82R858 KSD-D
By: Gallego H.B. No. 216
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the creation of the Texas Legislative Fellows Program
for certain students enrolled in component institutions of The
University of Texas System.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 65, Education Code, is
amended by adding Section 65.48 to read as follows:
Sec. 65.48. TEXAS LEGISLATIVE FELLOWS PROGRAM. (a) The
board shall develop and establish the Texas Legislative Fellows
Program, under which students enrolled in component institutions of
the system are selected to perform internships for members of the
Texas Legislature during the spring semester of odd-numbered years.
(b) Under the program, during the fall semester of each
even-numbered year, the chancellor of the system shall select 20
students enrolled in component institutions of the system to
participate in the program during the following semester. At least
one student must be selected from each component general academic
teaching institution.
(c) The board shall establish:
(1) an application process and eligibility
requirements for the selection of students for participation in the
program; and
(2) a process for matching student participants with
offices of members of the legislature who agree to employ one or
more of the students under the program.
(d) The program shall be designed to require that each
student who participates in the program:
(1) work at least the following number of hours for a
member of the legislature during the regular legislative session:
(A) 20 hours per week for the first 6 weeks;
(B) 30 hours per week for weeks 7 through 10; and
(C) 40 hours per week after week 10; and
(2) during the internship, complete three academic
courses relating to state government and legislative issues
approved by the board for purposes of this section.
(e) A student who successfully completes the student's
internship under the program is entitled to receive:
(1) a stipend of $10,000, payable in monthly
installments during the student's internship; and
(2) six hours of independent study course credit
toward the student's degree at the component institution of the
system in which the student is enrolled.
(f) The board shall appoint a faculty member of a component
institution of the system to serve as the director of the program.
The director shall supervise student participants in the program
and shall teach the courses required by Subsection (d)(2).
(g) The stipend for an intern shall be paid from the
operating account of the member of the legislature to whom the
intern is assigned. The applicable house of the legislature shall
supplement the member's operating account as necessary to provide
sufficient funding for the stipend. Each house shall contribute to
the salary of the program director from the general fund of the
applicable house.
SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
Act takes effect September 1, 2011.