Bill Text: TX SB223 | 2025-2026 | 89th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to student loan repayment assistance for certain prosecuting attorneys who are employed as part of the border prosecution unit.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2024-11-12 - Filed [SB223 Detail]
Download: Texas-2025-SB223-Introduced.html
| 89R879 MM-D | ||
| By: West | S.B. No. 223 | |
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| relating to student loan repayment assistance for certain | ||
| prosecuting attorneys who are employed as part of the border | ||
| prosecution unit. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Chapter 61, Education Code, is amended by adding | ||
| Subchapter PP to read as follows: | ||
| SUBCHAPTER PP. REPAYMENT OF EDUCATION LOANS FOR BORDER PROSECUTION | ||
| UNIT ATTORNEYS | ||
| Sec. 61.9971. DEFINITION. In this subchapter, "border | ||
| prosecution unit" means the border prosecution unit established | ||
| under Subchapter B, Chapter 772, Government Code. | ||
| Sec. 61.9972. 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 attorneys who apply and qualify for the assistance. | ||
| Sec. 61.9973. ELIGIBILITY. To be eligible to receive loan | ||
| repayment assistance under this subchapter, an attorney must: | ||
| (1) apply to the board in a manner prescribed by the | ||
| board; | ||
| (2) be an attorney licensed in this state; and | ||
| (3) have completed one, two, three, or four | ||
| consecutive years of employment as a prosecuting attorney for the | ||
| border prosecution unit. | ||
| Sec. 61.9974. LIMITATION. An attorney may receive loan | ||
| repayment assistance under this subchapter for not more than four | ||
| years. | ||
| Sec. 61.9975. 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 money appropriated to the board for the purpose of | ||
| providing loan repayment assistance under this subchapter. | ||
| Sec. 61.9976. 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 attorney; or | ||
| (2) directly to the lender or other holder of the loan | ||
| on the attorney's behalf. | ||
| (b) A repayment under this subchapter may be applied to any | ||
| amount due in connection with the loan. | ||
| Sec. 61.9977. AMOUNT OF REPAYMENT ASSISTANCE. (a) For each | ||
| year an attorney establishes eligibility for the assistance, the | ||
| attorney may receive loan repayment assistance under this | ||
| subchapter in an amount determined by applying the following | ||
| applicable percentage to the attorney's total student loan balance: | ||
| (1) for the first year, 25 percent; | ||
| (2) for the second year, 25 percent; | ||
| (3) for the third year, 25 percent; and | ||
| (4) for the fourth year, 25 percent. | ||
| (b) The total amount of loan repayment assistance awarded | ||
| 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 money available to the board for the | ||
| repayment assistance. | ||
| (c) The total amount of loan repayment assistance received | ||
| by an attorney under this subchapter may not exceed $110,000. | ||
| (d) The total amount of loan repayment assistance awarded | ||
| under this subchapter may not exceed $2 million in each state fiscal | ||
| biennium. | ||
| (e) The board may adjust in an equitable manner the | ||
| distribution amounts that attorneys would otherwise receive under | ||
| Subsection (a) for a year as necessary to comply with the other | ||
| provisions of this section. | ||
| Sec. 61.9978. RULES; ADMINISTRATION. (a) The board shall | ||
| adopt rules necessary to administer this subchapter, including | ||
| rules regarding reimbursement of any loan repayment assistance paid | ||
| to an attorney who does not complete four consecutive years of | ||
| employment as a prosecuting attorney for the border prosecution | ||
| unit. | ||
| (b) The board shall distribute copies of the rules adopted | ||
| under this section and other pertinent information relating to this | ||
| subchapter to: | ||
| (1) each school of law authorized by the board to award | ||
| a degree that satisfies the law study requirements for licensure as | ||
| an attorney in this state; | ||
| (2) the office of each prosecutor who is a member of | ||
| the border prosecution unit; and | ||
| (3) the criminal justice division of the governor's | ||
| office. | ||
| (c) The board shall administer the program under this | ||
| subchapter in a manner that maximizes any matching funds available | ||
| through other sources. | ||
| Sec. 61.9979. SOLICITATION AND ACCEPTANCE OF MONEY. 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, 2025. | ||
