Texas 2021 - 87th Regular

Texas House Bill HB1259 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1		-	H.B. No. 1259
	1	+	By: Darby, et al. (Senate Sponsor - Seliger) H.B. No. 1259
	2	+	(In the Senate - Received from the House April 19, 2021;
	3	+	May 6, 2021, read first time and referred to Committee on Higher
	4	+	Education; May 19, 2021, reported favorably by the following vote:
	5	+	Yeas 9, Nays 0; May 19, 2021, sent to printer.)
	6	+	Click here to see the committee vote
2	7
3	8
	9	+	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
4	10		AN ACT
5	11		relating to the rural veterinarian incentive program.
6	12		BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
7	13		SECTION 1. Chapter 56, Education Code, is amended by adding
8	14		Subchapter G, and a heading is added to that subchapter to read as
9	15		follows:
10	16		SUBCHAPTER G. RURAL VETERINARIAN INCENTIVE PROGRAM
11	17		SECTION 2. Sections 88.621, 88.622, 88.623, 88.624, 88.625,
12	18		and 88.626, Education Code, are transferred to Subchapter G,
13	19		Chapter 56, Education Code, as added by this Act, redesignated as
14	20		Sections 56.101, 56.102, 56.103, 56.104, 56.105, and 56.106,
15	21		Education Code, and amended to read as follows:
16	22		Sec. 56.101 [88.621]. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter:
17	23		(1) "Account" means the rural veterinarian incentive
18	24		program account.
19	25		(2) "College" means a college of veterinary medicine
20	26		located in this state and accredited by the American Veterinary
21	27		Medical Association Council on Education [The Texas A&M University
22	28		College of Veterinary Medicine].
23	29		(3) [(2)] "Committee" means the rural veterinarian
24	30		incentive program committee.
25	31		(4) [(3)] "Eligible participant" means a person
26	32		eligible to participate in the program under Section 56.104
27	33		[88.624].
28	34		[(4) "Fund" means the rural veterinarian incentive
29	35		fund.]
30	36		(5) "General academic teaching institution" has the
31	37		meaning assigned by Section 61.003.
32	38		(6) "Program" means the rural veterinarian incentive
33	39		program established by this subchapter.
34	40		(7) [(6)] "Rural county" means a county in this state
35	41		with a population of less than 100,000 [50,000].
36	42		(8) [(7)] "University system" has the meaning
37	43		assigned by Section 61.003 [means Texas A&M University].
38	44		Sec. 56.102 [88.622]. ADMINISTRATION OF PROGRAM. The Texas
39	45		Animal Health Commission [university] shall administer the program
40	46		in accordance with the rules adopted by the committee.
41	47		Sec. 56.103 [88.623]. RURAL VETERINARIAN INCENTIVE PROGRAM
42	48		COMMITTEE; RULES. (a) The rural veterinarian incentive program
43	49		committee consists of:
44	50		(1) the executive director of the Texas Animal Health
45	51		Commission, or the executive director's designee;
46	52		(2) the executive director of the State Board of
47	53		Veterinary Medical Examiners, or the executive director's
48	54		designee;
49	55		(3) the dean of each accredited [the] college of
50	56		veterinary medicine located in this state, or the dean's designee;
51	57		(4) a veterinarian with a mixed animal practice,
52	58		representing each university system located in Texas with an
53	59		accredited college of veterinary medicine, appointed by the board
54	60		of regents of each university system [The Texas A&M University
55	61		System]; [and]
56	62		(5) a veterinarian with a large animal practice,
57	63		representing each university system located in Texas with an
58	64		accredited college of veterinary medicine, appointed by the board
59	65		of regents of each university system; and
60	66		(6) a practitioner of veterinary medicine who serves
61	67		as a commissioner of the Texas Animal Health Commission, appointed
62	68		by the chair of the Texas Animal Health Commission [The Texas A&M
63	69		University System].
64	70		(b) The executive director of the Texas Animal Health
65	71		Commission [dean of the college] serves as the presiding officer of
66	72		the committee.
67	73		(c) An appointed member of the committee serves a term of
68	74		two years.
69	75		(d) The committee shall adopt rules:
70	76		(1) establishing criteria to determine whether a
71	77		person is an eligible participant as the committee considers
72	78		reasonable, including the person's:
73	79		(A) background and interest in rural practice
74	80		[minimum grade point average]; and
75	81		(B) financial need;
76	82		(2) providing for requesting the distribution of money
77	83		from the account [fund] for the program;
78	84		(3) establishing the criteria necessary for a
79	85		community or political subdivision in a rural county to qualify as a
80	86		student sponsor under Section 56.105 [88.625];
81	87		(4) governing agreements of financial support between
82	88		a rural sponsor and an eligible student; and
83	89		(5) establishing other procedures necessary to
84	90		administer the program.
85	91		(e) In adopting rules under this section related to the
86	92		selection, submission, or certification of areas identified as
87	93		having a veterinary shortage for the purpose of this subchapter,
88	94		the committee shall consider any applicable regulations adopted
89	95		under 7 U.S.C. Section 3151a and previous work of the Texas Animal
90	96		Health Commission.
91	97		Sec. 56.104 [88.624]. ELIGIBLE VETERINARY STUDENT OR
92	98		GRADUATE. (a) Except as provided by Subsection (b), a [A] person
93	99		is eligible to participate in the program only if the person:
94	100		(1) is enrolled as a student of the college or applies
95	101		to participate in the program on or before the fourth [first]
96	102		anniversary of the date the person graduates from the college;
97	103		(2) will receive or has received from a student loan at
98	104		least 50 percent of the funds for tuition and fees for one or more
99	105		academic years while enrolled in the college; and
100	106		(3) meets any additional qualifications adopted by the
101	107		committee.
102	108		(b) A person enrolled as a student in an accredited college
103	109		of veterinary medicine located outside of this state may apply
104	110		under Subsection (a) to participate in the program if the student
105	111		graduated from a high school located in this state or a general
106	112		academic teaching institution located in this state.
107	113		Sec. 56.105 [88.625]. RURAL SPONSORS; AGREEMENT TO PROVIDE
108	114		FINANCIAL SUPPORT. (a) A community or political subdivision
109	115		located in a rural county that qualifies under the rules of the
110	116		committee may become a sponsor of an eligible participant and may
111	117		provide financial support to the eligible participant under the
112	118		program.
113	119		(b) To participate as a sponsor in the program, the
114	120		community or political subdivision must enter into an agreement
115	121		with the eligible participant to provide financial support to the
116	122		eligible participant in an amount not less than the tuition and fees
117	123		required for a full academic year for a student enrolled in the
118	124		college in exchange for the eligible participant's agreement to
119	125		practice veterinary medicine in the sponsoring community or
120	126		political subdivision.
121	127		(c) Financial support under this section:
122	128		(1) may be provided in whole or part by a grant,
123	129		scholarship, or funds provided by a private foundation; and
124	130		(2) shall be deposited in the account [fund] for
125	131		distribution to the eligible participant [by the university].
126	132		Sec. 56.106 [88.626]. FINANCIAL SUPPORT; COMMITMENT TO
127	133		PRACTICE IN RURAL COUNTY. (a) To participate in the program, an
128	134		eligible participant must enter into an agreement with the
129	135		university system that:
130	136		(1) requires the participant to practice veterinary
131	137		medicine in a rural county for one calendar year for each academic
132	138		year for which the participant [student] receives financial support
133	139		under the program;
134	140		(2) specifies the conditions the participant must
135	141		satisfy to receive financial support under the program;
136	142		(3) provides that any financial support the
137	143		participant receives under the program constitutes a loan until the
138	144		participant satisfies the conditions of the agreement; and
139	145		(4) requires the participant to sign a promissory note
140	146		acknowledging the conditional nature of the financial support
141	147		received under the program and promising to repay the amount of the
142	148		financial support, any applicable interest, and reasonable
143	149		collection costs if the participant does not satisfy the conditions
144	150		of the agreement.
145	151		(b) The financial support received by an eligible
146	152		participant under this subchapter must be used to retire student
147	153		loan debt or to pay tuition and fees to the university system while
148	154		the eligible participant is enrolled in the college.
149	155		(c) Financial support from the account [fund] shall be
150	156		awarded as a lump sum payable:
151	157		(1) to both the participant and the lender or other
152	158		holder of the affected loan; or
153	159		(2) directly to the lender or other holder of the
154	160		affected loan on the participant's behalf [in the form of grants].
