Texas 2015 - 84th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB686 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1		-	By: Seliger, et al. S.B. No. 686
2		-	(Clardy)
	1	+	S.B. No. 686
3	2
4	3
5		-	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	4		AN ACT
7	5		relating to the Math and Science Scholars Loan Repayment Program.
8	6		BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
9	7		SECTION 1. Section 61.9831, Education Code, is amended to
10	8		read as follows:
11	9		Sec. 61.9831. LOAN REPAYMENT ASSISTANCE AUTHORIZED. The
12	10		board shall provide, in accordance with this subchapter and board
13	11		rules, assistance in the repayment of eligible student loans for
14	12		eligible persons who agree to teach mathematics or science for a
15	13		specified period in schools [school districts] that receive federal
16	14		funding under Title I, Elementary and Secondary Education Act of
17	15		1965 (20 U.S.C. Section 6301 et seq.).
18	16		SECTION 2. Sections 61.9832(a) and (c), Education Code, are
19	17		amended to read as follows:
20	18		(a) To be eligible to receive loan repayment assistance
21	19		under this subchapter, a person must:
22	20		(1) apply annually for the loan repayment assistance
23	21		in the manner prescribed by the board;
24	22		(2) be a United States citizen;
25	23		(3) have completed an undergraduate or graduate
26	24		program in mathematics or science;
27	25		(4) have a cumulative grade point average of at least
28	26		3.5 on a four-point scale or the equivalent;
29	27		(5) be:
30	28		(A) certified under Subchapter B, Chapter 21, to
31	29		teach mathematics or science in a public school in this state; or
32	30		(B) teaching under a probationary teaching
33	31		certificate [be enrolled in an educator preparation program to
34	32		obtain that certification that is accredited by the State Board for
35	33		Educator Certification and is provided by an institution of higher
36	34		education or by a private or independent institution of higher
37	35		education in this state];
38	36		(6) have been employed for at least one year as a
39	37		teacher teaching mathematics or science at a public school [located
40	38		in a school district] that receives funding under Title I,
41	39		Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. Section
42	40		6301 et seq.);
43	41		(7) not be in default on any other education loan;
44	42		(8) not receive any other state or federal loan
45	43		repayment assistance, including a Teacher Education Assistance for
46	44		College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant or teacher loan
47	45		forgiveness;
48	46		(9) enter into an agreement with the board under
49	47		Subsection (c); and
50	48		(10) comply with any other requirement adopted by the
51	49		board under this subchapter.
52	50		(c) To receive loan repayment assistance under this
53	51		subchapter, a person must enter into an agreement with the board
54	52		that includes the following provisions:
55	53		(1) the person will accept an offer of full-time
56	54		employment to teach mathematics or science, as applicable based on
57	55		the person's certification, in a public school [located in a school
58	56		district] that receives funding under Title I, Elementary and
59	57		Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. Section 6301 et seq.);
60	58		(2) the person will complete four consecutive years of
61	59		employment as a full-time classroom teacher in a school described
62	60		by Subdivision (1) whose primary duty is to teach mathematics or
63	61		science, as applicable, based on the person's certification;
64	62		(3) beginning with the school year immediately
65	63		following the last of the four consecutive school years described
66	64		by Subdivision (2), the person will complete four additional
67	65		consecutive school years teaching in any public school in this
68	66		state; and
69	67		(4) the person acknowledges the conditional nature of
70	68		the loan repayment assistance.
71	69		SECTION 3. Section 61.9837(b), Education Code, is amended
72	70		to read as follows:
73	71		(b) The fund is a dedicated account in the general revenue
74	72		fund and consists of:
75	73		(1) gifts, grants, and other donations received for
76	74		the fund; [and]
77	75		(2) any amounts appropriated by the legislature for
78	76		the fund; and
79	77		(3) interest and other earnings from the investment of
80	78		the fund.
81	79		SECTION 4. Sections 61.9839(a) and (b), Education Code, are
82	80		amended to read as follows:
83	81		(a) An eligible person may continue to receive loan
84	82		repayment assistance if the person continues to teach in a public
85	83		school that receives funding under Title I, Elementary and
86	84		Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. Section 6301 et seq.),
87	85		[described by Section 61.9832(a)(7)] after the first four years of
88	86		teaching service required [for eligibility] under Section
89	87		61.9832(c)(2).
90	88		(b) If an eligible person transfers to a public school
91	89		[located in a school district] that does not receive funding under
92	90		Title I, Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.
93	91		Section 6301 et seq.), after the first four years required for
94	92		eligibility under Section 61.9832(c)(2), the person may not receive
95	93		more than 75 percent of the maximum annual amount of the loan
96	94		repayment assistance as determined by the board.
97	95		SECTION 5. Section 61.9837(f), Education Code, is repealed.
98	96		SECTION 6. The changes in law made by this Act apply only to
99	97		a loan repayment assistance agreement entered into under Subchapter
100	98		II, Chapter 61, Education Code, as added by Chapter 1229 (S.B.
101	99		1720), Acts of the 83rd Legislature, Regular Session, 2013, on or
102	100		after the effective date of this Act. A loan repayment assistance
103	101		agreement entered into before the effective date of this Act is
104	102		governed by the law in effect immediately before that date, and the
105	103		former law is continued in effect for that purpose.
106	104		SECTION 7. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
107	105		a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
108	106		provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
109	107		Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
110	108		Act takes effect September 1, 2015.
	109	+	______________________________ ______________________________
	110	+	President of the Senate Speaker of the House
	111	+	I hereby certify that S.B. No. 686 passed the Senate on
	112	+	April 14, 2015, by the following vote: Yeas 24, Nays 7.
	113	+	______________________________
	114	+	Secretary of the Senate
	115	+	I hereby certify that S.B. No. 686 passed the House on
	116	+	May 18, 2015, by the following vote: Yeas 79, Nays 57,
	117	+	one present not voting.
	118	+	______________________________
	119	+	Chief Clerk of the House
	120	+	Approved:
	121	+	______________________________
	122	+	Date
	123	+	______________________________
	124	+	Governor