Texas 2021 - 87th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB32 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
1	1	87R3804 TYPED
2	2	By: Zaffirini S.B. No. 32
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to a student loan repayment assistance program for certain
8	8	professionals for exceptional service to the State of Texas during
9	9	the coronavirus pandemic.
10	10	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
11	11	SECTION 1. This Act shall be known as the Thanking Our
12	12	Frontline Heroes Student Loan Relief Act.
13	13	SECTION 2. Chapter 61, Education Code, is amended by adding
14	14	Subchapter NO to read as follows:
15	15	SUBCHAPTER NO: FRONTLINE WORKERS LOAN REPAYMENT ASSISTANCE
16	16	PROGRAM
17	17	Sec. 61.9961. DEFINITION. (a) In this subchapter,
18	18	"frontline worker" means any person providing health, education,
19	19	public safety, or other necessary support services related to the
20	20	coronavirus pandemic, as determined by the board.
21	21	(b) The board, in consultation with relevant state
22	22	agencies, shall develop a list of occupations that can qualify as a
23	23	frontline worker, which shall include:
24	24	(1) employees of public schools, open enrollment
25	25	charter schools, and private schools;
26	26	(2) employees of public and private institutions of
27	27	higher education;
28	28	(3) peace officers;
29	29	(4) fire fighters;
30	30	(5) emergency medical technicians;
31	31	(6) medical professionals, including doctors,
32	32	physician assistants, nurses, nurse practitioners, mental health
33	33	professionals, and hospital support personnel;
34	34	(7) employees of nursing homes, state supported living
35	35	centers, or similar long-term care facilities;
36	36	(8) employees of child care facilities;
37	37	(9) social workers; and
38	38	(10) members of the Texas military forces, United
39	39	State armed forces, or a reserve component of the armed forces who
40	40	participated in coronavirus-related service.
41	41	Sec. 61.9962. LOAN REPAYMENT ASSISTANCE AUTHORIZED;
42	42	PURPOSE. The board shall establish and administer a program to
43	43	provide, in accordance with this subchapter and board rules, loan
44	44	repayment assistance in the repayment of eligible loans for
45	45	eligible frontline workers who provided necessary services during
46	46	the coronavirus pandemic.
47	47	Sec. 61.9963. ELIGIBILITY. (a) To be eligible to receive
48	48	loan repayment assistance under this subchapter, a person must:
49	49	(1) be a Texas resident at the time of application;
50	50	(2) for a substantial portion, as determined by board
51	51	rules, of the period between March 15, 2020 and December 31, 2020,
52	52	have been employed as a frontline worker; and
53	53	(3) submit to the board an application for the loan
54	54	repayment assistance, in the manner and on a form prescribed by the
55	55	board, that requires:
56	56	(A) employer verification or other
57	57	documentation, as established by board rule, of the person's
58	58	employment as a frontline worker in the specified period of time;
59	59	and
60	60	(B) a statement of the total amount of principal,
61	61	accrued interest, fees, and other charges due on all outstanding
62	62	eligible loans for which the person is applying for repayment
63	63	assistance;
64	64	(4) have earned a degree or certification from a
65	65	public or private institution of higher education or earned at
66	66	least 30 semester credit hours before the person's initial
67	67	employment as a frontline worker; and
68	68	(5) comply with any other requirement adopted by the
69	69	board under this subchapter.
70	70	(b) The board shall establish by rule a time period during
71	71	which applications may be submitted of no less than 90 calendar
72	72	days.
73	73	Sec. 61.9964. AWARD. (a) Except as provided by this
74	74	section, an eligible person is entitled to receive an amount of loan
75	75	repayment assistance under this chapter payable to the holders of
76	76	the eligible person's eligible loans in an amount equal to the
77	77	lesser of $5,000 or the balance of the total amount stated in the
78	78	person's application under Sec. 61.9963, subject to the amount of
79	79	available funding.
80	80	(b) An eligible person may receive only one award under this
81	81	subchapter.
82	82	(c) If the amount of money available for loan repayment
83	83	assistance under this subchapter is insufficient to provide loan
84	84	repayment assistance to all eligible persons, the board shall
85	85	establish criteria to determine the amount of available money to
86	86	allocate to the holders of student loans of eligible persons as the
87	87	board determines appropriate to further the purpose of this
88	88	subchapter.
89	89	(d) An eligible person whose loan repayment assistance
90	90	under this section is less than the amount necessary to cover the
91	91	amount of principal and interest due on the person's eligible loans
92	92	for the period in which the award is disbursed is responsible for
93	93	the payment of the remainder of the amount due and for otherwise
94	94	preventing a default on the loan.
95	95	Sec. 61.6695. ELIGIBLE LOANS. (a) The board may provide
96	96	loan repayment assistance under this subchapter for the repayment
97	97	of any student loan received by an eligible person through any
98	98	lender for the cost of attendance at an institution of higher
99	99	education or a private or independent institution of higher
100	100	education.
101	101	(b) If the loan is not a state or federal guaranteed student
102	102	loan, the promissory note or other loan agreement document
103	103	governing the terms of the loan must require all the loan proceeds
104	104	to be used for expenses incurred by a person in attending an
105	105	institution of higher education or a private or independent
106	106	institution of higher education.
107	107	Sec. 61.9966. PAYMENT OF LOAN REPAYMENT ASSISTANCE.
108	108	(a) The board shall pay any loan repayment assistance under this
109	109	subchapter in a lump sum delivered on the eligible person's behalf
110	110	directly to the holder of the loan.
111	111	(b) Loan repayment assistance provided under this
112	112	subchapter may be applied to any amount due on the loan.
113	113	(c) The board shall attempt to allocate all money available
114	114	to the board for the purpose of providing loan repayment assistance
115	115	under this subchapter.
116	116	Sec. 61.9967. GIFTS, GRANTS, AND DONATIONS. The board may
117	117	solicit and accept gifts, grants, and other donations from any
118	118	public or private source for the purposes of this subchapter.
119	119	Sec. 61.9968. RULES; POSTING REQUIRED. (a) The board shall
120	120	adopt rules necessary for the administration of this subchapter.
121	121	(b) The board shall post on the board's Internet website a
122	122	copy of the rules adopted under this subchapter and information
123	123	regarding the program established under this subchapter.
124	124	(c) The board may advertise in any available media or
125	125	otherwise promote the loan repayment assistance program to further
126	126	the purposes of this chapter.
127	127	Sec. 61.9969. EXPIRATION. This subchapter expires December
128	128	31, 2022.
129	129	SECTION 3. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board
130	130	shall adopt rules for the frontline workers loan repayment
131	131	assistance program under Subchapter NO, Chapter 61, Education Code,
132	132	as added by this Act, not later than December 1, 2021.
133	133	SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021.