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2005 SESSION

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HB 2588 Brown v. Board of Education Scholarship Program and Fund; created.

Introduced by: Kenneth R. Melvin | all patrons    ...    notes | add to my profiles

SUMMARY AS INTRODUCED:

Brown v. Board of Education Scholarship Program and Fund. Amends, reorganizes, and moves the statute creating the Brown v. Board of Education Scholarship Program and Fund to Title 30. Currently, a part of the law is codified in Title 23. The bill also (i) includes several technical amendments to provide clarity and consistency; (ii) reinstates language inadvertently omitted; (iii) prohibits the use of scholarship funds for theological education; (iv) authorizes the Awards Committee to seek, receive, and expend nonstate funds; and (v) resolves the issue of the separation of powers by requiring the State Council of Higher Education to advise and provide technical assistance to the Awards Committee in a manner consistent with its statutory responsibilities for higher education in the Commonwealth. Under the current law, the Scholarship Program and the Awards Committee are created within the legislative branch; however, administration of the Program is shared between the legislative and executive branch agencies. The bill also waives the Standards of Learning requirements and assessments for persons awarded a scholarship under the Program and who are enrolled in a preparation program for the General Education Development (GED) certificate or an adult basic education program for the high school diploma. Also, for the purpose of verifying the domicile of applicants, the Awards Committee is authorized to establish a list of acceptable documents consistent with those required to obtain a Virginia driver's license or identification card, and to access vital records. In addition, the Awards Committee must establish a protocol to facilitate the dual enrollment of eligible students in adult basic education programs and degree programs, and the conventional enrollment of such students in public and private two-year institutions of higher education. Further, the Awards Committee is charged to develop and implement a system that provides transition programs and services to prepare eligible students for academic success in GED preparation and adult basic education programs, and college.

The second enactment clause allows students who are enrolled in an approved education program when the Program expires to complete their education through the renewal of the scholarship, if they demonstrate satisfactory academic achievement. The third enactment clause delegates to the State Council of Higher Education the responsibility to review and approve applications for renewal of scholarship awards of students who were enrolled in approved education programs when the Program expired. The fourth enactment clause repeals Chapter 4.4:5 of Title 23, consisting of §§ 23-38.53:21 through 23-38.53:24, and Chapter 34 of Title 30, consisting of §§ 30-226 through 30-231. This bill has an emergency clause.

This bill is a recommendation of the Brown v. Board of Education Scholarship Awards Committee.


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