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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to a grant program for living expenses for certain |
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students enrolled at public institutions of higher education. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Chapter 56, Education Code, is amended by adding |
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Subchapter W to read as follows: |
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SUBCHAPTER W. LIVING EXPENSES GRANT PROGRAM |
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Sec. 56.701. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter: |
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(1) "Grant program" means the grant program |
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established under this subchapter. |
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(2) "Student who is homeless" has the meaning assigned |
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by Section 5.001 and includes a student who resides in a student |
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housing facility maintained by an institution of higher education |
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during an academic term but who is homeless between academic terms. |
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Sec. 56.702. PURPOSE. The purpose of the grant program is |
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to provide for the cost of living expenses for certain students |
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enrolled at institutions of higher education. |
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Sec. 56.703. ESTABLISHMENT; ADMINISTRATION. The |
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comptroller shall establish and administer a grant program to |
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provide grants for the cost of living expenses to eligible |
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students. |
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Sec. 56.704. ELIGIBILITY. To be eligible for a grant under |
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the grant program for an academic year, a student must be: |
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(1) either: |
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(A) a student who is homeless; or |
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(B) a minor whose disabilities of minority have |
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been removed under Chapter 31, Family Code; and |
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(2) enrolled at an institution of higher education. |
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Sec. 56.705. DETERMINATION OF ELIGIBILITY. Each |
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institution of higher education shall: |
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(1) assess the eligibility for the grant program under |
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Section 56.704(1) of each applicant who is offered admission to the |
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institution; and |
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(2) notify the comptroller of each applicant the |
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institution determines to be eligible under Subdivision (1). |
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Sec. 56.706. AMOUNT OF GRANT. (a) The comptroller shall |
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award a grant to each eligible student in the amount necessary to |
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pay the cost of the student's housing, food, and other living |
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expenses during the student's enrollment at the institution of |
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higher education for the applicable year. |
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(b) An eligible student is entitled to the full amount of a |
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grant under this section regardless of whether the student is |
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enrolled in a course for a summer term of the academic year for |
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which the grant is awarded. |
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Sec. 56.707. USE OF GRANT. A grant may be used only for the |
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cost of the eligible student's housing, food, and other living |
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expenses during the student's enrollment at the institution of |
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higher education for the applicable year. |
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Sec. 56.708. EFFECT OF GRANT ON OTHER AID. Notwithstanding |
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any other law, the amount of a grant awarded under the grant program |
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may not be considered in determining the amount of another grant, |
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scholarship, or other aid to which the student is entitled under |
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this chapter or another provision of this code. |
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Sec. 56.709. RULES. The comptroller, in consultation with |
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the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, shall adopt rules as |
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necessary to administer the grant program. |
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SECTION 2. (a) The comptroller of public accounts, in |
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consultation with the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, |
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shall adopt rules to administer Subchapter W, Chapter 56, Education |
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Code, as added by this Act, as soon as practicable after the |
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effective date of this Act. |
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(b) The comptroller of public accounts shall begin awarding |
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grants to eligible students under Subchapter W, Chapter 56, |
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Education Code, as added by this Act, for the first academic year |
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for which money is appropriated for that purpose, except that the |
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coordinating board may not allocate funds under that subchapter for |
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an academic year before the 2026-2027 academic year. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |