81R11733 KSD-D
By: Smith of Tarrant H.B. No. 3463
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to student loan repayment assistance for undergraduate
students who agree to teach in public schools in this state that
have shortages of teachers in math and science.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Chapter 61, Education Code, is amended by adding
Subchapter GG to read as follows:
SUBCHAPTER GG. STUDENT LOAN REPAYMENT ASSISTANCE FOR MATHEMATICS
AND SCIENCE CLASSROOM TEACHERS
Sec. 61.9831. LOAN REPAYMENT ASSISTANCE AUTHORIZED. The
board may provide, in accordance with this subchapter and board
rules, assistance in the repayment of eligible student loans for
eligible undergraduate students who agree to teach mathematics or
science for a specified period in public schools in this state that
are determined by the Texas Education Agency to have shortages of
teachers in math and science.
Sec. 61.9832. ELIGIBILITY; AGREEMENT REQUIREMENTS. (a) To
be eligible to receive loan repayment assistance under this
subchapter, a person must:
(1) apply for the loan repayment assistance in the
manner prescribed by the board;
(2) be currently enrolled in an educator preparation
program accredited by the State Board for Educator Certification
that is provided by an institution of higher education or by a
private or independent institution of higher education in this
state;
(3) have a cumulative grade point average of at least
2.75 on a four-point scale or the equivalent;
(4) enter into an agreement with the board providing
that:
(A) the person will earn a baccalaureate degree
through completion of an educator preparation program described by
Subdivision (2);
(B) the person will graduate with a cumulative
grade point average of at least 2.75 on a four-point scale or the
equivalent;
(C) the person will obtain, within the period
prescribed by board rule, appropriate certification under
Subchapter B, Chapter 21, to teach mathematics or science in a
public school in this state;
(D) beginning with the first school year that
begins after the date the person obtains the appropriate
certification described by Paragraph (C), the person will accept an
offer of full-time employment to teach in a public school in this
state selected by the person from among schools anticipated by the
Texas Education Agency to have shortages of teachers in math and
science for that first school year for which the person is accepting
employment;
(E) the person will complete seven consecutive
years of employment as a full-time classroom teacher in a school
described by Paragraph (D) whose primary duty is to teach
mathematics or science; and
(F) the person acknowledges the conditional
nature of the loan repayment assistance; and
(5) comply with any other requirement adopted by the
board under this subchapter.
(b) Except as provided by Section 61.9833, for the first
school year of employment and each following consecutive school
year of employment, as described by Subsections (a)(4)(D) and (E),
not to exceed a total of seven years, the board may provide
assistance for the repayment of a portion of an eligible person's
eligible loans. Subject to the availability of funding under
Section 61.9836 and except as otherwise provided by this
subsection, the amount of an assistance payment provided under this
subsection in any year to an eligible person is $5,000. The board
shall increase that amount as necessary to adjust for inflation or,
as determined by the board, on the basis of other relevant
considerations. The board shall reduce the amount of a single
assistance payment or refrain from making an assistance payment to
an eligible person as necessary to avoid making total payments
under this subsection to the person in an amount greater than the
total amount of principal and interest due on the person's eligible
loans.
(c) For purposes of this subchapter, not later than April 1
of each school year, the Texas Education Agency shall determine
which public schools in this state are anticipated to have
shortages of math and science teachers during the following school
year and shall provide that information to the board and to each
educator preparation program in this state accredited by the State
Board for Educator Certification.
Sec. 61.9833. EXCEPTION TO CONSECUTIVE YEARS OF EMPLOYMENT
REQUIREMENT. The board shall excuse an otherwise eligible person
from the requirement imposed by Section 61.9832(a)(4)(E) that the
employment be performed in consecutive years if the break in
employment is a result of the person's:
(1) full-time enrollment in a course of study related
to the field of teaching that is approved by the State Board for
Educator Certification and provided by an institution of higher
education or by a private or independent institution of higher
education in this state;
(2) service on active duty as a member of the armed
forces of the United States;
(3) temporary total disability for a period of not
more than 36 months as established by the affidavit of a qualified
physician;
(4) inability to secure employment as required by
Section 61.9832 for a period not to exceed 12 months, because of
care required by a disabled spouse or child;
(5) inability, despite reasonable efforts, to secure,
for a single period not to exceed 12 months, employment as required
by Section 61.9832; or
(6) satisfaction of the provisions of any other
exception adopted by the board for purposes of this section.
Sec. 61.9834. ELIGIBLE LOANS. (a) The board may provide
under this subchapter repayment assistance for the repayment of any
student loan that:
(1) is for education at a public or private
institution of higher education; and
(2) is received by an eligible person through an
eligible lender.
(b) If the loan is not a state or federal guaranteed student
loan, the note or other writing governing the terms of the loan must
require the loan proceeds to be used for expenses incurred by a
person in attending a postsecondary educational institution.
(c) The board may not provide loan repayment assistance
under this subchapter for a student loan that is in default at the
time of the person's application for repayment assistance.
Sec. 61.9835. PAYMENT OF ASSISTANCE. (a) The board shall
pay any loan repayment assistance under this subchapter in a lump
sum:
(1) payable to both the holder of the loan and the
eligible person; or
(2) delivered on the eligible person's behalf directly
to the holder of the loan.
(b) Loan repayment assistance provided under this
subchapter may be applied to any amount due on the loan.
(c) Each fiscal biennium, the board shall attempt to
allocate all money available to the board for the purpose of
providing loan repayment assistance under this subchapter.
Sec. 61.9836. FUNDING. In addition to money appropriated
by the legislature for purposes of this subchapter, the board may
solicit and accept gifts, grants, and donations from any public or
private entity for purposes of this subchapter.
Sec. 61.9837. TOTAL AMOUNT OF LOAN REPAYMENT ASSISTANCE.
The total amount of loan repayment assistance paid by the board
under this subchapter may not exceed the total amount of money
available under Section 61.9836 for that purpose and any other
money that the board is legally authorized to use for purposes of
this subchapter.
Sec. 61.9838. RULES. If the board provides loan repayment
assistance under this subchapter, the board shall:
(1) adopt rules necessary for the administration of
this subchapter, including a rule providing for the manner in which
a person may apply for repayment assistance; and
(2) distribute to each educator preparation program
approved by the State Board for Educator Certification offered by
an institution of higher education or by a private or independent
institution of higher education in this state a copy of the rules
adopted under this section.
SECTION 2. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board
shall adopt the rules for loan repayment assistance under
Subchapter GG, Chapter 61, Education Code, as added by this Act, not
later than December 1, 2009. The board may, if it is feasible,
begin administering the loan repayment assistance program
established by that subchapter in the 2009-2010 academic year.
Otherwise, the board shall begin administering the program in the
2010-2011 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, 2009.