| 1 | 1 | | 81R9531 KJM-F |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Gallego H.B. No. 3135 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 7 | | relating to a TEXAS grant pilot project to provide incentives for |
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| 8 | 8 | | students to attend certain underutilized public institutions of |
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| 9 | 9 | | higher education. |
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| 10 | 10 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 11 | 11 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter M, Chapter 56, Education Code, is |
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| 12 | 12 | | amended by adding Section 56.3011 to read as follows: |
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| 13 | 13 | | Sec. 56.3011. PILOT PROJECT TO PROVIDE INCENTIVES FOR |
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| 14 | 14 | | ATTENDANCE AT UNDERUTILIZED PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS. (a) The |
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| 15 | 15 | | coordinating board shall establish a TEXAS grant pilot project as |
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| 16 | 16 | | provided by this section to encourage students to attend eligible |
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| 17 | 17 | | public institutions of higher education that offer extensive |
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| 18 | 18 | | baccalaureate degree program options and that have sufficient |
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| 19 | 19 | | facilities, administrative infrastructure, and faculty to serve |
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| 20 | 20 | | additional students in order to reduce the need for this state to |
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| 21 | 21 | | construct additional facilities or hire additional faculty at other |
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| 22 | 22 | | institutions of higher education. |
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| 23 | 23 | | (b) From money available under Section 56.310 for purposes |
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| 24 | 24 | | of this subchapter and money available under Section 56.464 for |
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| 25 | 25 | | purposes of Subchapter Q, the coordinating board shall set aside |
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| 26 | 26 | | sufficient money to provide TEXAS grants for the 2009-2010 and |
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| 27 | 27 | | 2010-2011 academic years to students who are initially eligible for |
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| 28 | 28 | | a grant under Section 56.304 or 56.3041 in either of those years as |
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| 29 | 29 | | follows: |
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| 30 | 30 | | (1) for a total of not more than 1,000 students |
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| 31 | 31 | | enrolling for the first time at Angelo State University; and |
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| 32 | 32 | | (2) for a total of not more than 600 students enrolling |
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| 33 | 33 | | for the first time at Sul Ross State University. |
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| 34 | 34 | | (c) To the extent money set aside under Subsection (b) is |
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| 35 | 35 | | available for the purpose, a person awarded a grant as provided by |
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| 36 | 36 | | Subsection (b) who continues to be eligible for a grant under |
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| 37 | 37 | | Section 56.305 may receive a grant from the money set aside. If |
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| 38 | 38 | | money set aside under Subsection (b) is not available to pay for a |
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| 39 | 39 | | grant for a person awarded a grant as provided by Subsection (b) who |
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| 40 | 40 | | continues to be eligible for a grant under Section 56.305, the |
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| 41 | 41 | | person may receive a grant from the money available under Section |
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| 42 | 42 | | 56.310 on the same basis as other TEXAS grant applicants. |
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| 43 | 43 | | (d) A person awarded a grant under this section is eligible |
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| 44 | 44 | | for financial aid under a federal program or program of an eligible |
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| 45 | 45 | | institution to the extent authorized under that program. |
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| 46 | 46 | | (e) The coordinating board shall reallocate for grants |
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| 47 | 47 | | under this subchapter or for loans under Subchapter Q, as |
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| 48 | 48 | | applicable, any money set aside for purposes of the TEXAS grant |
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| 49 | 49 | | pilot project that is not used in the academic year for which the |
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| 50 | 50 | | money is set aside. Money reallocated under this subsection may be |
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| 51 | 51 | | used at any eligible institution under this subchapter or |
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| 52 | 52 | | Subchapter Q. |
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| 53 | 53 | | (f) Except as otherwise specifically provided by this |
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| 54 | 54 | | section, this subchapter applies to a TEXAS grant awarded under |
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| 55 | 55 | | this section. |
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| 56 | 56 | | (g) The coordinating board shall develop criteria for |
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| 57 | 57 | | evaluating the TEXAS grant pilot project and, based on that |
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| 58 | 58 | | evaluation, not later than February 1, 2011, shall report to the |
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| 59 | 59 | | 82nd Legislature the coordinating board's recommendations |
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| 60 | 60 | | concerning whether to continue, expand to other underutilized |
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| 61 | 61 | | eligible public institutions of higher education, or discontinue |
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| 62 | 62 | | the TEXAS grant pilot project. |
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| 63 | 63 | | (h) The coordinating board shall include in any board |
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| 64 | 64 | | publication concerning financial aid on the board's Internet |
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| 65 | 65 | | website information concerning the TEXAS grant pilot project |
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| 66 | 66 | | established under this section. |
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| 67 | 67 | | SECTION 2. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board |
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| 68 | 68 | | shall adopt rules to administer Section 56.3011, Education Code, as |
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| 69 | 69 | | added by this Act, as soon as practicable after the date this Act |
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| 70 | 70 | | takes effect. For that purpose, the board may adopt the initial |
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| 71 | 71 | | rules in the manner provided by law for adoption of emergency rules. |
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| 72 | 72 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 73 | 73 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 74 | 74 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 75 | 75 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 76 | 76 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2009. |
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