By: West, Blanco, Zaffirini S.B. No. 902
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to the establishment of the Texas Leadership Scholars
  Program.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Chapter 61, Education Code, is amended by adding
  Subchapter T-3 to read as follows:
  SUBCHAPTER T-3. TEXAS LEADERSHIP SCHOLARS PROGRAM
         Sec. 61.891.  DEFINITION. In this subchapter, "program"
  means the Texas Leadership Scholars Program established under this
  subchapter.
         Sec. 61.892.  ESTABLISHMENT; ADMINISTRATION. (a) The Texas
  Leadership Scholars Program is established to serve as a
  merit-based scholarship and leadership opportunity program for
  high-achieving, emerging leaders with financial need.
         (b)  The board shall administer the program.
         (c)  Using money appropriated or otherwise available for the
  purpose, the board shall award scholarships and provide academic
  achievement support and leadership development to eligible
  students under the program.
         Sec. 61.893.  INITIAL ELIGIBILITY. To be initially eligible
  to participate in the program, a student must:
               (1)  have graduated from a public high school in this
  state;
               (2)  either:
                     (A)  have qualified for automatic admission to a
  general academic teaching institution under Section 51.803; or
                     (B)  be nominated by the student's high school for
  participation in the program and hold another academic distinction
  recognized by the board;
               (3)  be enrolled in a baccalaureate degree program at a
  general academic teaching institution; 
               (4)  be economically disadvantaged, as determined by
  board rule; and
               (5)  comply with any additional requirement adopted by
  the board.
         Sec. 61.894.  CONTINUING ELIGIBILITY. After establishing
  initial eligibility to participate in the program under Section
  61.893, a student may continue participating in the program only if
  the student:
               (1)  is enrolled in a baccalaureate degree program at a
  general academic teaching institution;
               (2)  maintains a minimum overall grade point average
  determined by board rule; and
               (3)  complies with any additional requirement adopted
  by the board.
         Sec. 61.895.  ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT SUPPORT AND LEADERSHIP
  DEVELOPMENT. The board may enter into agreements with general
  academic teaching institutions or other institutions of higher
  education to provide students participating in the program with:
               (1)  research-based support to make satisfactory
  academic progress and graduate on time; and
               (2)  leadership development opportunities, including:
                     (A)  program cohort learning communities;
                     (B)  mentoring, research, and internship
  opportunities;
                     (C)  networking with state government, business,
  and civic leaders; and 
                     (D)  statewide cohort learning institutes or
  seminars.
         Sec. 61.896.  GRANTS, GIFTS, AND DONATIONS. The board may
  solicit, accept, and spend grants, gifts, and donations from any
  public or private source for the purposes of the program.
         Sec. 61.897.  RULES. The board shall adopt rules for the
  administration of the program, including rules providing for the
  amount and permissible uses of a scholarship awarded under the
  program.
         SECTION 2.  The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board
  shall adopt rules to administer Subchapter T-3, Chapter 61,
  Education Code, as added by this Act, as soon as practicable after
  the effective date of this Act.
         SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
  a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
  provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this
  Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
  Act takes effect September 1, 2023.