Texas 2025 - 89th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB158 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	89R2383 JTZ-D
2	2	By: Menéndez S.B. No. 158
3	3
4	4
5	5
6	6
7	7	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
8	8	AN ACT
9	9	relating to the establishment of the Texas Emergency Aid for Public
10	10	Postsecondary Students (TEAPPS) grant program for students at
11	11	certain public institutions of higher education.
12	12	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
13	13	SECTION 1. Chapter 61, Education Code, is amended by adding
14	14	Subchapter MM to read as follows:
15	15	SUBCHAPTER MM. TEXAS EMERGENCY AID FOR PUBLIC POSTSECONDARY
16	16	STUDENTS (TEAPPS) GRANT PROGRAM
17	17	Sec. 61.9901. DEFINITION. In this subchapter, "program"
18	18	means the Texas Emergency Aid for Public Postsecondary Students
19	19	(TEAPPS) grant program established under this subchapter.
20	20	Sec. 61.9902. PROGRAM PURPOSE. The purpose of the Texas
21	21	Emergency Aid for Public Postsecondary Students (TEAPPS) grant
22	22	program is to enable eligible institutions of higher education to
23	23	provide emergency aid grants to assist students in dealing with
24	24	unexpected or unforeseen expenses, events, or circumstances that
25	25	could cause a loss of momentum toward completion of a degree
26	26	program.
27	27	Sec. 61.9903. ADMINISTRATION OF PROGRAM. (a) The board
28	28	shall administer the program and adopt any rules necessary to
29	29	implement the program. The board shall consult with institutions
30	30	of higher education in developing rules under this subchapter.
31	31	(b) The board shall develop a competitive application
32	32	process to award grants to eligible institutions of higher
33	33	education under the program.
34	34	Sec. 61.9904. GRANT ELIGIBILITY. To be eligible to receive
35	35	a grant under the program, an institution of higher education must
36	36	offer at least one associate or baccalaureate degree program and:
37	37	(1) have a student enrollment in which at least 30
38	38	percent of students:
39	39	(A) receive a Pell grant; or
40	40	(B) are members of an underrepresented minority
41	41	population, as determined by the board; or
42	42	(2) be designated by the United States Department of
43	43	Education as a Minority Serving Institution (MSI).
44	44	Sec. 61.9905. PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS. An institution of
45	45	higher education awarded a grant under this subchapter must:
46	46	(1) adopt a policy that clearly defines "emergency" in
47	47	accordance with board rule for purposes of providing emergency aid
48	48	to students under Section 61.9907;
49	49	(2) use an additional amount of funds at least equal to
50	50	10 percent of the grant amount awarded under the program for
51	51	purposes of providing emergency aid to students under Section
52	52	61.9907;
53	53	(3) partner with state agencies, nonprofit
54	54	community-based organizations, or other private entities to offer
55	55	to students receiving emergency aid under Section 61.9907
56	56	wraparound support services, such as assistance with food, housing,
57	57	transportation, or health care; and
58	58	(4) implement basic components and adhere to best
59	59	practices for successful emergency aid programs, as determined by
60	60	the board.
61	61	Sec. 61.9906. GRANT FUNDING; AMOUNT OF GRANT. (a) The
62	62	total amount of money appropriated for an academic year to award
63	63	grants to institutions of higher education under the program may
64	64	not exceed $2 million.
65	65	(b) The amount of a grant awarded to an institution of
66	66	higher education under the program may not exceed $50,000 per
67	67	academic year.
68	68	(c) The board may solicit and accept gifts, grants, and
69	69	donations from any public or private source for the program.
70	70	Sec. 61.9907. GRANT USE. (a) An institution of higher
71	71	education that receives a grant under the program may use grant
72	72	funds only to provide emergency aid to students enrolled at the
73	73	institution in accordance with this subchapter.
74	74	(b) The amount of emergency aid awarded to a student under
75	75	this section may not exceed $1,000 per award.
76	76	(c) An institution of higher education that receives a grant
77	77	under the program must establish an application process for
78	78	students enrolled at the institution to apply for emergency aid
79	79	awarded under this section. The application process must:
80	80	(1) allow students to apply electronically;
81	81	(2) be offered in both English and Spanish; and
82	82	(3) require the institution to:
83	83	(A) conclude review of an application not later
84	84	than 48 hours after receipt of the application; and
85	85	(B) disburse any funds awarded not later than 48
86	86	hours after concluding review of an application.
87	87	(d) Each institution of higher education that receives a
88	88	grant under the program shall:
89	89	(1) inform students enrolled at the institution of the
90	90	availability of emergency aid under this section in the manner
91	91	required by board rule;
92	92	(2) collect and maintain data regarding the awarding
93	93	of emergency aid under this section to evaluate the effectiveness
94	94	of the program; and
95	95	(3) report the data collected under Subdivision (2) to
96	96	the board in the time and manner required by board rule.
97	97	SECTION 2. (a) The Texas Higher Education Coordinating
98	98	Board shall adopt rules to administer Subchapter MM, Chapter 61,
99	99	Education Code, as added by this Act, as soon as practicable after
100	100	the effective date of this Act.
101	101	(b) The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board shall
102	102	begin awarding grants under Subchapter MM, Chapter 61, Education
103	103	Code, as added by this Act, for the first academic year for which
104	104	money is appropriated for that purpose, except that the
105	105	coordinating board may not award grants under that subchapter for
106	106	an academic year before the 2026-2027 academic year.
107	107	SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
108	108	a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
109	109	provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
110	110	Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
111	111	Act takes effect September 1, 2025.