78R9633 JSA-F

By:  Ratliff                                                      S.B. No. 1876



A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the conditional grant program administered by the Texas 
Department of Transportation.
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:                        
	SECTION 1.  Section 56.141(4), Education Code, is amended to 
read as follows:
		(4)  "Eligible profession" means the profession of 
engineering or another profession as defined [identified] by [the] 
department rule for which the department determines there is a need
[as having a significant statistical underrepresentation of 
minorities or women] in the department's workforce.
	SECTION 2.  Section 56.142(a), Education Code, is amended to 
read as follows:
	(a)  The department shall establish and administer a 
conditional grant program under this subchapter to provide 
financial assistance to eligible [women and minority] students who 
agree to work for the department in an eligible profession for the 
two academic years immediately following the date of the student's 
receipt of an eligible degree.
	SECTION 3.  Section 56.143, Education Code, is amended to 
read as follows:   
	Sec. 56.143.  ELIGIBLE STUDENT.  To be eligible for a 
conditional grant under this subchapter, a student must:
		(1)  complete and file with the department, on forms 
prescribed by the department, a conditional grant application and a 
declaration of intent to become a member of an eligible profession 
and work for the department for the two academic years immediately 
following the date of the student's receipt of an eligible degree;
		(2)  enroll in an institution;                                                
		(3)  be a Texas resident, as defined by Texas Higher 
Education Coordinating Board rule;
		(4)  be economically disadvantaged [a minority], as 
defined by department rule[, or a woman]; and
		(5)  have complied with any other requirements adopted 
by the department under this subchapter.
	SECTION 4.  Section 56.147, Education Code, is amended by 
reenacting and amending Subsection (b), as amended by Chapters 151 
and 165, Acts of the 74th Legislature, Regular Session, 1995, and by 
adding Subsection (c) to read as follows:
	(b)  The department shall issue not less than $400,000 
annually in conditional grants under this subchapter from money 
available to fund the conditional grant program [gifts, grants, and 
funds described by Subsection (a)].
	(c)  The department may provide outreach programs to recruit 
students into the conditional grant program.
	SECTION 5.  (a) This Act takes effect September 1, 2003.                       
	(b)  The change in law made by this Act does not affect the 
eligibility of a person awarded a grant under Subchapter I, Chapter 
56, Education Code, before the effective date of this Act to receive 
the grant or to participate in the conditional grant program under 
Subchapter I, Chapter 56, Education Code, as that subchapter 
existed when the person was awarded the grant, and the former law is 
continued in effect for that person.