Texas 2019 - 86th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB1758 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

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1	1		By: Creighton S.B. No. 1758
2		-	(Pacheco)
3	2
4	3
5	4		A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	5		AN ACT
7	6		relating to the application of certain occupation-related
8	7		postsecondary educational financial aid and student loan repayment
9	8		programs.
10	9		BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
11	10		SECTION 1. Section 61.605(a), Education Code, is amended to
12	11		read as follows:
13	12		(a) The board may provide repayment assistance under this
14	13		subchapter for the repayment of any student loan, including a loan
15	14		for undergraduate education, received by an eligible person through
16	15		any lender for education at:
17	16		(1) an institution of higher education;
18	17		(2) [,] a private or independent institution of higher
19	18		education;
20	19		(3) [, or] a public or private out-of-state
21	20		institution of higher education accredited by a recognized
22	21		accrediting agency; or
23	22		(4) a nonprofit, tax-exempt, regionally accredited
24	23		college or university operating in accordance with a memorandum of
25	24		understanding with this state under an executive order issued by
26	25		the governor[, including loans for undergraduate education,
27	26		received by an eligible person through any lender].
28	27		SECTION 2. Section 61.608(b), Education Code, is amended to
29	28		read as follows:
30	29		(b) The board shall distribute to each institution of higher
31	30		education or private or independent institution of higher
32	31		education, each college or university described by Section
33	32		61.605(a)(4), and [to] any appropriate state agency and
34	33		professional association copies of the rules adopted under this
35	34		section and other pertinent information relating to this
36	35		subchapter.
37	36		SECTION 3. Section 61.9621, Education Code, is amended to
38	37		read as follows:
39	38		Sec. 61.9621. DEFINITION. In this subchapter,
40	39		"professional nursing program" means an educational program
41	40		preparing students for initial licensure as registered nurses
42	41		offered by:
43	42		(1) a public or private institution of higher
44	43		education; or
45	44		(2) a nonprofit, tax-exempt, regionally accredited
46	45		college or university operating in accordance with a memorandum of
47	46		understanding with this state under an executive order issued by
48	47		the governor [for preparing students for initial licensure as
49	48		registered nurses].
50	49		SECTION 4. Section 61.96232(a), Education Code, is amended
51	50		to read as follows:
52	51		(a) The board by rule shall establish a process under which
53	52		a public or private institution of higher education or an
54	53		institution described by Section 61.9621(2) that offers a
55	54		professional nursing program may apply for a grant under this
56	55		subchapter and the commissioner of higher education, contingent on
57	56		appropriations of money for the grants, selects one or more
58	57		applicants to receive a grant based on criteria established by
59	58		board rule. The criteria must include the institution's agreement
60	59		that the institution's professional nursing program will enroll
61	60		additional students or graduate additional students prepared for
62	61		initial licensure as registered nurses.
63	62		SECTION 5. Section 61.9751(2), Education Code, is amended
64	63		to read as follows:
65	64		(2) "Nursing education program" means:
66	65		(A) an undergraduate professional nursing
67	66		program or a graduate professional nursing program as those terms
68	67		are defined by Section 54.355; and
69	68		(B) a comparable nursing program offered by a
70	69		nonprofit, tax-exempt, regionally accredited college or university
71	70		operating in accordance with a memorandum of understanding with
72	71		this state under an executive order issued by the governor.
73	72		SECTION 6. Section 61.9821, Education Code, is amended to
74	73		read as follows:
75	74		Sec. 61.9821. REPAYMENT AUTHORIZED. The board shall
76	75		establish and administer a program to provide, in accordance with
77	76		this subchapter and board rules, assistance in the repayment of
78	77		student loans for nurses who:
79	78		(1) are serving on the faculties of nursing degree
80	79		programs at institutions to which this subchapter applies [of
81	80		higher education or private or independent institutions of higher
82	81		education] in positions that require an advanced degree in
83	82		professional nursing; and
84	83		(2) apply and qualify for the assistance.
