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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to creation of the Texas Armed Services Scholarship |
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Program. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Chapter 56, Education Code, is amended by adding |
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Subchapter R to read as follows: |
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SUBCHAPTER R. TEXAS ARMED SERVICES SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM |
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Sec. 56.501. PROGRAM NAME. The scholarship program |
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authorized by this subchapter is known as the Texas Armed Services |
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Scholarship Program. |
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Sec. 56.502. ARMED SERVICES SCHOLARSHIPS. (a) Armed |
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services scholarships are annual conditional scholarship grants of |
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$15,000 available for use at any public or private institution of |
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higher education located in this state having a Reserve Officer |
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Training Corps (ROTC) program, conditioned on certain obligations |
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to which the recipient is committed detailed at Section 56.504. |
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(b) Any amount paid to a student for being under contract |
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with one of the branches of the armed services of the United States |
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shall be deducted from the armed services scholarship. |
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Sec. 56.503. POWERS OF APPOINTMENT. The governor, the |
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lieutenant governor, the members of the Texas Senate, and the |
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members of the Texas House of Representatives shall each |
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individually have the power annually to appoint two recipients of |
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armed services scholarships who possess the requisite |
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qualifications for the scholarship. |
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Sec. 56.504. QUALIFICATIONS. In order to qualify for an |
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armed services scholarship, a student must: |
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(1) meet minimum college entrance requirements at a |
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public or private institution of higher education located in this |
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state; and |
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(2) attend, meet, and maintain the satisfactory |
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academic progress requirements of the student's public or private |
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institution of higher education. |
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Sec. 56.505. COMMITMENTS. In order to fulfill the |
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student's commitments to the armed services scholarship program, he |
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or she must: |
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(1) complete four years of ROTC training, and graduate |
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within five years; |
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(2) upon graduation, enter into either a four-year |
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commitment to be a member of the Texas State Guard or the Texas Army |
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or Air Force National Guard, or a contract to serve as a |
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commissioned officer with any branch of the armed services of the |
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United States; and |
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(3) meet the physical examination requirements and all |
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other prescreening requirements of the Texas State Guard, the Texas |
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Army or Air Force National Guard, or the branch of the armed |
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services with which the student enters into a contract. |
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Sec. 56.506. CONSEQUENCES OF FAILURE TO MEET COMMITMENTS. |
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If at any time a recipient of an armed services scholarship either |
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fails to maintain satisfactory academic progress, withdraws from |
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the scholarship program, or fails to fulfill his or her commitment |
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to the Texas State Guard or the Texas Army or Air Force National |
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Guard or his or her contract with a branch of the armed services of |
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the United States, for any reason other than a physical inability to |
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meet any of these commitments, all funds advanced to the recipient |
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to that point under the armed services scholarship program shall |
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become a debt due and owing to the State of Texas. |
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Sec. 56.507. FUNDING. (a) The Texas Higher Education |
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Coordinating Board may solicit and accept gifts, grants, and |
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donations from any public or private source for the purposes of this |
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subchapter. |
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(b) The legislature may appropriate money for the purpose of |
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this subchapter. |
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Sec. 56.508. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY. The Texas Higher |
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Education Coordinating Board shall have authority to make rules to |
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implement the purposes of this subchapter. |
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SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2009. |