1-1 By: Ellis, et al. S.B. No. 37
1-2 (In the Senate - Filed November 9, 1998; January 26, 1999,
1-3 read first time and referred to Committee on Education;
1-4 March 23, 1999, reported adversely, with favorable Committee
1-5 Substitute by the following vote: Yeas 8, Nays 0; March 23, 1999,
1-6 sent to printer.)
1-7 COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 37 By: West
1-8 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-9 AN ACT
1-10 relating to student financial aid, including the consolidation or
1-11 repeal of student aid, grant, and scholarship programs and the
1-12 creation of scholarship or grant programs to provide financial
1-13 assistance to students at institutions of higher education who meet
1-14 certain academic, citizenship, financial need, and other
1-15 requirements.
1-16 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-17 SECTION 1. Chapter 56, Education Code, is amended by adding
1-18 Subchapter M to read as follows:
1-19 SUBCHAPTER M. TEXAS HOPE SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM AND TEACH
1-20 FOR TEXAS GRANT PROGRAM
1-21 Sec. 56.301. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter:
1-22 (1) "Coordinating board" means the Texas Higher
1-23 Education Coordinating Board.
1-24 (2) "Eligible institution" means:
1-25 (A) an institution of higher education; or
1-26 (B) a private or independent institution of
1-27 higher education.
1-28 (3) "Private or independent institution of higher
1-29 education," "public junior college," and "public technical
1-30 institute" have the meanings assigned by Section 61.003.
1-31 Sec. 56.302. PROGRAM NAME; PURPOSE. (a) The student
1-32 financial assistance program authorized by this subchapter is known
1-33 as the Texas Hope Scholarship Program, and an individual
1-34 scholarship awarded under this subchapter is known as a Texas Hope
1-35 scholarship.
1-36 (b) The purpose of this subchapter is to provide a grant of
1-37 money to enable qualified students to attend public and private
1-38 institutions of higher education in this state.
1-39 Sec. 56.303. ADMINISTRATION OF PROGRAMS. (a) The
1-40 coordinating board shall administer the Texas Hope Scholarship
1-41 Program and the Teach for Texas Grant Program and shall adopt any
1-42 rules necessary to implement the programs or this subchapter.
1-43 (b) The coordinating board shall adopt rules to provide a
1-44 Texas Hope scholarship to an eligible student enrolled in an
1-45 eligible institution of higher education in the most efficient
1-46 manner possible.
1-47 (c) The total amount of Texas Hope scholarships awarded may
1-48 not exceed the amount available for the program from
1-49 appropriations, gifts, grants, or other funds.
1-50 (d) In determining who should receive a Texas Hope
1-51 scholarship, the coordinating board shall give highest priority to
1-52 awarding scholarships to students who demonstrate the greatest
1-53 financial need.
1-54 Sec. 56.304. ELIGIBLE PERSON. (a) To be eligible initially
1-55 for a Texas Hope scholarship, a person must:
1-56 (1) be a resident of this state as determined by
1-57 coordinating board rules;
1-58 (2) have graduated from a public high school in this
1-59 state not earlier than the 1998-1999 school year and have completed
1-60 the recommended or advanced high school curriculum established
1-61 under Section 28.002 or 28.025;
1-62 (3) meet financial need requirements as defined by the
1-63 coordinating board;
1-64 (4) be from a low or middle income family, as
2-1 determined by the coordinating board;
2-2 (5) be enrolled in an undergraduate degree or
2-3 certificate program at an eligible institution;
2-4 (6) enroll for at least three-fourths of a full course
2-5 load as an entering freshman in an undergraduate degree or
2-6 certificate program not later than the 16th month after the month
2-7 of the person's graduation from a high school in this state;
2-8 (7) have applied for any available financial aid or
2-9 assistance; and
2-10 (8) comply with any other requirement adopted by the
2-11 coordinating board under this subchapter.
2-12 (b) A person is not eligible to receive a Texas Hope
2-13 scholarship if the person has been granted a baccalaureate degree.
2-14 (c) A person may not receive a Texas Hope scholarship for
2-15 more than 150 semester credit hours or the equivalent.
2-16 (d) A person's eligibility for a Texas Hope scholarship ends
2-17 on the sixth anniversary of the person's initial enrollment in an
2-18 eligible institution.
