The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part of the
legislative instrument, were prepared by Cheryl Serrett.
DIGEST
SB 183 Original 2019 Regular Session Claitor
Present law (Act No. 43 of 1884 RS) provides for an agreement between the administrators of the
Tulane Education Fund and the state. Provides that, in consideration of the vesting of the
administration of the University of Louisiana in the administrators, of the transfer of the rights,
powers, privileges, franchises, and immunities of the university to the administrators, and of the
exemption from all taxation, the administrators will develop, foster, and maintain the University of
La., to be known as the "Tulane University of Louisiana", and use their powers to create and
maintain in New Orleans a great university. Also provides that the administrators waive all legal
claim upon the state for any appropriation in favor of the university.
Proposed law retains these provisions.
Present law (ยง6 of Act No. 43 of 1884 RS, as amended) further provides that the administrators agree
to give continuously, in the academic department, free tuition to students nominated by members of
the legislature. Provides that each legislator has the right to nominate one student from among the
state's citizens and that each nominee shall comply with the admission requirements established by
the administrators. Further provides that the free tuition shall continue for a period not to exceed the
time remaining in the term of the nominating legislator from the time such appointment begins,
unless his scholarship has ceased from other causes. Provides that the same student may be appointed
in successive years and that when a scholarship becomes vacant, from any cause, the legislator who
appointed the previous student, or his successor, shall, in the manner prescribed by these provisions,
immediately name a successor.
Proposed law retains these provisions.
Proposed law (R.S. 17:1891) provides that, effective for the 2020-2021 academic year and thereafter,
all free tuition granted by Tulane University through the Tulane Legislative Scholarship Program
established pursuant to Act No. 43 of 1884 RS, as amended, shall be awarded as follows:
(1)Provides that proposed law shall be known and may be cited as the "Legislative Scholarship
Fairness Act".
(2)Each Tulane Legislative Scholarship shall provide one year of full undergraduate tuition for
La. residents who meet the eligibility criteria requirements established by Tulane University
and the provisions of proposed law.
(3)Nominations for a scholarship period of less than one year may be made if the student will
be graduating before the end of the academic year. (4)No person who is a member of the immediate family of a La. legislator shall be eligible to
receive the scholarship.
(5)No La. elected official shall be eligible to receive the scholarship.
(6)No person who is a member of the immediate family of a statewide elected official or who
is elected to represent Louisiana in the Congress of the United States shall be eligible to
receive the scholarship.
(7)Authorizes the office of student financial assistance (OSFA) to select the recipient of each
scholarship on behalf of the legislator through an open competition in accordance with
eligibility criteria established by the university.
(8)Provides that a legislator may submit a student for consideration to receive the scholarship
to OSFA.
(9)Provides that, if possible, the scholarship shall be awarded to a student who resides in the
legislator's district.
(10)Provides that if there is no qualified student available from a legislator's district, an otherwise
qualified student shall be selected, on the basis of demonstrated need, from a statewide pool
of Louisiana residents who have been accepted for admission to Tulane University.
(11)Requires each applicant for the scholarship to provide certain personal information to ensure
persons prohibited from receiving the scholarship are not awarded the scholarship.
(12)Requires OSFA to promulgate rules in accordance with the APA and notify the university
and the legislator of the student selected for the scholarship.
(13)Provides the scholarship may be provided to the same student every year until the student
graduates, becomes otherwise ineligible, or until the legislator's term ends or he otherwise
leaves office.
(14)Requires information regarding the existence of the scholarship to be published on the
legislature's website which shall include a link to the Tulane University website where
potential recipients can obtain an application form and detailed information on scholarship
eligibility criteria, guidelines, deadlines, and other program requirements.
(15)Requires Tulane University to publish annually on its website, Tulane Legislative
Scholarship Program information including: (1) the name and city of residence of each
scholarship recipient, (2) the name and district number of the legislator for which the
scholarship is awarded, and (3) if related to an elected official, the name of the elected
official to whom the recipient is related.
(16)Prohibits publication of scholarship information in violation of state or federal law, including the Federal Education Rights Privacy Act (FERPA).
(17)Defines immediate family of a legislator, as provided by R.S. 42:1102(13), which is his
children, spouses of his children, his brothers and their spouses, his sisters and their spouses,
his parents, his spouse, and the parents of his spouse.
Effective upon signature of the governor or lapse of time for gubernatorial action.
(Adds R.S. 17:1891)