Bill Text: TX HB1590 | 2023-2024 | 88th Legislature | Enrolled
Bill Title: Relating to the establishment of the Texas Leadership Scholars Program.
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 4-2)
Status: (Passed) 2023-06-12 - Effective immediately [HB1590 Detail]
Download: Texas-2023-HB1590-Enrolled.html
H.B. No. 1590 |
relating to the establishment of the Texas Leadership Scholars | ||
Program. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Chapter 61, Education Code, is amended by adding | ||
Subchapter T-3 to read as follows: | ||
SUBCHAPTER T-3. TEXAS LEADERSHIP SCHOLARS PROGRAM | ||
Sec. 61.891. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter: | ||
(1) "Leadership scholarship" means a scholarship | ||
awarded to an undergraduate student under the program. | ||
(2) "Program" means the Texas Leadership Scholars | ||
Program established under this subchapter. | ||
(3) "Research scholarship" means a scholarship | ||
awarded to a graduate student under the program. | ||
Sec. 61.892. ESTABLISHMENT; ADMINISTRATION. (a) The Texas | ||
Leadership Scholars Program is established to serve as a | ||
merit-based scholarship and leadership opportunity program for | ||
high-achieving, emerging leaders with financial need. | ||
(b) Using money appropriated or otherwise available for the | ||
purpose, the board shall award scholarships and provide academic | ||
achievement support and leadership development to eligible | ||
students under the program. | ||
(c) The board shall administer the program. The board may | ||
contract with one or more institutions of higher education to | ||
assist in administering the program, including receiving and | ||
reviewing applications, recommending the distribution of funds to | ||
institutions of higher education, and developing criteria for the | ||
selection of students for the program. | ||
(d) The board may establish one or more advisory committees | ||
for the purpose of recommending rules for the administration of the | ||
program. | ||
Sec. 61.893. INITIAL ELIGIBILITY. (a) To be initially | ||
eligible for the award of a leadership scholarship, an | ||
undergraduate student must: | ||
(1) have graduated from a public high school in this | ||
state; | ||
(2) either: | ||
(A) have qualified for automatic admission to a | ||
general academic teaching institution under Section 51.803; or | ||
(B) be nominated by the student's high school for | ||
participation in the program and hold another academic distinction | ||
recognized by the board; | ||
(3) be enrolled in a baccalaureate degree program at a | ||
general academic teaching institution; | ||
(4) be economically disadvantaged, as determined by | ||
board rule; and | ||
(5) comply with any additional requirement adopted by | ||
the board. | ||
(b) To be initially eligible for the award of a research | ||
scholarship, a graduate student must: | ||
(1) be enrolled in a research doctoral degree program | ||
at a general academic teaching institution; | ||
(2) either: | ||
(A) have graduated from a public high school in | ||
this state during the 10 years preceding the date of the student's | ||
application to the program; or | ||
(B) have graduated from an institution of higher | ||
education or a private or independent institution of higher | ||
education; | ||
(3) be economically disadvantaged, as determined by | ||
board rule; | ||
(4) be nominated by the institution at which the | ||
student is enrolled on the basis of the student's academic merit and | ||
leadership potential; and | ||
(5) comply with any additional requirements adopted by | ||
the board. | ||
Sec. 61.894. CONTINUING ELIGIBILITY. After establishing | ||
initial eligibility to participate in the program under Section | ||
61.893, a student may continue participating in the program only if | ||
the student: | ||
(1) remains: | ||
(A) for a leadership scholarship, enrolled in a | ||
baccalaureate degree program at a general academic teaching | ||
institution; or | ||
(B) for a research scholarship, enrolled in a | ||
research doctoral degree program at a general academic teaching | ||
institution; | ||
(2) maintains a minimum overall grade point average | ||
determined by board rule; and | ||
(3) complies with any additional requirement adopted | ||
by the board. | ||
Sec. 61.895. ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT SUPPORT AND LEADERSHIP | ||
DEVELOPMENT. The board may enter into agreements with general | ||
academic teaching institutions or other institutions of higher | ||
education to provide students participating in the program with: | ||
(1) research-based support to make satisfactory | ||
academic progress and graduate on time; and | ||
(2) leadership development opportunities, including: | ||
(A) program cohort learning communities; | ||
(B) mentoring, research, and internship | ||
opportunities; | ||
(C) networking with state government, business, | ||
and civic leaders; and | ||
(D) statewide cohort learning institutes or | ||
seminars. | ||
Sec. 61.896. GRANTS, GIFTS, AND DONATIONS. The board may | ||
solicit, accept, and spend grants, gifts, and donations from any | ||
public or private source for the purposes of the program. | ||
Sec. 61.897. RULES. (a) The board, in consultation with | ||
general academic teaching institutions, shall adopt rules for the | ||
administration of the program, including rules providing for the | ||
amount and permissible uses of a scholarship awarded under the | ||
program. The rules must provide that: | ||
(1) the amount of a research scholarship is at least | ||
150 percent of the amount of a leadership scholarship; and | ||
(2) a student may not receive a scholarship under the | ||
program for more than four years. | ||
(b) Notwithstanding Section 61.033, the board is not | ||
required to use negotiated rulemaking procedures under Chapter | ||
2008, Government Code, for the adoption of rules under this | ||
subchapter. | ||
SECTION 2. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board | ||
shall adopt rules to administer Subchapter T-3, Chapter 61, | ||
Education Code, as added by this Act, as soon as practicable after | ||
the effective date of this Act. | ||
SECTION 3. 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, 2023. | ||
______________________________ | ______________________________ | |
President of the Senate | Speaker of the House | |
I certify that H.B. No. 1590 was passed by the House on April | ||
13, 2023, by the following vote: Yeas 126, Nays 21, 2 present, not | ||
voting; and that the House concurred in Senate amendments to H.B. | ||
No. 1590 on May 25, 2023, by the following vote: Yeas 120, Nays 19, | ||
2 present, not voting. | ||
______________________________ | ||
Chief Clerk of the House | ||
I certify that H.B. No. 1590 was passed by the Senate, with | ||
amendments, on May 23, 2023, by the following vote: Yeas 30, Nays | ||
1. | ||
______________________________ | ||
Secretary of the Senate | ||
APPROVED: __________________ | ||
Date | ||
__________________ | ||
Governor |