2-19 (e) A person is not eligible to receive a Texas Hope
2-20 scholarship if the person has been convicted of a felony, a crime
2-21 involving moral turpitude, or an offense under Chapter 481, Health
2-22 and Safety Code (Texas Controlled Substances Act), or under the law
2-23 of any other jurisdiction involving a controlled substance as
2-24 defined by Chapter 481, Health and Safety Code, unless the person
2-25 has met the other applicable eligibility requirements under this
2-26 subchapter and has:
2-27 (1) received a certificate of discharge by the Texas
2-28 Department of Criminal Justice or a correctional facility or
2-29 completed a period of probation ordered by a court, and at least
2-30 two years have elapsed from the date of the receipt or completion;
2-31 or
2-32 (2) been pardoned, had the record of the offense
2-33 expunged from the person's record, or otherwise been released from
2-34 the resulting ineligibility to receive a Texas Hope scholarship.
2-35 Sec. 56.305. ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS. (a) After
2-36 initially qualifying for a Texas Hope scholarship, a person may
2-37 continue to receive a Texas Hope scholarship during each semester
2-38 or term in which the person is enrolled at an eligible institution
2-39 only if the person:
2-40 (1) meets financial need requirements as defined by
2-41 the coordinating board;
2-42 (2) is enrolled in an undergraduate degree or
2-43 certificate program at an eligible institution;
2-44 (3) is enrolled for at least three-fourths of a full
2-45 course load in the person's undergraduate degree or certificate
2-46 program;
2-47 (4) makes satisfactory academic progress toward an
2-48 undergraduate degree or certificate; and
2-49 (5) complies with any other requirement adopted by the
2-50 coordinating board.
2-51 (b) If a person fails to meet any of the requirements of
2-52 Subsection (a) after the completion of any semester or term, the
2-53 person may not receive a Texas Hope scholarship under this
2-54 subchapter during the next semester or term in which the person
2-55 enrolls. A person may become eligible to receive a scholarship in
2-56 a subsequent semester or term if the person:
2-57 (1) completes a semester or term during which the
2-58 student is not eligible for a scholarship; and
2-59 (2) meets all the requirements of Subsection (a).
2-60 (c) For purposes of this section, a person makes
2-61 satisfactory academic progress toward an undergraduate degree or
2-62 certificate if the person:
2-63 (1) completed at least nine semester credit hours or
2-64 75 percent of a full course load in the person's most recent
2-65 semester or term; and
2-66 (2) has earned an overall grade point average of at
2-67 least 2.5 on a four-point scale or the equivalent on course work
2-68 previously attempted at institutions of higher education.
2-69 Sec. 56.306. SCHOLARSHIP USE. (a) A person receiving a
3-1 Texas Hope scholarship may use the money for any usual and
3-2 customary cost of attendance at an institution incurred by the
3-3 student if the student is a first semester college student or the
3-4 student maintains a 3.0 grade point average or greater. The
3-5 institution may disburse all or part of the proceeds of a
3-6 scholarship to an eligible person only if the tuition and required
3-7 fees incurred by the person at the institution have been paid.
3-8 (b) A person receiving a Texas Hope scholarship must use the
3-9 money for payment of tuition, fees, or textbooks at an institution
3-10 if the student maintains a grade point average of 2.5 or greater
3-11 but less than 3.0.
3-12 Sec. 56.307. SCHOLARSHIP AMOUNT. (a) The amount of a Texas
3-13 Hope scholarship for a semester or term for a person enrolled in an
3-14 eligible institution other than an institution covered by
3-15 Subsection (b), (c), or (d) is the amount per semester hour
3-16 determined by the coordinating board as the average statewide
3-17 amount of tuition and required fees per semester hour that a
3-18 resident student enrolled full-time in a baccalaureate degree
3-19 program would be charged for that semester or term at general
3-20 academic institutions for the number of semester hours the person
3-21 receiving the scholarship is enrolled.
3-22 (b) The amount of a Texas Hope scholarship for a student
3-23 enrolled at a private or independent institution of higher
3-24 education is the amount determined by the coordinating board as the
3-25 average statewide amount of tuition and required fees per semester
3-26 hour that a resident student enrolled full-time in a baccalaureate
3-27 degree program would be charged for that semester or term at
3-28 general academic institutions for the number of semester hours the
3-29 person receiving the scholarship is enrolled.
