this section, the board may not 1-18 require an institution to match a scholarship or grant offer. 1-19 SECTION 2. (a) The Texas Higher Education Coordinating 1-20 Board shall adopt rules relating to matching scholarships as 1-21 provided by Section 61.086, Education Code, as added by this Act, 1-22 not later than September 1, 1999. 1-23 (b) Not later than December 31, 2000, the Texas Higher 1-24 Education Coordinating Board shall report on the initial 2-1 implementation of this Act. The report shall include a description 2-2 of the number of Texas high school students who leave the state to 2-3 attend out-of-state institutions of higher education and a 2-4 description of any method used to retain Texas students at Texas 2-5 institutions of higher education. The coordinating board shall 2-6 deliver the report to the presiding officer of the standing 2-7 committee on higher education in each house of the legislature. 2-8 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the 2-9 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 2-10 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 2-11 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 2-12 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended, 2-13 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its 2-14 passage, and it is so enacted.