1-1 By: Ellis S.B. No. 1057 1-2 (In the Senate - Filed March 2, 2001; March 6, 2001, read 1-3 first time and referred to Committee on Education; March 26, 2001, 1-4 reported favorably by the following vote: Yeas 9, Nays 0; 1-5 March 26, 2001, sent to printer.) 1-6 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-7 AN ACT 1-8 relating to the administration of the TEXAS grant program and to 1-9 the dissemination of student financial aid information. 1-10 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-11 SECTION 1. Subsection (e), Section 56.304, Education Code, 1-12 is amended to read as follows: 1-13 (e) A person's eligibility for a TEXAS grant ends on the 1-14 sixth anniversary of the initial award of a TEXAS grant to the 1-15 person and the person's enrollment in an eligible institution, 1-16 unless the person is provided additional time during which the 1-17 person may receive a TEXAS grant under this subsection. The 1-18 coordinating board shall adopt rules to provide a person who is 1-19 otherwise eligible to receive a TEXAS grant additional time during 1-20 which the person may receive a TEXAS grant in the event of a 1-21 hardship or other good cause shown that prevents the person from 1-22 continuing the person's enrollment during the period the person 1-23 would otherwise have been eligible to receive a TEXAS grant, 1-24 including a showing of a severe illness or other debilitating 1-25 condition or that the person is or was responsible for the care of 1-26 a sick, injured, or needy person. 1-27 SECTION 2. Section 61.0776, Education Code, is amended by 1-28 adding Subsection (f) to read as follows: 1-29 (f) The board and the commissioner of education shall 1-30 develop a plan or set of recommendations to ensure that information 1-31 on the TEXAS grant program and other financial aid information 1-32 described by Subsection (a) is adequately publicized to prospective 1-33 students and financial aid recipients and their parents and to 1-34 school counselors, student financial aid offices, and other 1-35 appropriate entities. The board and the commissioner of education 1-36 shall report the results of the study and the plan or 1-37 recommendations to the legislature not later than October 1, 2002. 1-38 This subsection expires January 1, 2003. 1-39 SECTION 3. (a) This Act takes effect immediately if it 1-40 receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each 1-41 house, as provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. 1-42 If this Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate 1-43 effect, this Act takes effect September 1, 2001. 1-44 (b) The change in law made by this Act relating to the 1-45 eligibility of a person to receive a TEXAS grant applies beginning 1-46 with students who demonstrate eligibility to receive a grant for 1-47 the 2001-2002 academic year. 1-48 * * * * *