By Dunnam H.B. No. 2867 76R5355 CAG-D 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 an institution 1-10 of higher education to use any funds appropriated to the 1-11 institution or that the institution may use for the award of 1-12 scholarships or grants to match, in whole or in part, any 1-13 nonathletic scholarship or grant offer, including an offer of the 1-14 payment of tuition, fees, room and board, or a stipend, received by 1-15 a graduate of a Texas public or private high school from an 1-16 out-of-state institution of higher education. 1-17 (b) The board shall: 1-18 (1) encourage private or independent institutions of 1-19 higher education to direct available scholarship funds to match 1-20 scholarship or grant offers by out-of-state institutions as 1-21 described by Subsection (a); and 1-22 (2) give preferences in awarding tuition equalization 1-23 grants under Subchapter F to students who receive a scholarship or 1-24 grant offer from an out-of-state institution. 2-1 (c) In adopting rules under this section, the board may not 2-2 require an institution to match a scholarship or grant offer. 2-3 SECTION 2. (a) The Texas Higher Education Coordinating 2-4 Board shall adopt rules relating to matching scholarships as 2-5 provided by Section 61.086, Education Code, as added by this Act, 2-6 not later than September 1, 1999. 2-7 (b) Not later than December 31, 2000, the Texas Higher 2-8 Education Coordinating Board shall report on the initial 2-9 implementation of this Act. The report shall include a description 2-10 of the number of Texas high school students who leave the state to 2-11 attend out-of-state institutions of higher education and a 2-12 description of any method used to retain Texas students at Texas 2-13 institutions of higher education. The coordinating board shall 2-14 deliver the report to the presiding officer of the standing 2-15 committee on higher education in each house of the legislature. 2-16 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the 2-17 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 2-18 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 2-19 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 2-20 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended, 2-21 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its 2-22 passage, and it is so enacted.