| 1 | 1 | | By: Gallego H.B. No. 4313 |
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| 2 | 2 | | |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 5 | 5 | | AN ACT |
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| 6 | 6 | | relating to the creation of the Texas Legislative Fellows Program |
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| 7 | 7 | | for certain students enrolled in component institutions of The |
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| 8 | 8 | | University of Texas System. |
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| 9 | 9 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 10 | 10 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 65, Education Code, is |
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| 11 | 11 | | amended by adding Section 65.48 to read as follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | Sec. 65.48. TEXAS LEGISLATIVE FELLOWS PROGRAM. (a) The |
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| 13 | 13 | | board shall develop and establish the Texas Legislative Fellows |
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| 14 | 14 | | Program under which students enrolled in component institutions of |
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| 15 | 15 | | the system are selected to perform internships for members of the |
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| 16 | 16 | | Texas Legislature during the Spring semester of odd-numbered years. |
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| 17 | 17 | | (b) Under the program, during the fall semester of each |
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| 18 | 18 | | even-numbered year, the chancellor of the system shall select 20 |
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| 19 | 19 | | students enrolled in component institutions of the system to |
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| 20 | 20 | | participate in the program during the following semester. At least |
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| 21 | 21 | | one student must be selected from each component general academic |
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| 22 | 22 | | teaching institution. |
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| 23 | 23 | | (c) The board shall establish: |
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| 24 | 24 | | (1) an application process and eligibility |
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| 25 | 25 | | requirements for the selection of students for participation in the |
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| 26 | 26 | | program; and |
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| 27 | 27 | | (2) a process for matching student participants with |
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| 28 | 28 | | offices of members of the legislature who agree to employ one or |
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| 29 | 29 | | more of the students under the program. |
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| 30 | 30 | | (d) The program shall be designed to require that each |
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| 31 | 31 | | student who participates in the program: |
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| 32 | 32 | | (1) work at least the following number of hours for a |
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| 33 | 33 | | member of the legislature during the regular legislative session: |
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| 34 | 34 | | (A) 20 hours per week for the first six weeks; |
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| 35 | 35 | | (B) 30 hours per week for weeks seven through 10; |
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| 36 | 36 | | and |
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| 37 | 37 | | (C) 40 hours per week after week 10; and |
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| 38 | 38 | | (2) during the internship, complete three academic |
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| 39 | 39 | | courses relating to state government and legislative issues |
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| 40 | 40 | | approved by the board for purposes of this section. |
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| 41 | 41 | | (e) A student who successfully completes the student's |
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| 42 | 42 | | internship under the program is entitled to receive: |
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| 43 | 43 | | (1) a stipend of $10,000, payable in monthly |
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| 44 | 44 | | installments during the student's internship; and |
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| 45 | 45 | | (2) six hours of independent study course credit |
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| 46 | 46 | | toward the student's degree at the component institution of the |
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| 47 | 47 | | system in which the student is enrolled. |
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| 48 | 48 | | (f) The board shall appoint a faculty member of a component |
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| 49 | 49 | | institution of the system to serve as the director of the program. |
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| 50 | 50 | | The director shall supervise student participants in the program |
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| 51 | 51 | | and shall teach the courses required by Subsection (d)(2). |
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| 52 | 52 | | (g) The stipend for an intern shall be paid from the |
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| 53 | 53 | | operating account of the member of the legislature to whom the |
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| 54 | 54 | | intern is assigned. The applicable house of the legislature shall |
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| 55 | 55 | | supplement the member's operating account as necessary to provide |
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| 56 | 56 | | sufficient funding for the stipend. Each house shall contribute to |
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| 57 | 57 | | the salary of the program director from the general fund of the |
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| 58 | 58 | | applicable house. |
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| 59 | 59 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 60 | 60 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 61 | 61 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 62 | 62 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 63 | 63 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2009. |
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