Texas 2023 - 88th Regular

Texas House Bill HB1590 Compare Versions

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Version 2 (New)

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1	1	H.B. No. 1590
2	2
3	3
4	4	relating to the establishment of the Texas Leadership Scholars
5	5	Program.
6	6	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
7	7	SECTION 1. Chapter 61, Education Code, is amended by adding
8	8	Subchapter T-3 to read as follows:
9	9	SUBCHAPTER T-3. TEXAS LEADERSHIP SCHOLARS PROGRAM
10	10	Sec. 61.891. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter:
11	11	(1) "Leadership scholarship" means a scholarship
12	12	awarded to an undergraduate student under the program.
13	13	(2) "Program" means the Texas Leadership Scholars
14	14	Program established under this subchapter.
15	15	(3) "Research scholarship" means a scholarship
16	16	awarded to a graduate student under the program.
17	17	Sec. 61.892. ESTABLISHMENT; ADMINISTRATION. (a) The Texas
18	18	Leadership Scholars Program is established to serve as a
19	19	merit-based scholarship and leadership opportunity program for
20	20	high-achieving, emerging leaders with financial need.
21	21	(b) Using money appropriated or otherwise available for the
22	22	purpose, the board shall award scholarships and provide academic
23	23	achievement support and leadership development to eligible
24	24	students under the program.
25	25	(c) The board shall administer the program. The board may
26	26	contract with one or more institutions of higher education to
27	27	assist in administering the program, including receiving and
28	28	reviewing applications, recommending the distribution of funds to
29	29	institutions of higher education, and developing criteria for the
30	30	selection of students for the program.
31	31	(d) The board may establish one or more advisory committees
32	32	for the purpose of recommending rules for the administration of the
33	33	program.
34	34	Sec. 61.893. INITIAL ELIGIBILITY. (a) To be initially
35	35	eligible for the award of a leadership scholarship, an
36	36	undergraduate student must:
37	37	(1) have graduated from a public high school in this
38	38	state;
39	39	(2) either:
40	40	(A) have qualified for automatic admission to a
41	41	general academic teaching institution under Section 51.803; or
42	42	(B) be nominated by the student's high school for
43	43	participation in the program and hold another academic distinction
44	44	recognized by the board;
45	45	(3) be enrolled in a baccalaureate degree program at a
46	46	general academic teaching institution;
47	47	(4) be economically disadvantaged, as determined by
48	48	board rule; and
49	49	(5) comply with any additional requirement adopted by
50	50	the board.
51	51	(b) To be initially eligible for the award of a research
52	52	scholarship, a graduate student must:
53	53	(1) be enrolled in a research doctoral degree program
54	54	at a general academic teaching institution;
55	55	(2) either:
56	56	(A) have graduated from a public high school in
57	57	this state during the 10 years preceding the date of the student's
58	58	application to the program; or
59	59	(B) have graduated from an institution of higher
60	60	education or a private or independent institution of higher
61	61	education;
62	62	(3) be economically disadvantaged, as determined by
63	63	board rule;
64	64	(4) be nominated by the institution at which the
65	65	student is enrolled on the basis of the student's academic merit and
66	66	leadership potential; and
67	67	(5) comply with any additional requirements adopted by
68	68	the board.
69	69	Sec. 61.894. CONTINUING ELIGIBILITY. After establishing
70	70	initial eligibility to participate in the program under Section
71	71	61.893, a student may continue participating in the program only if
72	72	the student:
73	73	(1) remains:
74	74	(A) for a leadership scholarship, enrolled in a
75	75	baccalaureate degree program at a general academic teaching
76	76	institution; or
77	77	(B) for a research scholarship, enrolled in a
78	78	research doctoral degree program at a general academic teaching
79	79	institution;
80	80	(2) maintains a minimum overall grade point average
81	81	determined by board rule; and
82	82	(3) complies with any additional requirement adopted
83	83	by the board.
84	84	Sec. 61.895. ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT SUPPORT AND LEADERSHIP
85	85	DEVELOPMENT. The board may enter into agreements with general
86	86	academic teaching institutions or other institutions of higher
87	87	education to provide students participating in the program with:
88	88	(1) research-based support to make satisfactory
89	89	academic progress and graduate on time; and
90	90	(2) leadership development opportunities, including:
91	91	(A) program cohort learning communities;
92	92	(B) mentoring, research, and internship
93	93	opportunities;
94	94	(C) networking with state government, business,
95	95	and civic leaders; and
96	96	(D) statewide cohort learning institutes or
97	97	seminars.
98	98	Sec. 61.896. GRANTS, GIFTS, AND DONATIONS. The board may
99	99	solicit, accept, and spend grants, gifts, and donations from any
100	100	public or private source for the purposes of the program.
101	101	Sec. 61.897. RULES. (a) The board, in consultation with
102	102	general academic teaching institutions, shall adopt rules for the
103	103	administration of the program, including rules providing for the
104	104	amount and permissible uses of a scholarship awarded under the
105	105	program. The rules must provide that:
106	106	(1) the amount of a research scholarship is at least
107	107	150 percent of the amount of a leadership scholarship; and
108	108	(2) a student may not receive a scholarship under the
109	109	program for more than four years.
110	110	(b) Notwithstanding Section 61.033, the board is not
111	111	required to use negotiated rulemaking procedures under Chapter
112	112	2008, Government Code, for the adoption of rules under this
113	113	subchapter.
114	114	SECTION 2. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board
115	115	shall adopt rules to administer Subchapter T-3, Chapter 61,
116	116	Education Code, as added by this Act, as soon as practicable after
117	117	the effective date of this Act.
118	118	SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
119	119	a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
120	120	provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
121	121	Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
122	122	Act takes effect September 1, 2023.
123	123	______________________________ ______________________________
124	124	President of the Senate Speaker of the House
125	125	I certify that H.B. No. 1590 was passed by the House on April
126	126	13, 2023, by the following vote: Yeas 126, Nays 21, 2 present, not
127	127	voting; and that the House concurred in Senate amendments to H.B.
128	128	No. 1590 on May 25, 2023, by the following vote: Yeas 120, Nays 19,
129	129	2 present, not voting.
130	130	______________________________
131	131	Chief Clerk of the House
132	132	I certify that H.B. No. 1590 was passed by the Senate, with
133	133	amendments, on May 23, 2023, by the following vote: Yeas 30, Nays
134	134	1.
135	135	______________________________
136	136	Secretary of the Senate
137	137	APPROVED: __________________
138	138	Date
139	139	__________________
140	140	Governor