Bill Text: TX HB1329 | 2023-2024 | 88th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to student loan repayment assistance for certain health care workers employed in rural counties.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2023-03-03 - Referred to Higher Education [HB1329 Detail]
Download: Texas-2023-HB1329-Introduced.html
| 88R5708 JTZ-D | ||
| By: Morales of Maverick | H.B. No. 1329 | |
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| relating to student loan repayment assistance for certain health | ||
| care workers employed in rural counties. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Chapter 61, Education Code, is amended by adding | ||
| Subchapter L-1 to read as follows: | ||
| SUBCHAPTER L-1. REPAYMENT OF EDUCATION LOANS FOR RURAL HEALTH CARE | ||
| WORKERS | ||
| Sec. 61.671. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter: | ||
| (1) "Health care worker" means a person who furnishes | ||
| health care services in direct patient care situations under a | ||
| license, certificate, or registration issued by this state or a | ||
| person providing direct patient care in the course of a training or | ||
| educational program. | ||
| (2) "Rural county" means a county in this state with a | ||
| population of less than 100,000. | ||
| Sec. 61.672. LOAN REPAYMENT ASSISTANCE AUTHORIZED. The | ||
| board shall provide, in accordance with this subchapter and board | ||
| rules, assistance in the repayment of eligible student loans for | ||
| eligible health care workers who apply and qualify for the | ||
| assistance. | ||
| Sec. 61.673. ELIGIBILITY. To be eligible to receive loan | ||
| repayment assistance under this subchapter, a health care worker | ||
| may not be receiving loan repayment assistance under another | ||
| program administered by the board and must: | ||
| (1) apply to the board in a manner prescribed by the | ||
| board; | ||
| (2) at the time of application for repayment | ||
| assistance be employed full-time as a health care worker in a rural | ||
| county; and | ||
| (3) commit to full-time employment as a health care | ||
| worker in a rural county for not less than two years after the | ||
| health care worker receives the loan repayment lump sum under | ||
| Section 61.676. | ||
| Sec. 61.674. LIMITATIONS. A health care worker may receive | ||
| loan repayment assistance under this subchapter for not more than | ||
| four years. | ||
| Sec. 61.675. ELIGIBLE LOANS. (a) The board may provide | ||
| loan repayment assistance under this subchapter for the repayment | ||
| of any student loan for education at an institution of higher | ||
| education, a private or independent institution of higher | ||
| education, or a public or private out-of-state institution of | ||
| higher education accredited by a recognized accrediting agency, | ||
| including loans for undergraduate education, received by an | ||
| eligible person through any lender. | ||
| (b) The board may not provide repayment assistance for a | ||
| student loan that is in default at the time of the person's | ||
| application. | ||
| (c) In each state fiscal biennium, the board shall attempt | ||
| to allocate all funds appropriated to the board for the purpose of | ||
| providing loan repayment assistance under this subchapter. | ||
| Sec. 61.676. REPAYMENT. (a) The board shall deliver any | ||
| repayment under this subchapter in a lump sum payable: | ||
| (1) to both the lender or other holder of the loan and | ||
| the health care worker; or | ||
| (2) directly to the lender or other holder of the loan | ||
| on the health care worker's behalf. | ||
| (b) A repayment under this subchapter may be applied to any | ||
| amount due in connection with the loan. | ||
| Sec. 61.677. AMOUNT OF REPAYMENT ASSISTANCE. (a) A health | ||
| care worker may receive loan repayment assistance under this | ||
| subchapter for each year the health care worker establishes | ||
| eligibility for the assistance in an amount determined by the | ||
| board. | ||
| (b) The board by rule shall determine the maximum amount of | ||
| loan repayment assistance received by a health care worker under | ||
| this subchapter in any one year. | ||
| (c) The total amount of loan repayment assistance provided | ||
| under this subchapter may not exceed the sum of: | ||
| (1) the total amount of gifts and grants accepted by | ||
| the board for the repayment assistance; | ||
| (2) legislative appropriations for the repayment | ||
| assistance; and | ||
| (3) other funds available to the board for the | ||
| repayment assistance. | ||
| (d) The board may adjust in an equitable manner the | ||
| distribution amounts that health care workers would otherwise | ||
| receive under Subsection (a) for a year as necessary to comply with | ||
| Subsection (c). | ||
| Sec. 61.678. RULES; ADMINISTRATION. (a) The board shall | ||
| adopt rules necessary to administer this subchapter. | ||
| (b) The board shall distribute to each institution of higher | ||
| education or private or independent institution of higher education | ||
| and to any appropriate state agency and professional association | ||
| copies of the rules adopted under this section and other pertinent | ||
| information relating to this subchapter. | ||
| (c) The board shall administer the program under this | ||
| subchapter in a manner that maximizes any matching funds available | ||
| through other sources. | ||
| (d) A reasonable amount, not to exceed three percent, of any | ||
| money appropriated for purposes of this subchapter may be used to | ||
| pay the costs of administering this subchapter. | ||
| Sec. 61.679. SOLICITATION AND ACCEPTANCE OF FUNDS. The | ||
| board may solicit and accept gifts and grants from any public or | ||
| private source for the purposes of this subchapter. | ||
| SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. | ||
