Texas 2023 - 88th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB2545 Compare Versions

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1	1	By: Blanco S.B. No. 2545
2	2
3	3
4	4	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
5	5	AN ACT
6	6	relating to student loan repayment assistance for certain health
7	7	care workers employed in rural counties.
8	8	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
9	9	SECTION 1. Chapter 61, Education Code, is amended by adding
10	10	Subchapter L-1 to read as follows:
11	11	SUBCHAPTER L-1. REPAYMENT OF EDUCATION LOANS FOR RURAL HEALTH CARE
12	12	WORKERS
13	13	Sec. 61.671. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter:
14	14	(1) "Health care worker" means a person who furnishes
15	15	health care services in direct patient care situations under a
16	16	license, certificate, or registration issued by this state or a
17	17	person providing direct patient care in the course of a training or
18	18	educational program.
19	19	(2) "Rural county" means a county in this state with a
20	20	population of less than 100,000.
21	21	Sec. 61.672. LOAN REPAYMENT ASSISTANCE AUTHORIZED. The
22	22	board shall provide, in accordance with this subchapter and board
23	23	rules, assistance in the repayment of eligible student loans for
24	24	eligible health care workers who apply and qualify for the
25	25	assistance.
26	26	Sec. 61.673. ELIGIBILITY. To be eligible to receive loan
27	27	repayment assistance under this subchapter, a health care worker
28	28	may not be receiving loan repayment assistance under another
29	29	program administered by the board and must:
30	30	(1) apply to the board in a manner prescribed by the
31	31	board;
32	32	(2) at the time of application for repayment
33	33	assistance be employed full-time as a health care worker in a rural
34	34	county; and
35	35	(3) commit to full-time employment as a health care
36	36	worker in a rural county for not less than two years after the
37	37	health care worker receives the loan repayment lump sum under
38	38	Section 61.676.
39	39	Sec. 61.674. LIMITATIONS. A health care worker may receive
40	40	loan repayment assistance under this subchapter for not more than
41	41	four years.
42	42	Sec. 61.675. ELIGIBLE LOANS. (a) The board may provide loan
43	43	repayment assistance under this subchapter for the repayment of any
44	44	student loan for education at an institution of higher education, a
45	45	private or independent institution of higher education, or a public
46	46	or private out-of-state institution of higher education accredited
47	47	by a recognized accrediting agency, including loans for
48	48	undergraduate education, received by an eligible person through any
49	49	lender.
50	50	(b) The board may not provide repayment assistance for a
51	51	student loan that is in default at the time of the person's
52	52	application.
53	53	(c) In each state fiscal biennium, the board shall attempt
54	54	to allocate all funds appropriated to the board for the purpose of
55	55	providing loan repayment assistance under this subchapter.
56	56	Sec. 61.676. REPAYMENT. (a) The board shall deliver any
57	57	repayment under this subchapter in a lump sum payable:
58	58	(1) to both the lender or other holder of the loan and
59	59	the health care worker; or
60	60	(2) directly to the lender or other holder of the loan
61	61	on the health care worker's behalf.
62	62	(b) A repayment under this subchapter may be applied to any
63	63	amount due in connection with the loan.
64	64	Sec. 61.677. AMOUNT OF REPAYMENT ASSISTANCE. (a) A health
65	65	care worker may receive loan repayment assistance under this
66	66	subchapter for each year the health care worker establishes
67	67	eligibility for the assistance in an amount determined by the
68	68	board.
69	69	(b) The board by rule shall determine the maximum amount of
70	70	loan repayment assistance received by a health care worker under
71	71	this subchapter in any one year.
72	72	(c) The total amount of loan repayment assistance provided
73	73	under this subchapter may not exceed the sum of:
74	74	(1) the total amount of gifts and grants accepted by
75	75	the board for the repayment assistance;
76	76	(2) legislative appropriations for the repayment
77	77	assistance; and
78	78	(3) other funds available to the board for the
79	79	repayment assistance.
80	80	(d) The board may adjust in an equitable manner the
81	81	distribution amounts that health care workers would otherwise
82	82	receive under Subsection (a) for a year as necessary to comply with
83	83	Subsection (c).
84	84	Sec. 61.678. RULES; ADMINISTRATION. (a) The board shall
85	85	adopt rules necessary to administer this subchapter.
86	86	(b) The board shall distribute to each institution of higher
87	87	education or private or independent institution of higher education
88	88	and to any appropriate state agency and professional association
89	89	copies of the rules adopted under this section and other pertinent
90	90	information relating to this subchapter.
91	91	(c) The board shall administer the program under this
92	92	subchapter in a manner that maximizes any matching funds available
93	93	through other sources.
94	94	(d) A reasonable amount, not to exceed three percent, of any
95	95	money appropriated for purposes of this subchapter may be used to
96	96	pay the costs of administering this subchapter.
97	97	Sec. 61.679. SOLICITATION AND ACCEPTANCE OF FUNDS. The
98	98	board may solicit and accept gifts and grants from any public or
99	99	private source for the purposes of this subchapter.
100	100	SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023.