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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the operation of the Joint Admission Medical Program |
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and to admission to the program. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subsections (a) and (b), Section 51.824, |
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Education Code, are amended to read as follows: |
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(a) The council shall: |
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(1) recruit eligible undergraduate students for |
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admission to the program; |
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(2) establish an application process for admitting |
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eligible undergraduate students to the program; |
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(3) evaluate applications for admission to the program |
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according to the procedures for selecting participating students |
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under Subsection (b) and for selecting program alternates under |
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Section 51.8245; |
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(4) monitor the implementation of the program; |
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(5) assist in developing services to support and |
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encourage the pursuit of a medical education by participating |
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students and[,] program alternates[, and, as applicable,
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nontraditional students described by Section 51.832]; |
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(6) establish a process for participating students to: |
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(A) be matched to an internship program as |
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described by Subsection (c); |
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(B) be matched to any required undergraduate |
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mentoring program as described by Subsection (d); |
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(C) apply for admission to participating medical |
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schools; |
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(D) be matched to a participating medical school |
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as described by Subsection (e); and |
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(E) enroll in that school; |
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(7) award to participating students undergraduate |
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scholarships and summer stipends, including a summer stipend for a |
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student who is required to participate in an internship program in |
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the summer immediately following the student's senior year; |
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(8) award graduate scholarships to participating |
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students [and, as applicable, nontraditional students described by
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Section 51.832]; |
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(9) enter into an agreement with each student admitted |
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to the program, each program alternate, each participating medical |
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school, and each general academic teaching institution or private |
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or independent institution of higher education as required by this |
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subchapter; and |
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(10) take any other action necessary to implement the |
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program. |
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(b) From each general academic teaching institution, the |
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council annually shall select for admission to the program [at
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least] two eligible undergraduate students who are enrolled as |
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sophomores at that institution. From each private or independent |
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institution of higher education, the council annually shall select |
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for admission to the program one eligible undergraduate student who |
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is enrolled as a sophomore at that institution [The council shall
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allocate 10 percent of the total program openings on a rotation
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basis to private or independent institutions of higher education]. |
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The council shall allocate the remaining program openings to |
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participating [general academic teaching] institutions as the |
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council determines to be appropriate. If there are insufficient |
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program openings to accommodate two students from each general |
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academic teaching institution and one student from each private or |
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independent institution of higher education, the council shall |
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select students for admission to the program to achieve the purpose |
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of this subchapter, with no more than 30 percent of the program |
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openings allocated to students from private or independent |
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institutions of higher education. |
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SECTION 2. Section 51.826, Education Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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Sec. 51.826. ELIGIBILITY FOR ADMISSION TO PROGRAM. (a) To |
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be eligible for admission to the program or for selection as a |
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program alternate, an undergraduate student must: |
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(1) have enrolled [enroll] at an [a general academic
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teaching institution or a private or independent] institution of |
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higher education not later than the first fall semester following |
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the student's graduation from high school; |
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(2) be enrolled at a general academic teaching |
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institution or a private or independent institution of higher |
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education at the time of application to the program; |
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(3) be a Texas resident for purposes of tuition under |
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Subchapter B, Chapter 54; |
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(4) [(3)] except as provided by Subsection (c), |
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successfully complete at least 27 semester credit hours during the |
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student's freshman year [at the general academic teaching
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institution or the private or independent institution of higher
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education]; |
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(5) [(4)] apply for admission to the program not later |
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than the date designated by the council during [September 1 of] the |
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fall semester of the student's sophomore year at the general |
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academic teaching institution or the private or independent |
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institution of higher education; and |
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(6) [(5)] meet criteria established by the council |
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regarding: |
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(A) minimum high school and undergraduate grade |
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point averages; |
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(B) financial need and any other indication of |
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economic disadvantage; and |
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(C) any other matter the council considers |
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appropriate. |
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(b) For purposes of Subsection (a)(3) [(a)(2)], a student is |
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not a Texas resident as described by that subdivision solely |
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because the student is eligible to pay tuition at the resident |
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tuition rate. |
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(c) The council shall adopt rules to admit to the program or |
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to select as a program alternate an otherwise eligible |
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undergraduate student who, for good cause, has not successfully |
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completed the number of semester credit hours required under |
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Subsection (a)(4) [(a)(3)]. The council may not admit to the |
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program or select as a program alternate an undergraduate student |
