BILL ANALYSIS
Senate Research Center H.B. 3452
Veteran Affairs & Military Installations
AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT
This bill expands the Reserve Officer Training Corps program by establishing the Texas Armed Services Scholarship Program. H.B. 3452 allows two $15,000 scholarships to be awarded to participating students by each member of the legislature, the governor, and the lieutenant governor. There are strict requirements for students receiving these scholarships to maintain academic and physical standards.
H.B. 3452 creates the Texas Armed Services Scholarship Program.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS
SECTION 1. Amends Chapter 56, Education Code, by adding Subchapter R, as follows:
SUBCHAPTER R. TEXAS ARMED SERVICES SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM
Sec. 56.501. PROGRAM NAME. Provides that the scholarship program authorized by this subchapter is known as the Texas Armed Services Scholarship Program.
Sec. 56.502. ARMED SERVICES SCHOLARSHIPS. (a) Provides that armed services scholarships are annual conditional scholarship grants of $15,000 available for use at any public or private institution of higher education located in this state having a Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) program, conditioned on certain obligations to which the recipient is committed detailed at Section 56.504.
(b) Requires that any amount paid to a student for being under contract with one of the branches of the armed services of the United States be deducted from the armed services scholarship.
Sec. 56.503. POWERS OF APPOINTMENT. Requires the governor, the lieutenant governor, the members of the Texas Senate, and the members of the Texas House of Representatives to each individually have the power annually to appoint two recipients of armed services scholarships who possess the requisite qualifications for the scholarship.
Sec. 56.504. QUALIFICATIONS. Requires a student, in order to qualify for an armed services scholarship, to meet minimum college entrance requirements at a public or private institution of higher education located in this state, and attend, meet, and maintain the satisfactory academic progress requirements of the student's public or private institution of higher education.
Sec. 56.505. COMMITMENTS. Requires that the student, in order to fulfill the his or her commitments to the armed services scholarship program, complete four years of ROTC training and graduate within five years, upon graduation, enter into either a four-year commitment to be a member of the Texas State Guard or the Texas Army or Air Force National Guard, or a contract to serve as a commissioned officer with any branch of the armed services of the United States, and meet the physical examination requirements and all other prescreening requirements of the Texas State Guard, the Texas Army or Air Force National Guard, or the branch of the armed services with which the student enters into a contract.
Sec. 56.506. CONSEQUENCES OF FAILURE TO MEET COMMITMENTS. Requires that all funds advanced to the recipient to that point under the armed services scholarship program, if at any time a recipient of an armed services scholarship either fails to maintain satisfactory academic progress, withdraws from the scholarship program, or fails to fulfill his or her commitment to the Texas State Guard or the Texas Army or Air Force National Guard or his or her contract with a branch of the armed services of the United States, for any reason other than a physical inability to meet any of these commitments, become a debt due and owing to the State of Texas.
Sec. 56.507. FUNDING. (a) Authorizes the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) to solicit and accept gifts, grants, and donations from any public or private source for the purposes of this subchapter.
(b) Authorizes the legislature to appropriate money for the purpose of this subchapter.
Sec. 56.508. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY. Requires THECB to have authority to make rules to implement the purposes of this subchapter.
SECTION 2. Effective date: September 1, 2009.