BILL ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 1192

By: Turner

Higher Education

Committee Report (Substituted)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Currently, a student must complete four years of ROTC training to be eligible for the Texas armed services scholarship. However, this four-year requirement either excludes students who are eligible to graduate in less than four years or requires them to stay in school longer than necessary. C.S.H.B. 1192 seeks to amend the scholarship requirements to prevent exclusion of students who are eligible to graduate in less than four years by providing for a student's completion of one year of ROTC training for every year they receive the scholarship. The bill also requires the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to post online and provide to students information on ROTC service requirements for branches of the U.S. military forces.

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. 1192 amends the Education Code to revise the required terms of agreement for a recipient of the Texas armed services scholarship, if that agreement involves the option to complete specified ROTC training, by replacing the requirement that the student complete four years of ROTC training with a requirement that the student complete one year of ROTC training for each year that the student receives the scholarship.

C.S.H.B. 1192 requires the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to post on its website and provide to each student, before the student enters into such an agreement, information regarding the number of years of ROTC training that the Texas Army National Guard, Texas Air National Guard, Texas State Guard, U.S. Merchant Marine, U.S. Coast Guard, and other branches of the U.S. armed services require or recommend before entering into an applicable commitment or contract.

C.S.H.B. 1192 applies beginning with a Texas armed services scholarship awarded for the 2024‑2025 academic year.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2023.

COMPARISON OF INTRODUCED AND SUBSTITUTE

While C.S.H.B. 1192 may differ from the introduced in minor or nonsubstantive ways, the following summarizes the substantial differences between the introduced and committee substitute versions of the bill.

Whereas the introduced required a student to complete one year of ROTC training for each year that the student is enrolled in a degree or certificate program at a public or private institution of higher education with up to a maximum requirement of four years of training, the substitute requires a student to complete one year of training for each year that the student instead receives the scholarship.