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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 a |
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new Subchapter R to read as follows: |
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SUBCHAPTER R. TEXAS ARMED SERVICES SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM |
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Section 56.501 PROGRAM NAME |
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The scholarship program authorized by this subchapter is |
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known as the Texas Armed Services Scholarship Program. |
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Section 56.502 ARMED SERVICES SCHOLARSHIPS |
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Armed Services Scholarships are annual conditional |
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scholarship grants of $15,000, available for use at any Texas |
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public institution of higher education having a Reserve Officer |
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Training Corps (R.O.T.C.) program, conditioned on certain |
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obligations to which the recipient is committed detailed at |
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section. 56.504. |
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Any amount paid to a student for being under contract with one |
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of the branches of the armed services of the United States shall be |
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deducted from the Armed Services Scholarship. |
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Section 56.503 POWERS OF APPOINTMENT |
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The Governor, the Lieutenant Governor, the members of the |
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Texas Senate, and the members of the Texas House of Representative |
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shall each individually have the power annually to appoint two |
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recipients of Armed Services scholarships who possess the requisite |
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qualifications for the scholarship. |
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Section 56.504 QUALIFICATIONS |
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In order to qualify for an Armed Services Scholarship, a |
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student must |
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(1) meet minimum college entrance requirements at a |
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Texas public university; and |
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(2) attend, meet and maintain the satisfactory |
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academic progress requirements of the student's Texas public |
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university. |
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Section 56.505 COMMITMENTS |
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In order to fulfill the student's commitments to the Armed |
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Services Scholarship program, he 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 pre-screening requirements of the Texas State Guard, the |
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Texas Army or Air Force National Guard , or of the branch of the |
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armed services with which the student enters into a contract. |
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Section 56.506 CONSEQUENCES OF FAILURE TO MEET COMMITMENTS |
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If at any time, a recipient of an Armed Services Scholarship |
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either fails to maintain satisfactory academic progress, withdraws |
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from the scholarship program, or fails to fulfill his or her |
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commitment to the Texas State Guard or the Texas Army or Air Force |
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National Guard or his or her contract with a branch of the armed |
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services of the United States, for any reason other than a physical |
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inability to meet any of these commitments, all funds advanced to |
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the recipient to that point under the Armed Services Scholarship |
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Program shall become a debt due and owing to the State of Texas. |
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Section 56.507 FUNDING |
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(a) The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board may |
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solicit and accept gifts, grants, and donations from any public or |
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private source for the purposes of this 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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Section 56.508 RULE-MAKING AUTHORITY |
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The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board shall have |
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authority to make rules to implement the purposes of this |
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subchapter. |
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SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2009. |