By: West S.B. No. 446
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to requiring a public employer to give notice to new
employees of the ability of certain employees to participate in the
Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Subtitle A, Title 6, Government Code, is amended
by adding Chapter 620 to read as follows:
CHAPTER 620. NOTICE OF PUBLIC SERVICE LOAN FORGIVENESS PROGRAM
Sec. 620.001. DEFINITION. In this chapter, "public
employer" means:
(1) a county, a municipality, or another political
subdivision of this state, including a school district; or
(2) a board, a commission, an office, a department, or
another agency in the executive, judicial, or legislative branch of
state government, including an institution of higher education.
Sec. 620.002. NOTICE OF PUBLIC SERVICE LOAN FORGIVENESS
PROGRAM. (a) Except as provided by Subsection (b) and not later
than the 30th day after the date on which an employee begins
employment with a public employer, the employer shall provide
written notice to the employee of the ability of eligible employees
of the employer to participate in the Public Service Loan
Forgiveness Program administered by the United States Department of
Education. A public employer may deliver a written notice under
this section to an employee by hand delivery, mail, e-mail, or other
form of electronic communication commonly used by the employer to
communicate with employees.
(b) This section does not apply to a public employer if the
Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program administered by the United
States Department of Education is discontinued or funds are not
made available for the program.
SECTION 2. (a) Except as provided by Subsection (b) of this
section, Chapter 620, Government Code, as added by this Act,
applies to an employee who begins employment on or after the
effective date of this Act.
(b) A public employer, as defined by Section 620.001,
Government Code, as added by this Act, shall provide the written
notice described by Section 620.002, Government Code, as added by
this Act, to an employee employed by the employer on the effective
date of this Act not later than September 9, 2019.
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019.