85	84		SECTION 7. Subchapter JJ, Chapter 61, Education Code, is
86	85		amended by adding Section 61.98211 to read as follows:
87	86		Sec. 61.98211. APPLICABILITY OF SUBCHAPTER. This
88	87		subchapter applies to:
89	88		(1) an institution of higher education;
90	89		(2) a private or independent institution of higher
91	90		education; and
92	91		(3) a nonprofit, tax-exempt, regionally accredited
93	92		college or university operating in accordance with a memorandum of
94	93		understanding with this state under an executive order issued by
95	94		the governor.
96	95		SECTION 8. Section 61.9822, Education Code, is amended to
97	96		read as follows:
98	97		Sec. 61.9822. ELIGIBILITY. To be eligible to receive loan
99	98		repayment assistance under this subchapter, a nurse must:
100	99		(1) apply to the board;
101	100		(2) at the time of application for repayment
102	101		assistance have been employed full-time for at least one year as,
103	102		and be currently employed full-time as, a faculty member of a
104	103		nursing degree program at an institution to which this subchapter
105	104		applies [of higher education or a private or independent
106	105		institution of higher education]; and
107	106		(3) comply with any additional requirements adopted by
108	107		board rule.
109	108		SECTION 9. Section 61.9823(a), Education Code, is amended
110	109		to read as follows:
111	110		(a) On qualifying for loan repayment assistance under this
112	111		subchapter, a nurse may receive repayment assistance for each year
113	112		of full-time employment as a faculty member of a nursing degree
114	113		program at an institution to which this subchapter applies [of
115	114		higher education or private or independent institution of higher
116	115		education], not to exceed five years.
117	116		SECTION 10. Section 61.9824(a), Education Code, is amended
118	117		to read as follows:
119	118		(a) The board may provide repayment assistance for the
120	119		repayment of any student loan received by an eligible person
121	120		through any lender that is for education, including undergraduate
122	121		education, at:
123	122		(1) a public or private institution of higher
124	123		education; or
125	124		(2) a nonprofit, tax-exempt, regionally accredited
126	125		college or university operating in accordance with a memorandum of
127	126		understanding with this state under an executive order issued by
128	127		the governor [any public or private institution of higher
129	128		education, including a loan for undergraduate education, received
130	129		by an eligible person through any lender].
131	130		SECTION 11. Section 61.9828(b), Education Code, is amended
132	131		to read as follows:
133	132		(b) The board shall distribute a copy of the rules adopted
134	133		under this section and pertinent information regarding this
135	134		subchapter to:
136	135		(1) each institution to which this subchapter applies
137	136		[of higher education and private or independent institution of
138	137		higher education];
139	138		(2) any appropriate state agency; and
140	139		(3) any appropriate professional association.
141	140		SECTION 12. Section 61.9835(a), Education Code, is amended
142	141		to read as follows:
143	142		(a) The board may provide repayment assistance under this
144	143		subchapter for the repayment of any student loan received by an
145	144		eligible person through an eligible lender that[:
146	145		[(1)] is for education at:
147	146		(1) a public or private institution of higher
148	147		education; or [and]
149	148		(2) a nonprofit, tax-exempt, regionally accredited
150	149		college or university operating in accordance with a memorandum of
151	150		understanding with this state under an executive order issued by
152	151		the governor [is received by an eligible person through an eligible
153	152		lender].
154	153		SECTION 13. As soon as practicable after the effective date
155	154		of this Act, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board shall
156	155		adopt any rules necessary to administer the changes in law made by
157	156		this Act.
158	157		SECTION 14. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board
159	158		may not award grants under the professional nursing shortage
160	159		reduction program as provided by the changes in law made by this Act
161	160		to Sections 61.9621 and 61.96232, Education Code, before June 1,
162	161		2021.
163	162		SECTION 15. This Act takes effect immediately if it
164	163		receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each
165	164		house, as provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.
166	165		If this Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate
167	166		effect, this Act takes effect September 1, 2019.