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who has successfully completed fewer than 18 semester credit hours. |
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SECTION 3. Subsection (b), Section 51.8265, Education Code, |
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is amended to read as follows: |
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(b) An identified student who expresses an interest in |
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participating in the program is entitled to the following |
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assistance during the student's freshman year: |
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(1) regular meetings with a program faculty director |
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or an academic or health professions advisor to monitor the |
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student's academic progress and advise the student in academic |
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course work and career choices; and |
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(2) tutoring in courses as necessary, to be paid with |
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program funds. |
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SECTION 4. Subsection (a), Section 51.829, Education Code, |
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is amended to read as follows: |
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(a) Each participating medical school must enter into an |
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agreement with the council under which the medical school agrees |
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to: |
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(1) select a faculty member employed by the medical |
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school to serve on the council; |
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(2) commit faculty and administrative resources to the |
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program; |
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(3) set aside for participating students [or, if
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necessary, nontraditional students described by Section 51.831] at |
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least 10 percent of the medical school's enrollment capacity for |
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each entering class, except as provided by Subsection (b); |
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(4) admit participating students who are matched to |
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the medical school under the program; |
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(5) provide internship programs for participating |
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students who have been matched to or are required to participate in |
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those programs as described by Section 51.824(c) and coordinate the |
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administration of those programs with general academic teaching |
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institutions or private or independent institutions of higher |
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education as necessary; |
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(6) provide for participating students and program |
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alternates any mentoring programs required by the council at the |
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undergraduate level and coordinate the administration of those |
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programs with general academic teaching institutions or private or |
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independent institutions of higher education as necessary; and |
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(7) provide support services, including |
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postbaccalaureate mentoring programs required by the council, to |
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participating students [and, as applicable, nontraditional
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students described by Section 51.832] who enroll in the medical |
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school. |
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SECTION 5. Section 51.830, Education Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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Sec. 51.830. COUNCIL AGREEMENT WITH GENERAL ACADEMIC |
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TEACHING INSTITUTION. Each general academic teaching institution |
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must enter into an agreement with the council under which the |
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institution agrees to: |
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(1) provide academic counseling to a participating |
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student or program alternate enrolled at that institution; |
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(2) as soon as practicable, implement or expand |
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appropriate degree programs as necessary to provide participating |
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students with sufficient preparation for enrollment in |
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participating medical schools; and |
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(3) select a faculty director or an academic or health |
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professions advisor to assist in implementing the program at the |
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institution and in implementing or expanding the institution's |
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degree programs as necessary under Subdivision (2). |
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SECTION 6. Section 51.831, Education Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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Sec. 51.831. COUNCIL AGREEMENT WITH PRIVATE OR INDEPENDENT |
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INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION. Each private or independent |
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institution of higher education must enter into an agreement with |
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the council under which the institution agrees to: |
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(1) provide academic counseling to a participating |
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student or program alternate enrolled at the institution; |
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(2) as soon as practicable, implement or expand |
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appropriate degree programs as necessary to provide participating |
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students with sufficient preparation for enrollment in |
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participating medical schools; |
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(3) select a faculty director or an academic or health |
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professions advisor to assist in implementing the program at the |
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institution and in implementing or expanding the institution's |
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degree programs as necessary under Subdivision (2); and |
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(4) provide a scholarship to a participating student |
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in the amount required for a participating student attending a |
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general academic teaching institution, but not to exceed the amount |
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of tuition and fees that the student is charged. |
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SECTION 7. Subsection (a), Section 51.833, Education Code, |
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is amended to read as follows: |
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(a) The council may accept a gift, grant, devise, or bequest |
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of money, securities, service, or property to carry out any purpose |
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of this subchapter, including funds raised or services provided by |
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a volunteer or volunteer group to promote the work of the council. |
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The council's administrative staff may participate in the |
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establishment and operation of an affiliated nonprofit |
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organization whose purpose is to raise funds for or provide |
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services or other benefits to the council [solicit and accept gifts
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and grants from any public or private source for the purposes of
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this subchapter]. |
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SECTION 8. Section 51.832, Education Code, is repealed. |
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SECTION 9. The changes in law made by this Act apply only to |
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an application for admission to the Joint Admission Medical Program |
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filed on or after the effective date of this Act. |
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SECTION 10. This Act takes effect immediately if it |
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receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each |
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house, as provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. |
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If this Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate |
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effect, this Act takes effect September 1, 2007. |