Texas 2015 - 84th Regular

Texas House Bill HB2434 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	84R4028 JSL-D
2	2	By: Coleman H.B. No. 2434
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to student loan repayment assistance for certain mental
8	8	health professionals.
9	9	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
10	10	SECTION 1. Chapter 61, Education Code, is amended by adding
11	11	Subchapter K to read as follows:
12	12	SUBCHAPTER K. REPAYMENT OF CERTAIN MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONAL
13	13	EDUCATION LOANS
14	14	Sec. 61.601. DEFINITION. In this subchapter, "mental
15	15	health professional" means:
16	16	(1) a licensed physician who is certified in
17	17	psychiatry by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology;
18	18	(2) a psychologist, as defined by Section 501.002,
19	19	Occupations Code;
20	20	(3) a licensed professional counselor, as defined by
21	21	Section 503.002, Occupations Code;
22	22	(4) an advanced practice registered nurse, as defined
23	23	by Section 301.152, Occupations Code, who holds a nationally
24	24	recognized board certification in psychiatric or mental health
25	25	nursing; and
26	26	(5) a licensed clinical social worker, as defined by
27	27	Section 505.002, Occupations Code.
28	28	Sec. 61.602. REPAYMENT AUTHORIZED. The board shall
29	29	establish a program to provide, using funds appropriated for that
30	30	purpose and in accordance with this subchapter and rules of the
31	31	board, assistance in the repayment of student loans for mental
32	32	health professionals who apply and qualify for the assistance.
33	33	Sec. 61.603. ELIGIBILITY. To be eligible to receive
34	34	repayment assistance under this subchapter, a mental health
35	35	professional must:
36	36	(1) apply to the board;
37	37	(2) have completed one, two, three, four, or five
38	38	consecutive years of practice in a health professional shortage
39	39	area designated by the Department of State Health Services; and
40	40	(3) provide mental health services in this state to:
41	41	(A) recipients under the medical assistance
42	42	program authorized by Chapter 32, Human Resources Code;
43	43	(B) enrollees under the child health plan program
44	44	authorized by Chapter 62, Health and Safety Code; or
45	45	(C) persons committed to a secure correctional
46	46	facility operated by or under contract with the Texas Juvenile
47	47	Justice Department or persons confined in a secure correctional
48	48	facility operated by or under contract with any division of the
49	49	Texas Department of Criminal Justice.
50	50	Sec. 61.604. LIMITATIONS. (a) A mental health
51	51	professional may receive repayment assistance under this
52	52	subchapter for not more than five years.
53	53	(b) Not more than 10 percent of the number of repayment
54	54	assistance grants paid under this subchapter each year may be
55	55	awarded to mental health professionals providing mental health
56	56	services described by Section 61.603(3)(C).
57	57	(c) Not more than 30 percent of the number of repayment
58	58	assistance grants paid under this subchapter each year may be
59	59	awarded to mental health professionals in any one of the
60	60	professions listed in Section 61.601.
61	61	Sec. 61.605. ELIGIBLE LOANS. (a) The board may provide
62	62	repayment assistance under this subchapter for the repayment of any
63	63	student loan for education at an institution of higher education, a
64	64	private or independent institution of higher education, or a public
65	65	or private out-of-state institution of higher education accredited
66	66	by a recognized accrediting agency, including loans for
67	67	undergraduate education, received by an eligible person through any
68	68	lender.
69	69	(b) The board may not provide repayment assistance for a
70	70	student loan that is in default at the time of the person's
71	71	application.
72	72	(c) In each state fiscal biennium, the board shall attempt
73	73	to allocate all funds appropriated to the board for the purpose of
74	74	providing loan repayment assistance under this subchapter.
75	75	Sec. 61.606. REPAYMENT. (a) The board shall deliver any
76	76	repayment under this subchapter in a lump sum payable:
77	77	(1) to both the lender or other holder of the loan and
78	78	the mental health professional; or
79	79	(2) directly to the lender or other holder of the loan
80	80	on the mental health professional's behalf.
81	81	(b) A repayment under this subchapter may be applied to any
82	82	amount due in connection with the loan.
83	83	Sec. 61.607. AMOUNT OF REPAYMENT ASSISTANCE. (a) A mental
84	84	health professional may receive repayment assistance under this
85	85	subchapter for each year the mental health professional establishes
86	86	eligibility for the assistance in an amount determined by applying
87	87	the following applicable percentage to the maximum total amount of
88	88	assistance allowed for the mental health professional under
89	89	Subsection (b):
90	90	(1) for the first year, 10 percent;
91	91	(2) for the second year, 15 percent;
92	92	(3) for the third year, 20 percent;
93	93	(4) for the fourth year, 25 percent; and
94	94	(5) for the fifth year, 30 percent.
95	95	(b) The total amount of repayment assistance received by a
96	96	mental health professional under this subchapter may not exceed:
97	97	(1) $160,000, for assistance received by a licensed
98	98	physician;
99	99	(2) $80,000, for assistance received by a
100	100	psychologist, a licensed professional counselor, or an advanced
101	101	practice registered nurse; and
102	102	(3) $40,000, for assistance received by a licensed
103	103	clinical social worker.
104	104	(c) The total amount of repayment assistance provided under
105	105	this subchapter may not exceed the sum of:
106	106	(1) the total amount of gifts and grants accepted by
107	107	the board for the repayment assistance;
108	108	(2) legislative appropriations for the repayment
109	109	assistance; and
110	110	(3) other funds available to the board for the
111	111	repayment assistance.
112	112	(d) The board may adjust in an equitable manner the
113	113	distribution amounts that mental health professionals would
114	114	otherwise receive under Subsection (a) for a year as necessary to
115	115	comply with Subsection (c).
116	116	Sec. 61.608. RULES. (a) The board shall adopt rules
117	117	necessary to administer this subchapter.
118	118	(b) The board shall distribute to each institution of higher
119	119	education or private or independent institution of higher education
120	120	and to any appropriate state agency and professional association
121	121	copies of the rules adopted under this section and other pertinent
122	122	information relating to this subchapter.
123	123	Sec. 61.609. SOLICITATION AND ACCEPTANCE OF FUNDS. The
124	124	board may solicit and accept gifts and grants from any public or
125	125	private source for the purposes of this subchapter.
126	126	SECTION 2. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board
127	127	shall adopt the rules for repayment assistance under Subchapter K,
128	128	Chapter 61, Education Code, as added by this Act, not later than
129	129	December 1, 2015.
130	130	SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
131	131	a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
132	132	provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
133	133	Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
134	134	Act takes effect September 1, 2015.