155	161		SECTION 3. Chapter 61, Education Code, is amended by adding
156	162		Subchapter OO, and a heading is added to that subchapter to read as
157	163		follows:
158	164		SUBCHAPTER OO. RURAL VETERINARIAN INCENTIVE PROGRAM ACCOUNT
159	165		SECTION 4. Section 88.627, Education Code, is transferred
160	166		to Subchapter OO, Chapter 61, Education Code, as added by this Act,
161	167		redesignated as Section 61.9965, Education Code, and amended to
162	168		read as follows:
163	169		Sec. 61.9965 [88.627]. RURAL VETERINARIAN INCENTIVE
164	170		PROGRAM ACCOUNT [FUND]. (a) The Texas Higher Education
165	171		Coordinating Board shall administer the rural veterinarian
166	172		incentive program account in accordance with Subchapter G, Chapter
167	173		56, to provide assistance in the repayment of student loans for
168	174		eligible veterinarians who apply and qualify for the assistance
169	175		under the rules of the Texas Animal Health Commission rural
170	176		veterinarian incentive program committee.
171	177		(b) The rural veterinarian incentive program account [fund]
172	178		is an account [a special fund] in the [state treasury outside the]
173	179		general revenue fund.
174	180		[(b)] The account is composed [fund consists] of:
175	181		(1) [legislative appropriations for purposes of the
176	182		program,] gifts, grants, [donations, the market value of] in-kind
177	183		contributions, or real or personal property contributed to the
178	184		account from any individual, group, association, or corporation or
179	185		the United States, subject to limitations or conditions set by law,
180	186		for the purposes of this subchapter;
181	187		(2) earnings on the principal of the account; and
182	188		(3) other amounts [sources of revenue] deposited to
183	189		the credit of the account, including:
184	190		(A) money deposited from a community or political
185	191		subdivision that qualifies under the rules authorized by Section
186	192		56.105 to become a sponsor of an eligible participant under the
187	193		program; and
188	194		(B) legislative appropriations deposited to the
189	195		account [fund by the university].
190	196		(c) Money and resources in the account shall be made
191	197		available and payable as soon as practicable at the request of the
192	198		Texas Animal Health Commission and may be used only for the
193	199		following purposes:
194	200		(1) to provide financial support as a lump sum to an
195	201		eligible participant under Subchapter G, Chapter 56, the lender or
196	202		other holder of the participant's affected loan, or the
197	203		participant's university system;
198	204		(2) a reasonable amount, not to exceed seven percent
199	205		of the account value, to cover the costs of administration of the
200	206		program; or
201	207		(3) a reasonable amount, not to exceed three percent
202	208		of the account value, as specifically required for the coordinating
203	209		board for administration of the account [The fund shall be
204	210		administered by the university in accordance with rules adopted by
205	211		the committee. The university may use a portion of the money
206	212		deposited to the credit of the fund, not to exceed 10 percent of
207	213		that amount, for the administration of the program].
208	214		(d) The unexpended balance of the account at the end of a
209	215		fiscal year remains in the account subject to further appropriation
210	216		for the purposes described by Subsection (c).
211	217		SECTION 5. The heading to Subchapter I, Chapter 88,
212	218		Education Code, is repealed.
213	219		SECTION 6. On the effective date of this Act, any
214	220		obligations, rights, contracts, records, real and personal
215	221		property, funds, appropriations, and money of the rural
216	222		veterinarian incentive program are transferred from The Texas A&M
217	223		University System to the Texas Animal Health Commission.
218	224		SECTION 7. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021.
219		-	______________________________ ______________________________
220		-	President of the Senate Speaker of the House
221		-	I certify that H.B. No. 1259 was passed by the House on April
222		-	16, 2021, by the following vote: Yeas 121, Nays 24, 1 present, not
223		-	voting.
224		-	______________________________
225		-	Chief Clerk of the House
226		-	I certify that H.B. No. 1259 was passed by the Senate on May
227		-	21, 2021, by the following vote: Yeas 30, Nays 1.
228		-	______________________________
229		-	Secretary of the Senate
230		-	APPROVED: _____________________
231		-	Date
232		-	_____________________
233		-	Governor
	225	+	* * * * *