Bill Text: TX SB884 | 2019-2020 | 86th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to the establishment of the Texas Emergency Aid for Public Postsecondary Students (TEAPPS) grant program for students at public institutions of higher education.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2019-04-10 - Left pending in committee [SB884 Detail]
Download: Texas-2019-SB884-Introduced.html
86R7827 KJE-D | ||
By: Menéndez | S.B. No. 884 |
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relating to the establishment of the Texas Emergency Aid for Public | ||
Postsecondary Students (TEAPPS) grant program for students at | ||
public institutions of higher education. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Chapter 56, Education Code, is amended by adding | ||
Subchapter D-1 to read as follows: | ||
SUBCHAPTER D-1. TEXAS EMERGENCY AID FOR PUBLIC POSTSECONDARY | ||
STUDENTS (TEAPPS) GRANT PROGRAM | ||
Sec. 56.061. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter: | ||
(1) "Coordinating board" means the Texas Higher | ||
Education Coordinating Board. | ||
(2) "Program" means the Texas Emergency Aid for Public | ||
Postsecondary Students (TEAPPS) grant program established under | ||
this subchapter. | ||
Sec. 56.062. PROGRAM PURPOSE. The purpose of the Texas | ||
Emergency Aid for Public Postsecondary Students (TEAPPS) grant | ||
program is to enable eligible institutions of higher education to | ||
provide emergency aid grants to assist students in dealing with | ||
unexpected or unforeseen expenses, events, or circumstances that | ||
could cause a loss of momentum toward academic success. | ||
Sec. 56.063. ADMINISTRATION OF PROGRAM. (a) The | ||
coordinating board shall administer the program and adopt any rules | ||
necessary to implement the program. The coordinating board shall | ||
consult with the student financial aid officers of institutions of | ||
higher education in developing rules under this subchapter. | ||
(b) The coordinating board shall develop a competitive | ||
application process to award grants to eligible institutions of | ||
higher education under the program. | ||
Sec. 56.064. GRANT ELIGIBILITY. To be eligible to receive a | ||
grant under the program, an institution of higher education must | ||
offer at least one associate's or baccalaureate degree program and: | ||
(1) have a student enrollment in which at least 30 | ||
percent of students: | ||
(A) receive a Pell grant; or | ||
(B) are members of an underrepresented minority | ||
population, as determined by the coordinating board; or | ||
(2) be designated by the United States Department of | ||
Education as a Minority Serving Institution (MSI). | ||
Sec. 56.065. PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS. An institution of | ||
higher education awarded a grant under this subchapter must: | ||
(1) adopt a policy that clearly defines "emergency" | ||
for purposes of providing emergency aid to students under Section | ||
56.067; | ||
(2) use an additional amount of funds at least equal to | ||
10 percent of the grant amount awarded under the program for | ||
purposes of providing emergency aid to students under Section | ||
56.067; | ||
(3) partner with at least one state agency and at least | ||
three nonprofit, community-based organizations or other private | ||
entities to offer to students receiving emergency aid under Section | ||
56.067 wraparound support services, including assistance with | ||
food, housing, transportation, or health care; and | ||
(4) implement basic components and adhere to best | ||
practices for successful emergency aid programs, as determined by | ||
the coordinating board. | ||
Sec. 56.066. GRANT FUNDING; AMOUNT OF GRANT. (a) The total | ||
amount of money appropriated for an academic year to award grants to | ||
institutions of higher education under the program may not exceed | ||
$2 million. | ||
(b) The amount of a grant awarded to an institution of | ||
higher education under the program may not exceed $50,000 per | ||
academic year. | ||
(c) The coordinating board may solicit and accept gifts, | ||
grants, and donations from any public or private source for the | ||
program. | ||
Sec. 56.067. GRANT USE. (a) An institution of higher | ||
education that receives a grant under the program may use grant | ||
funds only to provide emergency aid to students enrolled at the | ||
institution in accordance with this subchapter. | ||
(b) The amount of emergency aid awarded to a student under | ||
this section may not exceed $1,000 per award. | ||
(c) An institution of higher education that receives a grant | ||
under the program must establish an application process for | ||
students enrolled at the institution to apply for emergency aid | ||
awarded under this section. The application process must: | ||
(1) allow students to apply electronically; | ||
(2) be offered in both English and Spanish; and | ||
(3) require the institution to: | ||
(A) conclude review of an application not later | ||
than 48 hours after receipt of the application; and | ||
(B) disburse any funds awarded not later than 48 | ||
hours after concluding review of an application. | ||
(d) Each institution of higher education that receives a | ||
grant under the program shall: | ||
(1) inform students enrolled at the institution of the | ||
availability of emergency aid under this section in the manner | ||
required by the coordinating board; and | ||
(2) collect and maintain data regarding the awarding | ||
of emergency aid under this section. | ||
SECTION 2. (a) The Texas Higher Education Coordinating | ||
Board shall adopt rules to administer Subchapter D-1, Chapter 56, | ||
Education Code, as added by this Act, as soon as practicable after | ||
the effective date of this Act. | ||
(b) The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board shall | ||
begin awarding grants under Subchapter D-1, Chapter 56, Education | ||
Code, as added by this Act, for the first academic year for which | ||
money is appropriated for that purpose, except that the | ||
coordinating board may not award grants under that subchapter for | ||
an academic year before the 2020-2021 academic year. | ||
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, 2019. |