Bill Text: TX HB653 | 2011-2012 | 82nd Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to student loan repayment assistance for speech-language pathologists or audiologists employed by a public school or as faculty members of certain graduate programs at public institutions of higher education.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2011-02-21 - Referred to Higher Education [HB653 Detail]
Download: Texas-2011-HB653-Introduced.html
| 82R4583 KYF-F | ||
| By: Christian | H.B. No. 653 | |
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| relating to student loan repayment assistance for speech-language | ||
| pathologists or audiologists employed by a public school or as | ||
| faculty members of certain graduate programs at public institutions | ||
| of higher education. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Chapter 61, Education Code, is amended by adding | ||
| Subchapter GG to read as follows: | ||
| SUBCHAPTER GG. REPAYMENT OF CERTAIN SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGIST | ||
| AND AUDIOLOGIST EDUCATION LOANS | ||
| Sec. 61.9801. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter: | ||
| (1) "Audiologist" means a person licensed as an | ||
| audiologist under Chapter 401, Occupations Code. | ||
| (2) "Communicative disorders program" means a | ||
| graduate degree program in audiology or speech-language pathology | ||
| accredited by the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology | ||
| and Speech-Language Pathology. | ||
| (3) "Public school" means a public preschool or | ||
| primary or secondary school in this state. | ||
| (4) "Speech-language pathologist" means a person | ||
| licensed as a speech-language pathologist under Chapter 401, | ||
| Occupations Code. | ||
| Sec. 61.9802. REPAYMENT ASSISTANCE AUTHORIZED. The board | ||
| shall provide, in accordance with this subchapter and board rules, | ||
| assistance in the repayment of student loans for speech-language | ||
| pathologists and audiologists who apply and qualify for assistance. | ||
| Sec. 61.9803. ELIGIBILITY. (a) To be eligible to receive | ||
| repayment assistance, a speech-language pathologist or an | ||
| audiologist must: | ||
| (1) apply to the board; and | ||
| (2) at the time the speech-language pathologist or | ||
| audiologist applies for the assistance: | ||
| (A) have been employed as a speech-language | ||
| pathologist or as an audiologist, as applicable, for at least one | ||
| year by, and be currently employed full-time in that capacity by, a | ||
| public school; or | ||
| (B) have been employed as a faculty member of a | ||
| communicative disorders program at an institution of higher | ||
| education for at least one year, and be currently employed | ||
| full-time in that capacity at such an institution. | ||
| (b) The board by rule may provide for repayment assistance | ||
| on a pro rata basis for speech-language pathologists and | ||
| audiologists employed part-time by a public school or institution | ||
| of higher education. | ||
| Sec. 61.9804. LIMITATION. (a) On qualifying for the | ||
| assistance, a speech-language pathologist or an audiologist may | ||
| receive repayment assistance grants for each year of employment, | ||
| not to exceed five years, by: | ||
| (1) a public school; or | ||
| (2) a communicative disorders program at an | ||
| institution of higher education. | ||
| (b) The amount of repayment assistance grants that a | ||
| speech-language pathologist or an audiologist may receive for each | ||
| year of employment by a public school or a communicative disorders | ||
| program at an institution of higher education may not exceed 20 | ||
| percent of the speech-language pathologist's or audiologist's total | ||
| principal amount of student loans. | ||
| (c) The total amount of repayment assistance grants | ||
| received by a speech-language pathologist or an audiologist under | ||
| this subchapter may not exceed $30,000 for an eligible recipient | ||
| who holds a master's degree but not a doctoral degree, or $45,000 | ||
| for an eligible recipient who holds a doctoral degree. | ||
| Sec. 61.9805. ELIGIBLE LOANS. (a) The board may provide | ||
| repayment assistance for the repayment of any student loan for | ||
| education at an institution of higher education, including loans | ||
| for undergraduate education, received by a speech-language | ||
| pathologist or an audiologist through any lender. | ||
| (b) The board may not provide repayment assistance for a | ||
| student loan that is in default at the time of the speech-language | ||
| pathologist's or audiologist's application. | ||
| (c) Each state fiscal biennium, the board shall attempt to | ||
| provide repayment assistance in amounts sufficient to use all the | ||
| money appropriated to the board for that biennium for the purpose of | ||
| providing repayment assistance under this subchapter. | ||
| Sec. 61.9806. REPAYMENT. (a) The board shall deliver any | ||
| repayment made under this subchapter in a lump sum payable to the | ||
| lender and the speech-language pathologist or audiologist, in | ||
| accordance with any applicable federal law. | ||
| (b) A repayment made under this subchapter may be applied | ||
| only to the principal amount of the loan. | ||
| Sec. 61.9807. ADVISORY COMMITTEES. The board may appoint | ||
| advisory committees to assist the board in administering this | ||
| subchapter. | ||
| Sec. 61.9808. ACCEPTANCE OF GIFTS. The board may accept | ||
| gifts, grants, and donations for the purposes of this subchapter. | ||
| Sec. 61.9809. RULES. (a) The board shall adopt rules | ||
| necessary for the administration of this subchapter. | ||
| (b) The board shall distribute a copy of the rules adopted | ||
| under this section and pertinent information regarding this | ||
| subchapter to: | ||
| (1) each institution of higher education; | ||
| (2) any appropriate state agency; and | ||
| (3) any appropriate professional association. | ||
| SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2011. | ||