3-30 (c) The amount of a Texas Hope scholarship for a student
3-31 enrolled at a public technical institute is the amount determined
3-32 by the coordinating board as the average statewide amount of
3-33 tuition and required fees per semester hour that a resident student
3-34 enrolled full-time would be charged for that semester or term at
3-35 public technical institutes for the number of semester hours the
3-36 person receiving the scholarship is enrolled.
3-37 (d) The amount of a Texas Hope scholarship for a student
3-38 enrolled at a public junior college is the amount per semester hour
3-39 determined by the coordinating board as the average statewide
3-40 amount of tuition and required fees per semester hour that a
3-41 student who is a resident of the junior college district and is
3-42 enrolled full-time would be charged for that semester or term at
3-43 public junior colleges for the number of semester hours the person
3-44 receiving the scholarship is enrolled.
3-45 (e) The amount of a Texas Hope scholarship may not be
3-46 reduced by any gift aid for which the person is eligible, unless
3-47 the total amount of a person's scholarship plus any gift aid
3-48 received exceeds the total cost of attendance at an eligible
3-49 institution.
3-50 (f) The coordinating board shall publish, not later than
3-51 January 31 of each year, the amount of a scholarship per semester
3-52 hour for each type of institution covered by this section for the
3-53 academic year beginning the next fall semester.
3-54 Sec. 56.308. NOTIFICATION OF PROGRAM TO STUDENTS AND HIGH
3-55 SCHOOLS. (a) The coordinating board shall distribute to each
3-56 eligible institution and to each school district a copy of the
3-57 rules adopted under this subchapter.
3-58 (b) Each school district shall:
3-59 (1) notify its students of the scholarship program and
3-60 the eligibility requirements of the program; and
3-61 (2) ensure that each student's official transcript or
3-62 diploma indicates whether the student has completed or is on
3-63 schedule to complete the high school curriculum required for
3-64 scholarship eligibility under Section 56.304(a)(2).
3-65 (c) The information required by Subsection (b)(2) must be
3-66 included on a student's transcript not later than the end of the
3-67 student's junior year.
3-68 Sec. 56.309. TEACH FOR TEXAS GRANT PROGRAM. (a) A Teach
3-69 for Texas tuition grant is available only to a person who receives
4-1 a Texas Hope scholarship, applies for a grant, and is enrolled as a
4-2 junior or senior in a baccalaureate degree program if:
4-3 (1) the degree program is in a teaching field
4-4 certified by the commissioner of education as experiencing a
4-5 critical shortage of teachers in this state in the year in which
4-6 the person begins the degree program; or
4-7 (2) the person agrees to teach in a public school in
4-8 this state in a community, which is not required to be specifically
4-9 designated at the time the person receives the grant, certified by
4-10 the commissioner of education as experiencing a critical shortage
4-11 of teachers in any year in which the person receives a grant or in
4-12 any subsequent year in which the person fulfills the teaching
4-13 obligation.
4-14 (b) To receive a Teach for Texas tuition grant, a person
4-15 must agree to teach full-time for five years at the preschool,
4-16 primary, or secondary level in a public school in this state in the
4-17 person's chosen critical field or in a community experiencing a
4-18 critical teacher shortage, as applicable.
4-19 (c) The amount of a grant under this section is equal to
4-20 double the amount of a scholarship authorized under Section
4-21 56.307(b) for the same semester or term. A person may receive both
4-22 a Texas Hope scholarship and a grant under this section for the
4-23 same semester or term.
4-24 (d) The person must begin fulfilling the teaching obligation
4-25 of this section not later than the 18th month after the person
4-26 completes the degree program and any related courses required for
4-27 teacher certification, unless the coordinating board grants the
4-28 person additional time to begin fulfilling the teaching obligation.
4-29 The period within which the person must complete the teaching
4-30 obligation is six years after the date of beginning to fulfill the
4-31 teaching obligation. The coordinating board shall grant a person
4-32 additional time to complete the teaching obligation for good cause.
4-33 (e) The coordinating board shall cancel a person's teaching
4-34 obligation if the board determines that the person:
4-35 (1) has become permanently disabled so that the person
4-36 is not able to teach; or
4-37 (2) has died.
4-38 (f) The coordinating board shall require a person who
4-39 receives a grant under this section to sign a promissory note
4-40 acknowledging the conditional nature of the grant and promising to
4-41 repay the amount of the grant plus applicable interest and
4-42 reasonable collection costs if the person does not satisfy the
4-43 applicable conditions. The board shall determine the terms of the
4-44 promissory note.
