By: Eckhardt, et al. S.B. No. 371
 
  (Turner, Plesa, González of El Paso, Garcia)
 
   
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to the Texas Armed Services Scholarship Program.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 61.9773(a), Education Code, is amended
  to read as follows:
         (a)  To receive a scholarship under this subchapter, a
  student must enter into an agreement with the board as provided by
  this section. The agreement must require the student to:
               (1)  complete:
                     (A)  one year [four years] of ROTC training for
  each year that the student receives the scholarship; or
                     (B)  [complete] another undergraduate officer
  commissioning program such as the United States Marine Corps
  Platoon Leaders Class;
               (2)  graduate not later than six years after the date
  the student first enrolls in a public or private institution of
  higher education in this state;
               (3)  after graduation, enter into:
                     (A)  a four-year commitment to be a member of the
  Texas Army National Guard, Texas Air National Guard, Texas State
  Guard, United States Coast Guard, or United States Merchant Marine;
  or
                     (B)  a contract to serve as a commissioned officer
  in any branch of the armed services of the United States;
               (4)  meet the physical examination requirements and all
  other prescreening requirements of the Texas Army National Guard,
  Texas Air National Guard, Texas State Guard, United States Coast
  Guard, or United States Merchant Marine or the branch of the armed
  services with which the student enters into a contract; and
               (5)  agree to repay the scholarship if the student:
                     (A)  fails to maintain satisfactory academic
  progress;
                     (B)  withdraws from the scholarship program; or
                     (C)  fails to fulfill a commitment or contract
  described by Subdivision (3).
         SECTION 2.  Subchapter FF, Chapter 61, Education Code, is
  amended by adding Section 61.97731 to read as follows:
         Sec. 61.97731.  NOTICE REGARDING MINIMUM AND REQUIRED ROTC
  TRAINING.  The board shall post on the board's Internet website and
  provide to each student before the student enters into an agreement
  with the board under Section 61.9773 information regarding the
  number of years of ROTC training that each entity described by
  Section 61.9773(a)(3) requires or recommends before entering into a
  commitment or contract described by that subdivision.
         SECTION 3.  Section 61.9773(a), Education Code, as amended
  by this Act, applies beginning with a Texas Armed Services
  Scholarship awarded for the 2024-2025 academic year. A Texas Armed
  Services Scholarship awarded for an academic year before that
  academic year is governed by the law in effect when the scholarship
  was awarded, and the former law is continued in effect for that
  purpose.
         SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2023.