BILL ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 1262

By: Clardy

Higher Education

Committee Report (Substituted)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Interested parties contend that deadlines associated with the Texas Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (T-STEM) Challenge Scholarship program are overly burdensome, which may put institutions of higher education in danger of losing program eligibility. C.S.H.B. 1262 seeks to address this problem.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 1262 amends the Education Code to change the continuing eligibility requirement for an institution of higher education to participate in the Texas Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (T-STEM) Challenge Scholarship program from the institution demonstrating to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board that at least 70 percent of the institution's T‑STEM Challenge Scholarship graduates, within three months after graduation, are employed by a business in a science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) field or enrolled in upper-division courses leading to a baccalaureate degree in a STEM field to the institution demonstrating to the coordinating board that that same percentage of the institution's T-STEM Challenge Scholarship recipients, within 12 months of receipt of the scholarship, are employed or are enrolled in courses leading to a certificate or an associate or baccalaureate degree in a STEM field.

C.S.H.B. 1262 changes the year in which an institution of higher education is to begin demonstrating the continuing eligibility requirement from the second year following implementation of the scholarship program to the third year following such implementation and specifies that the frequency of such demonstration is each year. The bill requires the coordinating board to award scholarships under the T-STEM Challenge Scholarship program, as amended by the bill, beginning with the 2015–2016 academic year.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2015.

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL AND SUBSTITUTE

While C.S.H.B. 1262 may differ from the original in minor or nonsubstantive ways, the following comparison is organized and formatted in a manner that indicates the substantial differences between the introduced and committee substitute versions of the bill.

INTRODUCED	HOUSE COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE
SECTION 1. Section 61.9794(b), Education Code, is amended to read as follows: (b) To maintain eligibility, each year beginning with the third [second] year following implementation of a scholarship program under this subchapter, an institution must demonstrate to the board that at least 70 percent of the institution's most recent graduating class of T-STEM Challenge Scholarship award recipients for which the relevant information is available [graduates, within three months after graduation, are]: (1) have graduated with an associate degree [employed by a business] in a Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) field; or (2) within nine months after graduation, have: (See Paragraph (B) below.) (A) enrolled in upper-division courses leading to a baccalaureate degree in a Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) field; or (B) become employed in this state as shown by the latest available Texas Workforce Commission quarterly employment data.	SECTION 1. Section 61.9794(b), Education Code, is amended to read as follows: (b) To maintain eligibility, each year beginning with the third [second] year following implementation of a scholarship program under this subchapter, an institution must demonstrate to the board that at least 70 percent of the institution's T-STEM Challenge Scholarship recipients [graduates], within twelve [three] months of receipt of a scholarship [after graduation], are: (1) employed [by a business in a Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) field]; or (2) enrolled in [upper-division] courses leading to a certificate or an associate or baccalaureate degree in a Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) field. (See Subdivision (1) above.)
SECTION 2. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board shall award scholarships under Subchapter GG, Chapter 61, Education Code, as amended by this Act, beginning with the 2015-2016 academic year.	SECTION 2. Same as introduced version.
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015.	SECTION 3. Same as introduced version.