Texas 2023 - 88th Regular

Texas House Bill HB1329 Compare Versions

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Old	New	Differences
1	1	88R5708 JTZ-D
2	2	By: Morales of Maverick H.B. No. 1329
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to student loan repayment assistance for certain health
8	8	care workers employed in rural counties.
9	9	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
10	10	SECTION 1. Chapter 61, Education Code, is amended by adding
11	11	Subchapter L-1 to read as follows:
12	12	SUBCHAPTER L-1. REPAYMENT OF EDUCATION LOANS FOR RURAL HEALTH CARE
13	13	WORKERS
14	14	Sec. 61.671. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter:
15	15	(1) "Health care worker" means a person who furnishes
16	16	health care services in direct patient care situations under a
17	17	license, certificate, or registration issued by this state or a
18	18	person providing direct patient care in the course of a training or
19	19	educational program.
20	20	(2) "Rural county" means a county in this state with a
21	21	population of less than 100,000.
22	22	Sec. 61.672. LOAN REPAYMENT ASSISTANCE AUTHORIZED. The
23	23	board shall provide, in accordance with this subchapter and board
24	24	rules, assistance in the repayment of eligible student loans for
25	25	eligible health care workers who apply and qualify for the
26	26	assistance.
27	27	Sec. 61.673. ELIGIBILITY. To be eligible to receive loan
28	28	repayment assistance under this subchapter, a health care worker
29	29	may not be receiving loan repayment assistance under another
30	30	program administered by the board and must:
31	31	(1) apply to the board in a manner prescribed by the
32	32	board;
33	33	(2) at the time of application for repayment
34	34	assistance be employed full-time as a health care worker in a rural
35	35	county; and
36	36	(3) commit to full-time employment as a health care
37	37	worker in a rural county for not less than two years after the
38	38	health care worker receives the loan repayment lump sum under
39	39	Section 61.676.
40	40	Sec. 61.674. LIMITATIONS. A health care worker may receive
41	41	loan repayment assistance under this subchapter for not more than
42	42	four years.
43	43	Sec. 61.675. ELIGIBLE LOANS. (a) The board may provide
44	44	loan repayment assistance under this subchapter for the repayment
45	45	of any student loan for education at an institution of higher
46	46	education, a private or independent institution of higher
47	47	education, or a public or private out-of-state institution of
48	48	higher education accredited by a recognized accrediting agency,
49	49	including loans for undergraduate education, received by an
50	50	eligible person through any lender.
51	51	(b) The board may not provide repayment assistance for a
52	52	student loan that is in default at the time of the person's
53	53	application.
54	54	(c) In each state fiscal biennium, the board shall attempt
55	55	to allocate all funds appropriated to the board for the purpose of
56	56	providing loan repayment assistance under this subchapter.
57	57	Sec. 61.676. REPAYMENT. (a) The board shall deliver any
58	58	repayment under this subchapter in a lump sum payable:
59	59	(1) to both the lender or other holder of the loan and
60	60	the health care worker; or
61	61	(2) directly to the lender or other holder of the loan
62	62	on the health care worker's behalf.
63	63	(b) A repayment under this subchapter may be applied to any
64	64	amount due in connection with the loan.
65	65	Sec. 61.677. AMOUNT OF REPAYMENT ASSISTANCE. (a) A health
66	66	care worker may receive loan repayment assistance under this
67	67	subchapter for each year the health care worker establishes
68	68	eligibility for the assistance in an amount determined by the
69	69	board.
70	70	(b) The board by rule shall determine the maximum amount of
71	71	loan repayment assistance received by a health care worker under
72	72	this subchapter in any one year.
73	73	(c) The total amount of loan repayment assistance provided
74	74	under this subchapter may not exceed the sum of:
75	75	(1) the total amount of gifts and grants accepted by
76	76	the board for the repayment assistance;
77	77	(2) legislative appropriations for the repayment
78	78	assistance; and
79	79	(3) other funds available to the board for the
80	80	repayment assistance.
81	81	(d) The board may adjust in an equitable manner the
82	82	distribution amounts that health care workers would otherwise
83	83	receive under Subsection (a) for a year as necessary to comply with
84	84	Subsection (c).
85	85	Sec. 61.678. RULES; ADMINISTRATION. (a) The board shall
86	86	adopt rules necessary to administer this subchapter.
87	87	(b) The board shall distribute to each institution of higher
88	88	education or private or independent institution of higher education
89	89	and to any appropriate state agency and professional association
90	90	copies of the rules adopted under this section and other pertinent
91	91	information relating to this subchapter.
92	92	(c) The board shall administer the program under this
93	93	subchapter in a manner that maximizes any matching funds available
94	94	through other sources.
95	95	(d) A reasonable amount, not to exceed three percent, of any
96	96	money appropriated for purposes of this subchapter may be used to
97	97	pay the costs of administering this subchapter.
98	98	Sec. 61.679. SOLICITATION AND ACCEPTANCE OF FUNDS. The
99	99	board may solicit and accept gifts and grants from any public or
100	100	private source for the purposes of this subchapter.
101	101	SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023.