BILL ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 3506

By: Guillen

Defense & Veterans' Affairs

Committee Report (Substituted)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Since its inception, the Texas Armed Services Scholarship Program has been an essential tool of the state in rewarding students who want to serve in the military. However, interested parties say there is insufficient flexibility in the program, and they note that another student cannot be named in the place of a student who fails to maintain eligibility or meet the requirements to continue receiving the scholarship. C.S.H.B. 3506 seeks to address this issue.

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. 3506 amends the Education Code to authorize the elected official who appointed a student to receive an initial scholarship under the Texas Armed Services Scholarship Program, if the student fails to maintain eligibility or otherwise meet the requirements to continue receiving the scholarship, to appoint another student eligible for the scholarship to receive any available funds designated for the student originally appointed.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2015.

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL AND SUBSTITUTE

While C.S.H.B. 3506 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 61.9772(b), Education Code, is amended to read as follows: (b)  Each biennium [In each year], the governor and the lieutenant governor may each appoint four [two] students and each state senator and each state representative may appoint two students [one student] to receive an initial scholarship under this subchapter. If, during the initial academic year in which a student is appointed under this subsection to receive a scholarship, the student fails to maintain eligibility or otherwise meet the requirements to continue receiving the scholarship, the elected official who appointed the student may appoint another student eligible under this subchapter to receive any available funds designated for the student originally appointed.	SECTION 1.  Section 61.9772(b), Education Code, is amended to read as follows: (b)  In each year, the governor and the lieutenant governor may each appoint two students and each state senator and each state representative may appoint one student to receive an initial scholarship under this subchapter. If a student appointed under this subsection to receive a scholarship fails to maintain eligibility or otherwise meet the requirements to continue receiving the scholarship, the elected official who appointed the student may appoint another student eligible under this subchapter to receive any available funds designated for the student originally appointed.
SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2015.	SECTION 2. Same as introduced version.