| 1 | 1 | | 81R2393 KJM-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Ellis S.B. No. 699 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 7 | | relating to higher education student loan repayment assistance for |
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| 8 | 8 | | peace officers. |
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| 9 | 9 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 10 | 10 | | SECTION 1. Chapter 61, Education Code, is amended by adding |
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| 11 | 11 | | Subchapter II to read as follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | SUBCHAPTER II. PEACE OFFICER LOAN REPAYMENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM |
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| 13 | 13 | | Sec. 61.9851. DEFINITION. In this subchapter, "peace |
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| 14 | 14 | | officer" has the meaning assigned by Article 2.12, Code of Criminal |
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| 15 | 15 | | Procedure. |
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| 16 | 16 | | Sec. 61.9852. REPAYMENT AUTHORIZED. The board shall |
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| 17 | 17 | | establish and administer a program to provide, in accordance with |
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| 18 | 18 | | this subchapter and board rules, assistance in the repayment of |
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| 19 | 19 | | student loans for persons who are employed as peace officers by |
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| 20 | 20 | | state agencies or political subdivisions of this state and who |
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| 21 | 21 | | apply and qualify for the assistance. |
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| 22 | 22 | | Sec. 61.9853. ELIGIBILITY. To be eligible to receive |
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| 23 | 23 | | repayment assistance under this subchapter, a person must: |
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| 24 | 24 | | (1) apply to the board; |
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| 25 | 25 | | (2) be a resident of this state; |
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| 26 | 26 | | (3) at the time of application for repayment |
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| 27 | 27 | | assistance have been employed full-time for at least one year as, |
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| 28 | 28 | | and be currently employed full-time as, a peace officer by a state |
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| 29 | 29 | | agency or political subdivision of this state; |
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| 30 | 30 | | (4) have earned at least 60 hours of course credit at a |
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| 31 | 31 | | public or private or independent institution of higher education in |
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| 32 | 32 | | this state before becoming a peace officer; and |
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| 33 | 33 | | (5) comply with any additional requirement adopted by |
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| 34 | 34 | | board rule. |
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| 35 | 35 | | Sec. 61.9854. LIMITATIONS. (a) On qualifying for |
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| 36 | 36 | | repayment assistance under this subchapter, a person may receive |
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| 37 | 37 | | repayment assistance for each year of employment as a peace |
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| 38 | 38 | | officer, not to exceed five years. |
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| 39 | 39 | | (b) The amount of repayment assistance that a person may |
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| 40 | 40 | | receive for each year of employment as a peace officer may not |
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| 41 | 41 | | exceed 20 percent of the peace officer's total amount of eligible |
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| 42 | 42 | | loans as provided by Section 61.9855. |
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| 43 | 43 | | (c) The total amount of repayment assistance provided under |
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| 44 | 44 | | this subchapter to a person may not exceed $20,000. |
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| 45 | 45 | | (d) The total amount of repayment assistance provided under |
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| 46 | 46 | | this subchapter may not exceed the total amount of gifts and grants |
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| 47 | 47 | | accepted by the board for the repayment assistance, legislative |
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| 48 | 48 | | appropriations for the repayment assistance, and other funds |
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| 49 | 49 | | available to the board for the repayment assistance. |
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| 50 | 50 | | Sec. 61.9855. ELIGIBLE LOANS. (a) The board may provide |
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| 51 | 51 | | repayment assistance for the repayment of any student loan received |
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| 52 | 52 | | by an eligible person through any lender for the cost of attendance |
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| 53 | 53 | | at a public or private or independent institution of higher |
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| 54 | 54 | | education for a semester or other term that ended not earlier than |
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| 55 | 55 | | 60 months before the date of the person initially becoming a peace |
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| 56 | 56 | | officer. |
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| 57 | 57 | | (b) The board may withhold repayment assistance for a |
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| 58 | 58 | | student loan that is in default at the time of the peace officer's |
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| 59 | 59 | | application. |
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| 60 | 60 | | (c) The board may not provide repayment assistance for the |
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| 61 | 61 | | repayment of a loan for the cost of attendance for credit hours a |
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| 62 | 62 | | person earns after becoming a peace officer. |
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| 63 | 63 | | Sec. 61.9856. REPAYMENT. (a) The board shall deliver any |
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| 64 | 64 | | repayment under this subchapter in a lump sum payable to the lender |
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| 65 | 65 | | and the peace officer, in accordance with any applicable federal |
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| 66 | 66 | | law. |
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| 67 | 67 | | (b) A repayment under this subchapter may be applied to any |
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| 68 | 68 | | amount due in connection with the loan. |
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| 69 | 69 | | Sec. 61.9857. ACCEPTANCE OF GIFTS. The board may solicit |
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| 70 | 70 | | and accept gifts and grants from any source for the purposes of this |
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| 71 | 71 | | subchapter. |
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| 72 | 72 | | Sec. 61.9858. RULES. (a) The board shall adopt rules as |
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| 73 | 73 | | necessary to administer this subchapter. |
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| 74 | 74 | | (b) The board shall distribute a copy of the rules adopted |
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| 75 | 75 | | under this section and pertinent information regarding this |
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| 76 | 76 | | subchapter to: |
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| 77 | 77 | | (1) each public and private or independent institution |
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| 78 | 78 | | of higher education in this state; |
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| 79 | 79 | | (2) any appropriate state agency; and |
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| 80 | 80 | | (3) any appropriate professional association. |
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| 81 | 81 | | SECTION 2. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board |
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| 82 | 82 | | shall adopt the rules for repayment assistance under Subchapter II, |
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| 83 | 83 | | Chapter 61, Education Code, as added by this Act, not later than |
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| 84 | 84 | | December 1, 2009. |
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| 85 | 85 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 86 | 86 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 87 | 87 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 88 | 88 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 89 | 89 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2009. |
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