Amend CSSB 1 (house committee printing) by adding the following appropriately numbered ARTICLE to the bill and renumbering subsequent ARTICLES of the bill appropriately:
ARTICLE ____. FISCAL MATTERS CONCERNING SCHOLARSHIPS AWARDED FROM STUDENT SUCCESS-BASED FUNDS
SECTION ____.01. Subchapter A, Chapter 56, Education Code, is amended by adding Section 56.005 to read as follows:
Sec. 56.005. STUDENT PRIORITY FOR SCHOLARSHIPS AWARDED FROM STUDENT SUCCESS-BASED FUNDS. (a) In this section:
(1) "Coordinating board" means the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.
(2) "Critical field" means a field of study designated as a critical field under Subsection (b).
(b) Except as otherwise provided by Subdivision (2), the fields of engineering, computer science, mathematics, physical science, allied health, nursing, and teaching certification in the field of science or mathematics are critical fields. Beginning September 1, 2012, the coordinating board, based on the coordinating board's determination of those fields of study in which the support and development of postsecondary education programs at the bachelor's degree level are most critically necessary for serving the needs of this state, by rule may:
(1) designate as a critical field a field of study that is not currently designated by this subsection or by the board as a critical field; or
(2) remove a field of study from the list of fields currently designated by this subsection or by the board as critical fields.
(c) Notwithstanding any other law, in determining who should receive scholarships awarded by an institution of higher education from funds appropriated to the institution based on student success, the institution shall give priority to awarding the scholarships to eligible students enrolled in critical fields.
(d) The coordinating board may adopt rules for the administration of this section.
SECTION ____.02. Section 56.005, Education Code, as added by this article, applies beginning with scholarships awarded by a public institution of higher education for the 2011 fall semester. Scholarships awarded before the 2011 fall semester are covered by the law in effect immediately before the effective date of this article, and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose.