08 LC 28
4138S
The
House Committee on Higher Education offers the following substitute to HB
1184:
A
BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
AN ACT
To
amend Part 1 of Article 7 of Chapter 3 of Title 20 of the Official Code of
Georgia Annotated, relating to the Georgia Student Finance Commission, so as to
authorize the board of regents to establish a pilot educational assistance
program for collegiate sports for students with physical disabilities; to
authorize the Georgia Student Finance Commission to provide scholarships under
the program; to provide for legislative intent; to provide for duration; to
provide for eligibility; to provide for scholarships for eligible disabled
veterans; to provide for pilot criteria; to provide for selection of pilot
institutions; to correct cross-references; to provide for an effective date; to
repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
BE
IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION
1.
Part
1 of Article 7 of Chapter 3 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia
Annotated, relating to the Georgia Student Finance Commission, is revised by
designating the existing provisions of said part as Subpart 1 of said part and
by adding a new subpart to read as follows:
"Subpart
2
20-3-245.
(a)
The General Assembly recognizes the educational, social, and employment benefits
of collegiate sports for students with physical disabilities. It is the purpose
of this subpart to establish a pilot program that will provide competitive
sports opportunities for students with physical disabilities at the collegiate
level in Georgia and create a sustainable collegiate sports program for students
with physical disabilities. This program will continue the state´s rich
tradition of successful collegiate sports programs for students who are not
disabled.
(b)
The board of regents is authorized to establish and administer a five-year pilot
program to provide competitive sports opportunities for students with physical
disabilities at the collegiate level. The commission is authorized to provide
scholarships to student athletes with physical disabilities. In order to
implement the pilot program, the board of regents shall select two state schools
to be pilot institutions. The selected institutions shall have programs in
place that serve to create meaningful social change to promote human rights for
people with disabilities. The commission is authorized to promulgate rules and
regulations not inconsistent with the provisions of this subpart related to the
scholarships described in this subpart.
(c)
The selected pilot institutions shall recruit high school student athletes with
physical disabilities for participation in the project through participating in
community based clubs and high school programs as well as through an extensive
public relations and awareness campaign.
(d)
The program shall coordinate with the Veterans Administration and the Georgia
section of the Paralyzed Veterans of America to identify and recruit disabled
veterans who will benefit from the program.
(e)
Scholarship recipients shall:
(1)
Meet entry requirements for the pilot institutions and the National Collegiate
Athletic Association;
(2)
Meet the residency requirements established by the board of regents for in-state
tuition; and
(3)
Meet such other eligibility criteria established by the commission in its
applicable rules and regulations.
(f)
The commission shall collaborate with the pilot institutions to determine the
amount of scholarship moneys offered to prospective student athletes for
participation in the disability sports program.
(g)
The pilot institutions shall strive to make the program like any other
university department of athletics program, including recruiting, signing, and
enrolling student athletes with physical disabilities, managing the budget,
securing coaches and trainers, securing equipment, sports wheelchairs, and
training facilities, as well as any other necessary services or
equipment.
(h)
The pilot institutions may at their sole discretion contract with an independent
party recognized by the U.S. Olympic Committee as a member of the Multi-Sport
Organizations Council (MSOC) to act as subcontractor and to partner with such
subcontractor to provide paralympic sport technical expertise and resources in
scouting, recruiting, coaching, and training of disabled athletes with a variety
of physical disabilities that may include wheelchair, blind, war-injured, and
other disabilities as well as providing sport wheelchairs, sporting equipment,
off campus practice and competition facilities, competition management, and
transportation for the respective teams and student athletes.
(i)
Each pilot institution may choose to delegate the administration of the pilot
program to a division of that institution having expertise and a record of
working toward positive social change through sport by promoting disability
rights and disability sports.
(j)
The pilot program shall strive to achieve gender equity and access to students
with various physical disabilities through its choice of sports and shall
include wheelchair basketball to compete in the collegiate division of National
Wheelchair Basketball Association and a program of cross-disability sports
sanctioned by the United States Paralympics and the United States Disability
Sport Organization.
(k)
The scope to the pilot program shall include goals of ten full scholarships
that may be subdivided as partial scholarships and 20 to 25 student athletes
with physical disabilities by year three of the pilot program with an emphasis
upon recruiting veterans with disabilities. Such scholarship funds shall be
applied to the student´s cost of attendance at the institution after all
other scholarships and grants have been applied to the student´s
account.
(l)(1)
The General Assembly shall conduct a review of the pilot program after the third
school year of operation.
(2)
Not later than December 31 following the end of the third year of operation of
the pilot program, the pilot institutions shall provide a report to the
Lieutenant Governor and the Speaker of the House of Representatives on the pilot
program, using all data obtained to analyze the success, progress, or failure of
the program and the participating student athletes. The report shall detail the
operation and cost of the pilot program and include recommendations regarding
extension, expansion, or termination of the pilot program after the initial
three-year period.
(3)
Any other corporation, organization, or association that has an interest in the
pilot program may provide a report to the Lieutenant Governor and the Speaker of
the House of Representatives with recommendations for improving the
program."
SECTION
2.
Subpart
1 of Part 1 of Article 7 of Chapter 3 of Title 20 of the Official Code of
Georgia Annotated, relating to Georgia Student Finance Commissions, is amended
by replacing "this part" with "this subpart" wherever the former term appears
in:
(1)
Code Section 20-3-230, relating to a short title;
(2)
Code Section 20-3-231, relating to legislative findings and purpose of the
commission;
(3)
Code Section 20-3-232, relating to definitions;
(4)
Code Section 20-3-234, relating to functions and composition of the board of
commissioners; appointment, qualifications, and terms of commissioners; board
officers; meetings; committees; compensation; and advisory
councils;
(5)
Code Section 20-3-235, relating to commission officers, employees, and support
services; bonds; and legal services;
(6)
Code Section 20-3-236, relating to powers and duties of the commission, the
board of commissioners, and officers; and
(7)
Code Section 20-3-237, relating to division of the board of commissioners to
serve as directors of the corporation and authority.
SECTION
3.
This
Act shall become effective only if funds are specifically appropriated for the
purposes of this Act in a General Appropriations Act making specific reference
to this Act and shall become effective when funds so appropriated become
available for expenditure.
SECTION
4.
All
laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.