Bill Text: TX HB216 | 2011-2012 | 82nd Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to the creation of the Texas Legislative Fellows Program for certain students enrolled in component institutions of The University of Texas System.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2011-02-14 - Referred to Higher Education [HB216 Detail]
Download: Texas-2011-HB216-Introduced.html
| 82R858 KSD-D | ||
| By: Gallego | H.B. No. 216 | |
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| relating to the creation of the Texas Legislative Fellows Program | ||
| for certain students enrolled in component institutions of The | ||
| University of Texas System. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 65, Education Code, is | ||
| amended by adding Section 65.48 to read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 65.48. TEXAS LEGISLATIVE FELLOWS PROGRAM. (a) The | ||
| board shall develop and establish the Texas Legislative Fellows | ||
| Program, under which students enrolled in component institutions of | ||
| the system are selected to perform internships for members of the | ||
| Texas Legislature during the spring semester of odd-numbered years. | ||
| (b) Under the program, during the fall semester of each | ||
| even-numbered year, the chancellor of the system shall select 20 | ||
| students enrolled in component institutions of the system to | ||
| participate in the program during the following semester. At least | ||
| one student must be selected from each component general academic | ||
| teaching institution. | ||
| (c) The board shall establish: | ||
| (1) an application process and eligibility | ||
| requirements for the selection of students for participation in the | ||
| program; and | ||
| (2) a process for matching student participants with | ||
| offices of members of the legislature who agree to employ one or | ||
| more of the students under the program. | ||
| (d) The program shall be designed to require that each | ||
| student who participates in the program: | ||
| (1) work at least the following number of hours for a | ||
| member of the legislature during the regular legislative session: | ||
| (A) 20 hours per week for the first 6 weeks; | ||
| (B) 30 hours per week for weeks 7 through 10; and | ||
| (C) 40 hours per week after week 10; and | ||
| (2) during the internship, complete three academic | ||
| courses relating to state government and legislative issues | ||
| approved by the board for purposes of this section. | ||
| (e) A student who successfully completes the student's | ||
| internship under the program is entitled to receive: | ||
| (1) a stipend of $10,000, payable in monthly | ||
| installments during the student's internship; and | ||
| (2) six hours of independent study course credit | ||
| toward the student's degree at the component institution of the | ||
| system in which the student is enrolled. | ||
| (f) The board shall appoint a faculty member of a component | ||
| institution of the system to serve as the director of the program. | ||
| The director shall supervise student participants in the program | ||
| and shall teach the courses required by Subsection (d)(2). | ||
| (g) The stipend for an intern shall be paid from the | ||
| operating account of the member of the legislature to whom the | ||
| intern is assigned. The applicable house of the legislature shall | ||
| supplement the member's operating account as necessary to provide | ||
| sufficient funding for the stipend. Each house shall contribute to | ||
| the salary of the program director from the general fund of the | ||
| applicable house. | ||
| SECTION 2. 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, 2011. | ||
