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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the Texas Armed Services Scholarship Program. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 61.9772(a), Education Code, is amended |
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to read as follows: |
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(a) To receive an initial scholarship under this |
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subchapter, a student must: |
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(1) be enrolled [as a freshman] in a public or private |
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institution of higher education in this state; |
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(2) enroll in and be a member in good standing of a |
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Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) program while enrolled in a |
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public or private institution of higher education in this state; |
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(3) be appointed to receive a scholarship by the |
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governor, the lieutenant governor, a state senator, or a state |
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representative; and |
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(4) enter into an agreement with the board under |
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Section 61.9773. |
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SECTION 2. Section 61.9773(a), Education Code, is amended |
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to read as follows: |
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(a) To receive a scholarship under this subchapter, a |
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student must enter into an agreement with the board as provided by |
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this section. The agreement must require the student to: |
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(1) complete four years of ROTC training; |
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(2) graduate not later than six [five] years after the |
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date the student first enrolls in a public or private institution of |
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higher education in this state; |
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(3) after graduation, enter into: |
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(A) a four-year commitment to be a member of the |
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Texas Army National Guard, Texas [or] Air [Force] National Guard, |
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Texas State Guard, United States Coast Guard, or United States |
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Merchant Marine; or |
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(B) a contract to serve as a commissioned officer |
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in any branch of the armed services of the United States; |
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(4) meet the physical examination requirements and all |
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other prescreening requirements of the Texas Army National Guard, |
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Texas [or] Air [Force] National Guard, Texas State Guard, United |
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States Coast Guard, or United States Merchant Marine or the branch |
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of the armed services with which the student enters into a contract; |
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and |
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(5) agree to repay the scholarship if the student: |
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(A) fails to maintain satisfactory academic |
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progress; |
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(B) withdraws from the scholarship program; or |
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(C) fails to fulfill a commitment or contract |
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described by Subdivision (3). |
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SECTION 3. Sections 61.9774 and 61.9775, Education Code, |
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are amended to read as follows: |
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Sec. 61.9774. RULES. [(a)] The board shall adopt rules as |
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necessary for the administration of this subchapter, including |
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rules regarding the eligibility criteria and the selection of |
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scholarship recipients. |
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[(b)
The board by rule shall provide that any amount paid to
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a student by a branch of the armed services of the United States
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during an academic year for which the student receives a
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scholarship under this subchapter because the student is under a
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contract with that branch shall be deducted from the amount of the
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scholarship awarded to the student for that academic year.] |
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Sec. 61.9775. LIMITATIONS [LIMITATION] ON SCHOLARSHIP. (a) |
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A person may not receive a scholarship under this subchapter after |
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earning a cumulative total of 150 credit hours or after being |
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awarded a baccalaureate degree, whichever occurs first. |
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(b) A scholarship awarded to a student under this subchapter |
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shall be reduced for an academic year by the amount by which the |
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full amount of the scholarship plus the total amount to be paid to |
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the student for being under contract with one of the branches of the |
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armed services of the United States exceeds the student's total |
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cost of attendance for that academic year at the public or private |
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institution of higher education in which the student is enrolled. |
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SECTION 4. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board |
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shall adopt rules for the administration of Subchapter FF, Chapter |
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61, Education Code, as amended by this Act, as soon as practicable |
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after this Act takes effect. For that purpose, the coordinating |
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board may adopt the rules in the manner provided by law for |
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emergency rules. |
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SECTION 5. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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Act takes effect September 1, 2011. |
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* * * * * |