4-45 (g) The amount required to be repaid by a person who fails
4-46 to complete the teaching obligation of the person's grant shall be
4-47 determined in proportion to the portion of the teaching obligation
4-48 that the person has satisfied.
4-49 (h) A person receiving a Teach for Texas tuition grant is
4-50 considered to have failed to satisfy the conditions of the grant,
4-51 and the grant automatically becomes a loan, if the person fails to
4-52 remain enrolled in or to make steady progress in the degree program
4-53 for which the grant was made without good cause as determined by
4-54 the coordinating board or the person fails to become certified as a
4-55 teacher within 18 months of receiving a degree.
4-56 Sec. 56.310. FUNDING. (a) The coordinating board may
4-57 accept gifts and grants from any public or private source for the
4-58 purposes of this subchapter.
4-59 (b) The legislature may appropriate money for the purposes
4-60 of this subchapter.
4-61 SECTION 2. Subsection (a), Section 54.064, Education Code,
4-62 is amended to read as follows:
4-63 (a) A student who holds a competitive academic scholarship
4-64 of at least $1,000 for the academic year or summer for which the
4-65 student is enrolled and who is either a nonresident or a citizen of
4-66 a country other than the United States of America is entitled to
4-67 pay the fees and charges required of Texas residents without regard
4-68 to the length of time the student has resided in Texas. The
4-69 student must compete with other students, including Texas
5-1 residents, for the academic scholarship and the academic
5-2 scholarship must be awarded by a scholarship committee officially
5-3 recognized by the administration and be approved by the Texas
5-4 Higher Education Coordinating Board under criteria developed by the
5-5 board.
5-6 SECTION 3. Subsection (a), Section 54.203, Education Code,
5-7 is amended to read as follows:
5-8 (a) The governing board of each institution of higher
5-9 education shall exempt the following persons from the payment of
5-10 all dues, fees, and charges, including fees for correspondence
5-11 courses but excluding property deposit fees, student services fees,
5-12 and any fees or charges for lodging, board, or clothing, provided
5-13 the persons seeking the exemptions were citizens of Texas at the
5-14 time they entered the services indicated and have resided in Texas
5-15 for at least the period of 12 months before the date of
5-16 registration:
5-17 (1) all nurses and honorably discharged members of the
5-18 armed forces of the United States who served during the
5-19 Spanish-American War or during World War I;
5-20 (2) all nurses, members of the Women's Army Auxiliary
5-21 Corps, members of the Women's Auxiliary Volunteer Emergency
5-22 Service, and all honorably discharged members of the armed forces
5-23 of the United States who served during World War II except those
5-24 who were discharged from service because they were over the age of
5-25 38 or because of a personal request on the part of the person that
5-26 he be discharged from service;
5-27 (3) all honorably discharged men and women of the
5-28 armed forces of the United States who served during the national
5-29 emergency which began on June 27, 1950, and which is referred to as
5-30 the Korean War; and
5-31 (4) all persons who were honorably discharged from the
5-32 armed forces of the United States after serving on active military
5-33 duty, excluding training, for more than 180 days and who served a
5-34 portion of their active duty during:
5-35 (A) [the Cold War which began on the date of the
5-36 termination of the national emergency cited in Subdivision (3) of
5-37 this subsection;]
5-38 [(B)] the Vietnam era which began on December
5-39 21, 1961, and ended on May 7, 1975;
5-40 (B) [(C)] the Grenada and Lebanon era which
5-41 began on August 24, 1982, and ended on July 31, 1984;
5-42 (C) [(D)] the Panama era which began on December
5-43 20, 1989, and ended on January 21, 1990;
5-44 (D) [(E)] the Persian Gulf War which began on
5-45 August 2, 1990, and ends on the date thereafter prescribed by
5-46 Presidential proclamation or September 1, 1997, whichever occurs
5-47 first; or
5-48 (E) [(F)] any future national emergency declared
5-49 in accordance with federal law.
5-50 SECTION 4. Subsection (c), Section 54.5021, Education Code,
5-51 is amended to read as follows:
5-52 (c) Not later than August 31 of each fiscal year, each
5-53 institution of higher education that has an unobligated and
5-54 unexpended balance in its student deposit fund that exceeds 150
5-55 percent of the total deposits to that fund during that year shall
5-56 remit to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board the amount
5-57 of that excess. The coordinating board shall allocate on an
5-58 equitable basis amounts received under this subsection to
5-59 institutions of higher education that do not have an excess
5-60 described by this subsection for deposit in their student deposit
5-61 fund. The amount allocated under this subsection may be used only
5-62 for making scholarship and grant awards under Subchapter M, Chapter
5-63 56 [to needy and deserving students under this section].
5-64 SECTION 5. Subsection (a), Section 56.033, Education Code,
5-65 is amended to read as follows:
5-66 (a) The governing boards of institutions of higher education
5-67 and the Texas State Technical College System shall cause to be set
5-68 aside:
5-69 (1) five [for the 1991-1992 academic year, not less
6-1 than nine percent nor more than 15] percent out of each resident
6-2 student's tuition charge under Section 54.051, except as provided
6-3 by Subdivision (2) [of this code as provided by the General
6-4 Appropriations Act for the applicable academic year];
6-5 (2) 15 percent out of each resident student's tuition
6-6 charge at a medical or dental unit under Section 54.051 [for the
6-7 1992-1993 academic year and each subsequent academic year, not less
6-8 than 15 percent nor more than 20 percent out of each resident
6-9 student's tuition charge under Section 54.051 of this code as
6-10 provided by the General Appropriations Act for the applicable
6-11 academic year; in specifying the percentage to be set aside for the
6-12 1991-1992 and 1992-1993 academic years, the legislature shall
6-13 consider the recommendations of the Select Committee on Higher
6-14 Education established by H.C.R. No. 105, Acts of the 69th
6-15 Legislature, Regular Session, 1985];
6-16 (3) three percent out of each nonresident student's
6-17 tuition charge under Section 54.051 [of this code];
6-18 (4) three [six] percent out of each resident student's
6-19 hourly tuition charge, and $1.50 out of each nonresident student's
6-20 hourly tuition charge, for academic courses at public community and
6-21 junior colleges; and
6-22 (5) three [six] percent of hourly tuition charges for
6-23 vocational-technical courses at public community and junior
6-24 colleges.
6-25 SECTION 6. Subchapter C, Chapter 56, Education Code, is
6-26 amended by adding Section 56.0331 to read as follows:
6-27 Sec. 56.0331. INTERIM SET-ASIDE RATES. (a) For the
6-28 academic years listed in Subsections (b) and (c), the amounts of
6-29 tuition set aside under Sections 56.033(a)(1), (4), and (5) are as
6-30 provided by this section instead of as provided by Sections
6-31 56.033(a)(1), (4), and (5).
6-32 (b) The amount set aside under Section 56.033(a)(1) is:
6-33 (1) 1999-2000 academic year--12.5 percent;
6-34 (2) 2000-2001 academic year--10 percent; and
6-35 (3) 2001-2002 academic year--7.5 percent.
6-36 (c) The amount set aside under Sections 56.033(a)(4) and (5)
6-37 is:
6-38 (1) 1999-2000 academic year--5 percent; and
6-39 (2) 2000-2001 academic year--4 percent.
6-40 (d) Subsection (c) does not affect the amount set aside out
6-41 of each nonresident student's hourly tuition charge under Section
6-42 56.033(a)(4).
6-43 (e) This section expires September 1, 2003.
6-44 SECTION 7. Section 56.039, Education Code, is amended to
6-45 read as follows:
6-46 Sec. 56.039. FULL USE OF FUNDS. At the end of a fiscal
6-47 year, if the total amount of unencumbered funds that have been set
6-48 aside under this subchapter by an institution of higher education,
6-49 together with the total amount of unencumbered funds transferred by
6-50 that institution to the Coordinating Board, Texas College and
6-51 University System, exceeds 150 percent of the amount of funds set
6-52 aside by that institution in that fiscal year, the institution
6-53 shall transfer the excess amount to the coordinating board. The
6-54 coordinating board shall use funds transferred under this section
6-55 to award scholarships and grants under Subchapter M [as provided by
6-56 law to students at institutions other than the institution that
6-57 transferred the funds].
6-58 SECTION 8. Section 151.423, Tax Code, is amended to read as
6-59 follows:
6-60 Sec. 151.423. REIMBURSEMENT TO TAXPAYER FOR TAX COLLECTIONS.
