| |
|
|
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
|
|
|
AN ACT
|
|
|
relating to a requirement that a full TEXAS grant be awarded to each |
|
|
eligible applicant in an academic year. |
|
|
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|
|
SECTION 1. Section 56.307, Education Code, is amended by |
|
|
adding Subsection (m) to read as follows: |
|
|
(m) Before the beginning of each academic year, the |
|
|
coordinating board shall determine and certify to each eligible |
|
|
institution the total amount of money necessary for the institution |
|
|
to award, without reference to any factor that could affect a grant |
|
|
award such as financial need, the full amount of a TEXAS grant to |
|
|
each eligible applicant who enrolls at the institution during that |
|
|
academic year. Except as otherwise provided by this subsection, |
|
|
after the coordinating board certifies the total amount necessary |
|
|
to award those grants with respect to an eligible institution, the |
|
|
institution shall award the full amount of the TEXAS grant to each |
|
|
eligible applicant who enrolls at the institution. Notwithstanding |
|
|
any other law, an eligible institution that fails to satisfy the |
|
|
requirements of this subsection may not spend any of the |
|
|
institution's unobligated institutional funds or any money |
|
|
appropriated to the institution for instruction or operations in |
|
|
the academic year for which the coordinating board certified the |
|
|
total amount necessary to award grants as required by this |
|
|
subsection. An eligible institution may elect to reduce the amount |
|
|
of a grant awarded to any eligible applicant only as permitted by |
|
|
Subsections (i-1) and (j). |
|
|
SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act applies |
|
|
beginning with TEXAS grants awarded for the 2008 fall semester. |
|
|
Grants awarded for a semester or term before the 2008 fall semester |
|
|
are covered by the applicable law in effect immediately before the |
|
|
effective date of this Act, and the former law is continued in |
|
|
effect for that purpose. |
|
|
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
|
|
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
|
|
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
|
|
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
|
|
Act takes effect September 1, 2007. |