| 1 | 1 | | 89R12917 KRM-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Guerra H.B. No. 2860 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | |
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| 6 | 6 | | |
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| 7 | 7 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 8 | 8 | | AN ACT |
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| 9 | 9 | | relating to a plan by the Department of State Health Services to |
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| 10 | 10 | | establish and improve tuition reimbursement and student loan |
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| 11 | 11 | | repayment programs for health care professionals serving border |
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| 12 | 12 | | communities. |
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| 13 | 13 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 14 | 14 | | SECTION 1. PLAN FOR ESTABLISHING AND IMPROVING TUITION |
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| 15 | 15 | | REIMBURSEMENT AND STUDENT LOAN REPAYMENT PROGRAMS FOR HEALTH CARE |
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| 16 | 16 | | PROFESSIONALS IN BORDER COMMUNITIES. (a) The Department of State |
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| 17 | 17 | | Health Services, in consultation with the Texas Higher Education |
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| 18 | 18 | | Coordinating Board, shall develop and adopt a plan to establish new |
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| 19 | 19 | | and improve existing tuition reimbursement programs and programs |
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| 20 | 20 | | providing assistance with the repayment of student loans for |
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| 21 | 21 | | eligible health care professionals who are serving in communities |
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| 22 | 22 | | near and along the international border of this state with the |
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| 23 | 23 | | United Mexican States. |
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| 24 | 24 | | (b) The plan developed under this section must: |
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| 25 | 25 | | (1) require a health care professional to commit to |
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| 26 | 26 | | full-time employment as a health care professional in the |
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| 27 | 27 | | communities near and along the international border of this state |
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| 28 | 28 | | with the United Mexican States for a specified time to be eligible |
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| 29 | 29 | | for participation in the tuition reimbursement and student loan |
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| 30 | 30 | | repayment programs; and |
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| 31 | 31 | | (2) give preference for participation in the programs |
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| 32 | 32 | | to health care professionals who live in those communities. |
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| 33 | 33 | | SECTION 2. SUBMISSION TO LEGISLATURE. Not later than |
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| 34 | 34 | | September 1, 2026, the Department of State Health Services shall |
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| 35 | 35 | | submit to the legislature the plan developed under Section 1 of this |
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| 36 | 36 | | Act and the estimated cost to this state of implementing the plan. |
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| 37 | 37 | | SECTION 3. EXPIRATION. This Act expires January 1, 2027. |
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| 38 | 38 | | SECTION 4. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Act takes effect |
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| 39 | 39 | | immediately if it receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members |
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| 40 | 40 | | elected to each house, as provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas |
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| 41 | 41 | | Constitution. If this Act does not receive the vote necessary for |
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| 42 | 42 | | immediate effect, this Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |
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