6-61 A taxpayer may deduct and withhold one-half of one percent of the
6-62 amount of taxes due from the taxpayer on a timely return as
6-63 reimbursement for the cost of collecting the taxes imposed by this
6-64 chapter. The comptroller shall provide a card with each form
6-65 distributed for the collection of taxes under this chapter. The
6-66 card may be inserted by the taxpayer with the tax payment to
6-67 provide for contribution of all or part of the reimbursement
6-68 provided by this section for use as scholarships or grants [student
6-69 financial assistance grants offered] under Subchapter M, Chapter
7-1 56, Education Code. If the taxpayer chooses to contribute the
7-2 reimbursement for the scholarships or grants [student grants], the
7-3 taxpayer shall include the amount of the reimbursement contribution
7-4 with the tax payment. The comptroller shall transfer money
7-5 contributed under this section for scholarships or grants under
7-6 Subchapter M, Chapter 56, Education Code, [student grants] to the
7-7 appropriate fund.
7-8 SECTION 9. Sections 54.207, 54.208, and 54.216, Education
7-9 Code, are repealed.
7-10 SECTION 10. Subchapters F, G, and J, Chapter 56, Education
7-11 Code, are repealed effective June 1, 1999.
7-12 SECTION 11. Any money appropriated to or collected for a
7-13 program abolished under Section 9 or 10 of this Act or that exists
7-14 in any account to support a program abolished under Section 9 or 10
7-15 of this Act, including the Texas New Horizons Scholarship Trust
7-16 Fund, is transferred to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating
7-17 Board for use in the Texas Hope Scholarship Program and the Teach
7-18 for Texas Grant Program.
7-19 SECTION 12. (a) Except as provided by Subsection (b) of
7-20 this section, the change in law made by this Act to Section 54.203,
7-21 Education Code, applies only to a person who enrolls in an
7-22 institution of higher education on or after the effective date of
7-23 this Act.
7-24 (b) A person enrolled in an institution of higher education
7-25 who received an exemption under Section 54.203, Education Code,
7-26 before the effective date of this Act is covered by the law in
7-27 effect January 1, 1999, and that former law is continued in effect
7-28 for that purpose until the fourth anniversary of the effective date
7-29 of this Act. After that fourth anniversary, the person is subject
7-30 to Section 54.203, Education Code, in the same manner as any other
7-31 person.
7-32 SECTION 13. A person receiving financial aid under
7-33 Subchapter G or J, Chapter 56, Education Code, on the effective
7-34 date of this Act may continue to receive financial aid under those
7-35 subchapters until the person is no longer eligible to receive any
7-36 financial aid under Subchapter G or J, Chapter 56, Education Code,
7-37 as appropriate, as those subchapters exist on January 1, 1999.
7-38 Funding for financial aid under this section shall come from
7-39 funding for the Texas Hope Scholarship Program and the Teach for
7-40 Texas Grant Program.
7-41 SECTION 14. (a) The Texas Higher Education Coordinating
7-42 Board shall award scholarships and grants under the Texas Hope
7-43 Scholarship Program and the Teach for Texas Grant Program beginning
7-44 with the 1999 fall semester.
7-45 (b) The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board shall
7-46 adopt the rules for awarding scholarships and grants under the
7-47 Texas Hope Scholarship Program and the Teach for Texas Grant
7-48 Program not later than July 31, 1999.
7-49 (c) The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board may award
7-50 a grant under the Teach for Texas Grant Program to a person who has
7-51 not received a Texas Hope scholarship if the person meets all the
7-52 other qualifications for the award of a Teach for Texas tuition
7-53 grant under Section 56.309, Education Code, as added by this Act,
7-54 and the requirements for a Texas Hope scholarship under Section
7-55 56.305, Education Code, as added by this Act. This subsection
7-56 expires September 1, 2001.
7-57 SECTION 15. (a) Subdivision (2), Subsection (a), Section
7-58 56.304, Education Code, as added by this Act, does not apply to a
7-59 person if the person:
7-60 (1) attended a high school that the State Board of
7-61 Education determines did not offer all the necessary courses of the
7-62 recommended or advanced curriculum; and
7-63 (2) completed all other courses in the recommended or
7-64 advanced curriculum offered by the high school when the person
7-65 attended.
7-66 (b) This section expires September 1, 2001.
7-67 SECTION 16. The importance of this legislation and the
7-68 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
7-69 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
8-1 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
8-2 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
8-3 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
8-4 passage, and it is so enacted.
8-5 * * * * *