Bill Text: TX HB1117 | 2017-2018 | 85th Legislature | Comm Sub
NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft
Bill Title: Relating to eligibility for the Texas Armed Services Scholarship Program.
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Passed) 2017-05-29 - Effective immediately [HB1117 Detail]
Download: Texas-2017-HB1117-Comm_Sub.html
Bill Title: Relating to eligibility for the Texas Armed Services Scholarship Program.
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Passed) 2017-05-29 - Effective immediately [HB1117 Detail]
Download: Texas-2017-HB1117-Comm_Sub.html
By: Wray (Senate Sponsor - Zaffirini) | H.B. No. 1117 | |
(In the Senate - Received from the House April 24, 2017; | ||
May 1, 2017, read first time and referred to Committee on Veteran | ||
Affairs & Border Security; May 11, 2017, reported favorably by the | ||
following vote: Yeas 6, Nays 0; May 11, 2017, sent to printer.) | ||
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relating to eligibility for the Texas Armed Services Scholarship | ||
Program. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Section 61.9772(a), Education Code, is amended | ||
to read as follows: | ||
(a) To receive an initial scholarship under this | ||
subchapter, a student must: | ||
(1) be enrolled in a public or private institution of | ||
higher education in this state; | ||
(2) enroll in and be a member in good standing of a | ||
Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) program or another | ||
undergraduate officer commissioning program such as the United | ||
States Marine Corps Platoon Leaders Class while enrolled in a | ||
public or private institution of higher education in this state; | ||
(3) be appointed to receive a scholarship by the | ||
governor, the lieutenant governor, a state senator, or a state | ||
representative; and | ||
(4) enter into an agreement with the board under | ||
Section 61.9773. | ||
SECTION 2. Section 61.9773(a), Education Code, is amended | ||
to read as follows: | ||
(a) To receive a scholarship under this subchapter, a | ||
student must enter into an agreement with the board as provided by | ||
this section. The agreement must require the student to: | ||
(1) complete four years of ROTC training or complete | ||
another undergraduate officer commissioning program such as the | ||
United States Marine Corps Platoon Leaders Class; | ||
(2) graduate not later than six years after the date | ||
the student first enrolls in a public or private institution of | ||
higher education in this state; | ||
(3) after graduation, enter into: | ||
(A) a four-year commitment to be a member of the | ||
Texas Army National Guard, Texas Air National Guard, Texas State | ||
Guard, United States Coast Guard, or United States Merchant Marine; | ||
or | ||
(B) a contract to serve as a commissioned officer | ||
in any branch of the armed services of the United States; | ||
(4) meet the physical examination requirements and all | ||
other prescreening requirements of the Texas Army National Guard, | ||
Texas Air National Guard, Texas State Guard, United States Coast | ||
Guard, or United States Merchant Marine or the branch of the armed | ||
services with which the student enters into a contract; and | ||
(5) agree to repay the scholarship if the student: | ||
(A) fails to maintain satisfactory academic | ||
progress; | ||
(B) withdraws from the scholarship program; or | ||
(C) fails to fulfill a commitment or contract | ||
described by Subdivision (3). | ||
SECTION 3. The changes in law made by this Act apply | ||
beginning with a Texas Armed Services Scholarship awarded for the | ||
2017-2018 academic year. A Texas Armed Services Scholarship | ||
awarded for an academic year before that academic year is covered by | ||
the law in effect when the scholarship was awarded, and that law is | ||
continued in effect for that purpose. | ||
SECTION 4. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board | ||
shall adopt rules for the administration of Sections 61.9772 and | ||
61.9773, Education Code, as amended by this Act, as soon as | ||
practicable after this Act takes effect. | ||
SECTION 5. 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, 2017. | ||
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