| 1 | 1 | | S.B. No. 371 |
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| 2 | 2 | | |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | AN ACT |
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| 5 | 5 | | relating to the Texas Armed Services Scholarship Program. |
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| 6 | 6 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 7 | 7 | | SECTION 1. Section 61.9773(a), Education Code, is amended |
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| 8 | 8 | | to read as follows: |
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| 9 | 9 | | (a) To receive a scholarship under this subchapter, a |
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| 10 | 10 | | student must enter into an agreement with the board as provided by |
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| 11 | 11 | | this section. The agreement must require the student to: |
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| 12 | 12 | | (1) complete: |
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| 13 | 13 | | (A) one year [four years] of ROTC training for |
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| 14 | 14 | | each year that the student receives the scholarship; or |
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| 15 | 15 | | (B) [complete] another undergraduate officer |
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| 16 | 16 | | commissioning program such as the United States Marine Corps |
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| 17 | 17 | | Platoon Leaders Class; |
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| 18 | 18 | | (2) graduate not later than six years after the date |
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| 19 | 19 | | the student first enrolls in a public or private institution of |
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| 20 | 20 | | higher education in this state; |
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| 21 | 21 | | (3) after graduation, enter into: |
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| 22 | 22 | | (A) a four-year commitment to be a member of the |
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| 23 | 23 | | Texas Army National Guard, Texas Air National Guard, Texas State |
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| 24 | 24 | | Guard, United States Coast Guard, or United States Merchant Marine; |
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| 25 | 25 | | or |
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| 26 | 26 | | (B) a contract to serve as a commissioned officer |
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| 27 | 27 | | in any branch of the armed services of the United States; |
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| 28 | 28 | | (4) meet the physical examination requirements and all |
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| 29 | 29 | | other prescreening requirements of the Texas Army National Guard, |
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| 30 | 30 | | Texas Air National Guard, Texas State Guard, United States Coast |
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| 31 | 31 | | Guard, or United States Merchant Marine or the branch of the armed |
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| 32 | 32 | | services with which the student enters into a contract; and |
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| 33 | 33 | | (5) agree to repay the scholarship if the student: |
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| 34 | 34 | | (A) fails to maintain satisfactory academic |
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| 35 | 35 | | progress; |
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| 36 | 36 | | (B) withdraws from the scholarship program; or |
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| 37 | 37 | | (C) fails to fulfill a commitment or contract |
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| 38 | 38 | | described by Subdivision (3). |
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| 39 | 39 | | SECTION 2. Subchapter FF, Chapter 61, Education Code, is |
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| 40 | 40 | | amended by adding Section 61.97731 to read as follows: |
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| 41 | 41 | | Sec. 61.97731. NOTICE REGARDING MINIMUM AND REQUIRED ROTC |
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| 42 | 42 | | TRAINING. The board shall post on the board's Internet website and |
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| 43 | 43 | | provide to each student before the student enters into an agreement |
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| 44 | 44 | | with the board under Section 61.9773 information regarding the |
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| 45 | 45 | | number of years of ROTC training that each entity described by |
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| 46 | 46 | | Section 61.9773(a)(3) requires or recommends before entering into a |
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| 47 | 47 | | commitment or contract described by that subdivision. |
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| 48 | 48 | | SECTION 3. Section 61.9773(a), Education Code, as amended |
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| 49 | 49 | | by this Act, applies beginning with a Texas Armed Services |
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| 50 | 50 | | Scholarship awarded for the 2024-2025 academic year. A Texas Armed |
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| 51 | 51 | | Services Scholarship awarded for an academic year before that |
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| 52 | 52 | | academic year is governed by the law in effect when the scholarship |
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| 53 | 53 | | was awarded, and the former law is continued in effect for that |
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| 54 | 54 | | purpose. |
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| 55 | 55 | | SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |
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| 56 | 56 | | ______________________________ ______________________________ |
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| 57 | 57 | | President of the Senate Speaker of the House |
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| 58 | 58 | | I hereby certify that S.B. No. 371 passed the Senate on |
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| 59 | 59 | | March 29, 2023, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0. |
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| 60 | 60 | | ______________________________ |
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| 61 | 61 | | Secretary of the Senate |
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| 62 | 62 | | I hereby certify that S.B. No. 371 passed the House on |
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| 63 | 63 | | May 9, 2023, by the following vote: Yeas 131, Nays 12, two |
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| 64 | 64 | | present not voting. |
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| 65 | 65 | | ______________________________ |
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| 66 | 66 | | Chief Clerk of the House |
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| 67 | 67 | | Approved: |
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| 68 | 68 | | ______________________________ |
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| 69 | 69 | | Date |
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| 70 | 70 | | ______________________________ |
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| 71 | 71 | | Governor |
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