Texas 2025 - 89th Regular

Texas House Bill HB184 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
1	1	89R879 MM-D
2	2	By: Guillen H.B. No. 184
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7	7	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
8	8	AN ACT
9	9	relating to student loan repayment assistance for certain
10	10	prosecuting attorneys who are employed as part of the border
11	11	prosecution unit.
12	12	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
13	13	SECTION 1. Chapter 61, Education Code, is amended by adding
14	14	Subchapter PP to read as follows:
15	15	SUBCHAPTER PP. REPAYMENT OF EDUCATION LOANS FOR BORDER PROSECUTION
16	16	UNIT ATTORNEYS
17	17	Sec. 61.9971. DEFINITION. In this subchapter, "border
18	18	prosecution unit" means the border prosecution unit established
19	19	under Subchapter B, Chapter 772, Government Code.
20	20	Sec. 61.9972. LOAN REPAYMENT ASSISTANCE AUTHORIZED. The
21	21	board shall provide, in accordance with this subchapter and board
22	22	rules, assistance in the repayment of eligible student loans for
23	23	eligible attorneys who apply and qualify for the assistance.
24	24	Sec. 61.9973. ELIGIBILITY. To be eligible to receive loan
25	25	repayment assistance under this subchapter, an attorney must:
26	26	(1) apply to the board in a manner prescribed by the
27	27	board;
28	28	(2) be an attorney licensed in this state; and
29	29	(3) have completed one, two, three, or four
30	30	consecutive years of employment as a prosecuting attorney for the
31	31	border prosecution unit.
32	32	Sec. 61.9974. LIMITATION. An attorney may receive loan
33	33	repayment assistance under this subchapter for not more than four
34	34	years.
35	35	Sec. 61.9975. ELIGIBLE LOANS. (a) The board may provide
36	36	loan repayment assistance under this subchapter for the repayment
37	37	of any student loan for education at an institution of higher
38	38	education, a private or independent institution of higher
39	39	education, or a public or private out-of-state institution of
40	40	higher education accredited by a recognized accrediting agency,
41	41	including loans for undergraduate education, received by an
42	42	eligible person through any lender.
43	43	(b) The board may not provide repayment assistance for a
44	44	student loan that is in default at the time of the person's
45	45	application.
46	46	(c) In each state fiscal biennium, the board shall attempt
47	47	to allocate all money appropriated to the board for the purpose of
48	48	providing loan repayment assistance under this subchapter.
49	49	Sec. 61.9976. REPAYMENT. (a) The board shall deliver any
50	50	repayment under this subchapter in a lump sum payable:
51	51	(1) to both the lender or other holder of the loan and
52	52	the attorney; or
53	53	(2) directly to the lender or other holder of the loan
54	54	on the attorney's behalf.
55	55	(b) A repayment under this subchapter may be applied to any
56	56	amount due in connection with the loan.
57	57	Sec. 61.9977. AMOUNT OF REPAYMENT ASSISTANCE. (a) For each
58	58	year an attorney establishes eligibility for the assistance, the
59	59	attorney may receive loan repayment assistance under this
60	60	subchapter in an amount determined by applying the following
61	61	applicable percentage to the attorney's total student loan balance:
62	62	(1) for the first year, 25 percent;
63	63	(2) for the second year, 25 percent;
64	64	(3) for the third year, 25 percent; and
65	65	(4) for the fourth year, 25 percent.
66	66	(b) The total amount of loan repayment assistance awarded
67	67	under this subchapter may not exceed the sum of:
68	68	(1) the total amount of gifts and grants accepted by
69	69	the board for the repayment assistance;
70	70	(2) legislative appropriations for the repayment
71	71	assistance; and
72	72	(3) other money available to the board for the
73	73	repayment assistance.
74	74	(c) The total amount of loan repayment assistance received
75	75	by an attorney under this subchapter may not exceed $110,000.
76	76	(d) The total amount of loan repayment assistance awarded
77	77	under this subchapter may not exceed $2 million in each state fiscal
78	78	biennium.
79	79	(e) The board may adjust in an equitable manner the
80	80	distribution amounts that attorneys would otherwise receive under
81	81	Subsection (a) for a year as necessary to comply with the other
82	82	provisions of this section.
83	83	Sec. 61.9978. RULES; ADMINISTRATION. (a) The board shall
84	84	adopt rules necessary to administer this subchapter, including
85	85	rules regarding reimbursement of any loan repayment assistance paid
86	86	to an attorney who does not complete four consecutive years of
87	87	employment as a prosecuting attorney for the border prosecution
88	88	unit.
89	89	(b) The board shall distribute copies of the rules adopted
90	90	under this section and other pertinent information relating to this
91	91	subchapter to:
92	92	(1) each school of law authorized by the board to award
93	93	a degree that satisfies the law study requirements for licensure as
94	94	an attorney in this state;
95	95	(2) the office of each prosecutor who is a member of
96	96	the border prosecution unit; and
97	97	(3) the criminal justice division of the governor's
98	98	office.
99	99	(c) The board shall administer the program under this
100	100	subchapter in a manner that maximizes any matching funds available
101	101	through other sources.
102	102	Sec. 61.9979. SOLICITATION AND ACCEPTANCE OF MONEY. The
103	103	board may solicit and accept gifts and grants from any public or
104	104	private source for the purposes of this subchapter.
105	105	SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.