HLS 15RS-773 ENGROSSED
2015 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 181
BY REPRESENTATIVE BROWN
Prefiled pursuant to Article III, Section 2(A)(4)(b)(i) of the Constitution of Louisiana.
STUDENT/LOANS-SCHOLARSHP: Provides relative to student citizenship requirements
for TOPS eligibility purposes
1 AN ACT
2To enact R.S. 17:3048.1(A)(1)(a)(iii)(gg), relative to receipt of awards from the Louisiana
3 Taylor Opportunity Program for Students; to provide relative to citizenship
4 requirements for receipt of such award; and to provide for related matters.
5Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
6 Section 1. R.S. 17:3048.1(A)(1)(a)(iii)(gg) is hereby enacted to read as follows:
7 ยง3048.1. Program awards; eligibility; amounts; limitations; funding; administration
8 A.(1) As part of the Louisiana Taylor Opportunity Program for Students, the
9 state shall financially assist any student who enrolls on a full-time basis in a public
10 college or university in this state or a regionally accredited independent college or
11 university in the state that is a member of the Louisiana Association of Independent
12 Colleges and Universities, hereafter in this Chapter referred to collectively as
13 "eligible colleges or universities", to pursue an academic undergraduate degree or,
14 as provided by this Subsection, skill or occupational training as defined by the
15 administering agency including a vocational or technical education certificate or
16 diploma program or a nonacademic undergraduate degree, and who meets the
17 qualifications of Subparagraph (b), (c), or (d) of this Paragraph and all of the
18 applicable following qualifications:
Page 1 of 3
CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions. HLS 15RS-773 ENGROSSED
HB NO. 181
1 (a)
2 * * *
3 (iii)
4 * * *
5 (gg) For a student graduating from high school during the 2018-2019 school
6 year and thereafter, a student who is not a citizen of the United States but who is the
7 child of a non-United States citizen who is either serving in any branch of the United
8 States armed forces or has been honorably discharged from any branch of the United
9 States armed forces shall be deemed to satisfy the citizenship requirement of this
10 Item.
11 * * *
12 Section 2. This Act shall become effective upon signature by the governor or, if not
13signed by the governor, upon expiration of the time for bills to become law without signature
14by the governor, as provided by Article III, Section 18 of the Constitution of Louisiana. If
15vetoed by the governor and subsequently approved by the legislature, this Act shall become
16effective on the day following such approval.
DIGEST
The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services. It constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument. The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute
part of the law or proof or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
HB 181 Engrossed 2015 Regular Session Brown
Abstract: Provides an additional exception to the requirement that TOPS recipients be U.S.
citizens by allowing a non-citizen student to receive an award if his parent is a non-
citizen who is serving in or was honorably discharged from the U.S. armed forces.
Present law provides for the Taylor Opportunity Program for Students (TOPS), a program
of merit scholarships for students attending certain postsecondary education institutions who
meet specific academic criteria and other requirements, one of which is that a student be a
U.S. citizen; however, provides for exceptions by deeming that the following students who
are not U.S. citizens satisfy such citizenship requirement:
(1)Students who are eligible to apply for citizenship do so within 60 days of turning 18
and obtain it within one year of the application date.
(2)Students who are permanent residents (as defined by the U.S. Immigration and
Naturalization Service) and are eligible to apply for citizenship.
Page 2 of 3
CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions. HLS 15RS-773 ENGROSSED
HB NO. 181
Proposed law retains present law and adds that the following non-citizen students also satisfy
the present law citizenship requirement: students who have a non-citizen parent who is
serving or has been honorably discharged from the U.S. armed forces. Applicable to students
who graduate from high school in the 2018-2019 school year and thereafter.
Effective upon signature of governor or lapse of time for gubernatorial action.
(Adds R.S. 17:3048.1(A)(1)(a)(iii)(gg))
Summary of Amendments Adopted by House
The Committee Amendments Proposed by House Committee on Education to the
original bill:
1. Remove proposed law provisions that would have eliminated present law
exceptions to the requirement that TOPS recipients be U.S. citizens.
Page 3 of 3
CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions.