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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to a pilot program to award scholarships to certain |
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correctional officers enrolled at Sam Houston State University. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter D, Chapter 54, Education Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 54.220 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 54.220. CORRECTIONAL OFFICER SCHOLARSHIPS. (a) In |
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this section: |
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(1) "Correctional officer" means a correctional |
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officer employed in a confinement facility operated by the Texas |
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Department of Criminal Justice. |
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(2) "Trust fund" means the correctional officer |
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scholarship trust fund. |
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(b) In each academic year, the Texas Higher Education |
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Coordinating Board shall establish a pilot program under which the |
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coordinating board awards scholarships, in a number to be |
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determined by the coordinating board after reviewing the total |
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amount of money available to the trust fund, to eligible persons |
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attending Sam Houston State University. A scholarship recipient |
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may use a scholarship to pay the tuition and fees required to attend |
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the university. The amount of a scholarship shall be determined by |
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the coordinating board, not to exceed the amount of tuition and |
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required fees paid by the scholarship recipient to enroll in nine |
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semester credit hours at the university during each semester or |
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summer session for which the scholarship is awarded. |
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(c) If the number of eligible applicants exceeds the number |
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of scholarships available in an academic year, the coordinating |
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board shall give priority to applicants with the greatest financial |
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need. |
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(d) To be eligible for a scholarship under this section, a |
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person must: |
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(1) be classified as a Texas resident under Subchapter |
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B; |
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(2) be enrolled in a baccalaureate degree program at |
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Sam Houston State University; |
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(3) establish financial need as determined by |
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coordinating board rule; |
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(4) maintain good academic standing as determined by |
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coordinating board rule; |
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(5) have received an associate degree or certificate |
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from or have completed not less than 60 semester credit hours at an |
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institution of higher education in any state; |
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(6) be employed as a correctional officer during the |
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academic year for which the person receives the scholarship; |
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(7) agree to fulfill the correctional officer service |
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obligation of Subsection (e); and |
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(8) comply with any other requirements adopted by the |
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coordinating board under this section. |
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(e) For each increment of 36 semester credit hours for which |
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a person receives financial assistance under this section, the |
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person must agree to work full-time as a correctional officer for |
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one year after the person receives a baccalaureate degree from Sam |
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Houston State University. |
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(f) A scholarship recipient must fulfill the correctional |
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officer service obligation of Subsection (e) not later than the end |
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of a period equal to one year for each academic year for which the |
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person receives a scholarship under this section, beginning on the |
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60th day after the date on which the recipient is awarded a |
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baccalaureate degree by Sam Houston State University, unless the |
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coordinating board for good cause provides the recipient with |
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additional time to fulfill that obligation. |
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(g) A scholarship under this section is conditioned on the |
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recipient's maintenance of all qualifications provided by this |
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section and performance of the correctional officer service |
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obligation of Subsection (e). The scholarship is considered a loan |
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until the conditions of the scholarship are met. |
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(h) The coordinating board shall require a person who |
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receives a scholarship under this section to sign a promissory note |
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acknowledging the conditional nature of the scholarship and |
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promising to repay the amount of the scholarship plus applicable |
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interest and reasonable collection costs if the person does not |
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satisfy the conditions of the scholarship. The coordinating board |
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shall determine the terms of the promissory note. To the extent |
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practicable, the terms must be the same as those applicable to state |
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or federally guaranteed student loans made at the same time. All |
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amounts collected in repayment of a scholarship, including interest |
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but excluding collection costs paid by the coordinating board to |
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another person to collect or assist in collecting the amount, shall |
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be deposited to the credit of the trust fund. |
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(i) The coordinating board shall determine the amount |
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required to be repaid by a scholarship recipient who does not |
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complete the correctional officer service obligation of Subsection |
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(e) in proportion to the part of the obligation that the recipient |
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has not completed. |
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(j) A person who receives a scholarship under this section |
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is considered to have failed to satisfy the conditions of the |
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scholarship, and the scholarship automatically becomes a loan, if |
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the person fails to remain enrolled at Sam Houston State University |
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or to make satisfactory progress toward a baccalaureate degree at |
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the university without good cause as determined by the coordinating |
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board. The coordinating board shall adopt rules permitting a |
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scholarship recipient who transfers to another institution of |
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higher education to complete the correctional officer service |
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obligation in lieu of repayment of the loan after receiving a |
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baccalaureate degree from another institution of higher education |
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if the person remains continuously enrolled in an institution of |
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higher education until the person receives a baccalaureate degree. |
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(k) The coordinating board shall adopt rules as necessary |
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for the administration of this section, including rules relating to |
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the establishment of scholarships, the criteria for awarding a |
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scholarship, and the determination of eligibility. The |
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coordinating board shall distribute a copy of the rules adopted |
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under this subsection to Sam Houston State University and the Texas |
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Department of Criminal Justice. The department shall make |
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reasonable efforts to notify all correctional officers of the pilot |
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program. |
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(l) The coordinating board shall award scholarships under |
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this section from the amount available in the trust fund. The trust |
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fund is established outside the treasury but is held in trust by the |
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comptroller. Money in the trust fund may be spent without |
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appropriation and only to fund the pilot program. Interest and |
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income from the assets of the trust fund shall be credited to and |
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deposited in the trust fund. In each state fiscal year the |
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coordinating board may spend from the trust fund to cover the costs |
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of administering this section an amount not to exceed 2.5 percent of |
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the total amount of money deposited into the trust fund in that |
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fiscal year. |
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(m) The coordinating board may solicit and accept gifts and |
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grants from any public or private source for the purposes of this |
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section and shall deposit a gift or grant to the credit of the trust |
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fund. |
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(n) The legislature may appropriate money to the trust fund. |
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(o) The coordinating board shall evaluate the effectiveness |
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of the pilot program established under this section and report the |
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results of the evaluation to the legislature not later than |
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December 31 of each even-numbered year. |
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(p) The coordinating board may not award a scholarship under |
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this section after the 2013-2014 academic year. On January 1, 2015, |
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the trust fund is abolished and any amount remaining in the trust |
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fund shall be transferred to the general revenue fund. |
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SECTION 2. (a) The Texas Higher Education Coordinating |
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Board shall adopt rules for awarding scholarships under Section |
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54.220, Education Code, as added by this Act, not later than |
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December 1, 2007. |
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(b) The coordinating board shall award scholarships under |
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Section 54.220, Education Code, as added by this Act, beginning |
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with the 2008-2009 academic year. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2007. |