| 1 | 1 | | 88R2114 MM-F |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Klick H.B. No. 104 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 7 | | relating to student loan repayment assistance for certain nurses |
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| 8 | 8 | | employed by a long-term care facility. |
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| 9 | 9 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 10 | 10 | | SECTION 1. Chapter 61, Education Code, is amended by adding |
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| 11 | 11 | | Subchapter N to read as follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | SUBCHAPTER N. REPAYMENT OF EDUCATION LOANS FOR CERTAIN NURSES |
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| 13 | 13 | | Sec. 61.731. LOAN REPAYMENT ASSISTANCE AUTHORIZED. The |
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| 14 | 14 | | board shall provide, in accordance with this subchapter and board |
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| 15 | 15 | | rules, assistance in the repayment of eligible student loans for |
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| 16 | 16 | | eligible nurses who apply and qualify for the assistance. |
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| 17 | 17 | | Sec. 61.732. ELIGIBILITY. To be eligible to receive loan |
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| 18 | 18 | | repayment assistance under this subchapter, a nurse must: |
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| 19 | 19 | | (1) apply to the board in a manner prescribed by the |
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| 20 | 20 | | board; |
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| 21 | 21 | | (2) be an advanced practice registered nurse, |
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| 22 | 22 | | registered nurse, or licensed vocational nurse; and |
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| 23 | 23 | | (3) at the time of application for repayment |
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| 24 | 24 | | assistance have been employed full-time for at least one year by, |
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| 25 | 25 | | and currently be employed full-time by: |
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| 26 | 26 | | (A) a convalescent or nursing facility licensed |
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| 27 | 27 | | under Chapter 242, Health and Safety Code; or |
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| 28 | 28 | | (B) a continuing care facility regulated under |
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| 29 | 29 | | Chapter 246, Health and Safety Code. |
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| 30 | 30 | | Sec. 61.733. LIMITATIONS. A nurse may receive loan |
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| 31 | 31 | | repayment assistance under this subchapter for not more than five |
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| 32 | 32 | | years. |
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| 33 | 33 | | Sec. 61.734. ELIGIBLE LOANS. (a) The board may provide |
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| 34 | 34 | | loan repayment assistance under this subchapter for the repayment |
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| 35 | 35 | | of any student loan for education at an institution of higher |
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| 36 | 36 | | education, a private or independent institution of higher |
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| 37 | 37 | | education, or a public or private out-of-state institution of |
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| 38 | 38 | | higher education accredited by a recognized accrediting agency, |
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| 39 | 39 | | including loans for undergraduate education, received by an |
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| 40 | 40 | | eligible person through any lender. |
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| 41 | 41 | | (b) The board may not provide repayment assistance for a |
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| 42 | 42 | | student loan that is in default at the time of the person's |
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| 43 | 43 | | application. |
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| 44 | 44 | | (c) In each state fiscal biennium, the board shall attempt |
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| 45 | 45 | | to allocate all money appropriated to the board for the purpose of |
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| 46 | 46 | | providing loan repayment assistance under this subchapter. |
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| 47 | 47 | | Sec. 61.735. REPAYMENT. (a) The board shall deliver any |
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| 48 | 48 | | repayment under this subchapter in a lump sum payable: |
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| 49 | 49 | | (1) to both the lender or other holder of the loan and |
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| 50 | 50 | | the nurse; or |
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| 51 | 51 | | (2) directly to the lender or other holder of the loan |
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| 52 | 52 | | on the nurse's behalf. |
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| 53 | 53 | | (b) A repayment under this subchapter may be applied to any |
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| 54 | 54 | | amount due in connection with the loan. |
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| 55 | 55 | | Sec. 61.736. AMOUNT OF REPAYMENT ASSISTANCE. (a) A nurse |
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| 56 | 56 | | may receive loan repayment assistance under this subchapter in an |
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| 57 | 57 | | amount determined by the board, not to exceed $5,000 for each year |
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| 58 | 58 | | the nurse establishes eligibility for the assistance. |
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| 59 | 59 | | (b) The total amount of loan repayment assistance awarded |
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| 60 | 60 | | under this subchapter may not exceed the sum of: |
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| 61 | 61 | | (1) the total amount of gifts and grants accepted by |
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| 62 | 62 | | the board for the repayment assistance; |
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| 63 | 63 | | (2) legislative appropriations for the repayment |
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| 64 | 64 | | assistance; and |
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| 65 | 65 | | (3) other money available to the board for the |
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| 66 | 66 | | repayment assistance. |
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| 67 | 67 | | (c) The board may adjust in an equitable manner the |
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| 68 | 68 | | distribution amounts that nurses would otherwise receive under |
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| 69 | 69 | | Subsection (a) for a year as necessary to comply with Subsections |
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| 70 | 70 | | (b) and (d). |
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| 71 | 71 | | (d) The total amount of loan repayment assistance awarded |
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| 72 | 72 | | under this subchapter may not exceed $6 million in each state fiscal |
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| 73 | 73 | | biennium. |
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| 74 | 74 | | Sec. 61.737. RULES; ADMINISTRATION. (a) The board shall |
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| 75 | 75 | | adopt rules necessary to administer this subchapter. |
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| 76 | 76 | | (b) The board shall distribute to each institution of higher |
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| 77 | 77 | | education or private or independent institution of higher education |
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| 78 | 78 | | and to any appropriate state agency and professional association |
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| 79 | 79 | | copies of the rules adopted under this section and other pertinent |
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| 80 | 80 | | information relating to this subchapter. |
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| 81 | 81 | | (c) The board shall administer the program under this |
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| 82 | 82 | | subchapter in a manner that maximizes any matching funds available |
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| 83 | 83 | | through other sources. |
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| 84 | 84 | | (d) A reasonable amount, not to exceed three percent, of any |
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| 85 | 85 | | money appropriated for purposes of this subchapter may be used to |
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| 86 | 86 | | pay the costs of administering this subchapter. |
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| 87 | 87 | | Sec. 61.738. SOLICITATION AND ACCEPTANCE OF MONEY. The |
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| 88 | 88 | | board may solicit and accept gifts and grants from any public or |
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| 89 | 89 | | private source for the purposes of this subchapter. |
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| 90 | 90 | | SECTION 2. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board is |
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| 91 | 91 | | required to provide assistance in the repayment of eligible student |
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| 92 | 92 | | loans for eligible nurses as provided by this Act only if the |
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| 93 | 93 | | legislature appropriates money specifically for that purpose. If |
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| 94 | 94 | | the legislature does not appropriate money specifically for that |
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| 95 | 95 | | purpose, the board may, but is not required to, provide assistance |
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| 96 | 96 | | in the repayment of eligible student loans for eligible nurses as |
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| 97 | 97 | | provided by this Act using other appropriations available for that |
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| 98 | 98 | | purpose. |
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| 99 | 99 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |
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