Bill Text: TX SB32 | 2021-2022 | 87th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to a student loan repayment assistance program for certain professionals for exceptional service to the State of Texas during the coronavirus pandemic.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2021-03-16 - Co-author authorized [SB32 Detail]
Download: Texas-2021-SB32-Introduced.html
| 87R3804 TYPED | ||
| By: Zaffirini | S.B. No. 32 | |
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| relating to a student loan repayment assistance program for certain | ||
| professionals for exceptional service to the State of Texas during | ||
| the coronavirus pandemic. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. This Act shall be known as the Thanking Our | ||
| Frontline Heroes Student Loan Relief Act. | ||
| SECTION 2. Chapter 61, Education Code, is amended by adding | ||
| Subchapter NO to read as follows: | ||
| SUBCHAPTER NO: FRONTLINE WORKERS LOAN REPAYMENT ASSISTANCE | ||
| PROGRAM | ||
| Sec. 61.9961. DEFINITION. (a) In this subchapter, | ||
| "frontline worker" means any person providing health, education, | ||
| public safety, or other necessary support services related to the | ||
| coronavirus pandemic, as determined by the board. | ||
| (b) The board, in consultation with relevant state | ||
| agencies, shall develop a list of occupations that can qualify as a | ||
| frontline worker, which shall include: | ||
| (1) employees of public schools, open enrollment | ||
| charter schools, and private schools; | ||
| (2) employees of public and private institutions of | ||
| higher education; | ||
| (3) peace officers; | ||
| (4) fire fighters; | ||
| (5) emergency medical technicians; | ||
| (6) medical professionals, including doctors, | ||
| physician assistants, nurses, nurse practitioners, mental health | ||
| professionals, and hospital support personnel; | ||
| (7) employees of nursing homes, state supported living | ||
| centers, or similar long-term care facilities; | ||
| (8) employees of child care facilities; | ||
| (9) social workers; and | ||
| (10) members of the Texas military forces, United | ||
| State armed forces, or a reserve component of the armed forces who | ||
| participated in coronavirus-related service. | ||
| Sec. 61.9962. LOAN REPAYMENT ASSISTANCE AUTHORIZED; | ||
| PURPOSE. The board shall establish and administer a program to | ||
| provide, in accordance with this subchapter and board rules, loan | ||
| repayment assistance in the repayment of eligible loans for | ||
| eligible frontline workers who provided necessary services during | ||
| the coronavirus pandemic. | ||
| Sec. 61.9963. ELIGIBILITY. (a) To be eligible to receive | ||
| loan repayment assistance under this subchapter, a person must: | ||
| (1) be a Texas resident at the time of application; | ||
| (2) for a substantial portion, as determined by board | ||
| rules, of the period between March 15, 2020 and December 31, 2020, | ||
| have been employed as a frontline worker; and | ||
| (3) submit to the board an application for the loan | ||
| repayment assistance, in the manner and on a form prescribed by the | ||
| board, that requires: | ||
| (A) employer verification or other | ||
| documentation, as established by board rule, of the person's | ||
| employment as a frontline worker in the specified period of time; | ||
| and | ||
| (B) a statement of the total amount of principal, | ||
| accrued interest, fees, and other charges due on all outstanding | ||
| eligible loans for which the person is applying for repayment | ||
| assistance; | ||
| (4) have earned a degree or certification from a | ||
| public or private institution of higher education or earned at | ||
| least 30 semester credit hours before the person's initial | ||
| employment as a frontline worker; and | ||
| (5) comply with any other requirement adopted by the | ||
| board under this subchapter. | ||
| (b) The board shall establish by rule a time period during | ||
| which applications may be submitted of no less than 90 calendar | ||
| days. | ||
| Sec. 61.9964. AWARD. (a) Except as provided by this | ||
| section, an eligible person is entitled to receive an amount of loan | ||
| repayment assistance under this chapter payable to the holders of | ||
| the eligible person's eligible loans in an amount equal to the | ||
| lesser of $5,000 or the balance of the total amount stated in the | ||
| person's application under Sec. 61.9963, subject to the amount of | ||
| available funding. | ||
| (b) An eligible person may receive only one award under this | ||
| subchapter. | ||
| (c) If the amount of money available for loan repayment | ||
| assistance under this subchapter is insufficient to provide loan | ||
| repayment assistance to all eligible persons, the board shall | ||
| establish criteria to determine the amount of available money to | ||
| allocate to the holders of student loans of eligible persons as the | ||
| board determines appropriate to further the purpose of this | ||
| subchapter. | ||
| (d) An eligible person whose loan repayment assistance | ||
| under this section is less than the amount necessary to cover the | ||
| amount of principal and interest due on the person's eligible loans | ||
| for the period in which the award is disbursed is responsible for | ||
| the payment of the remainder of the amount due and for otherwise | ||
| preventing a default on the loan. | ||
| Sec. 61.6695. ELIGIBLE LOANS. (a) The board may provide | ||
| loan repayment assistance under this subchapter for the repayment | ||
| of any student loan received by an eligible person through any | ||
| lender for the cost of attendance at an institution of higher | ||
| education or a private or independent institution of higher | ||
| education. | ||
| (b) If the loan is not a state or federal guaranteed student | ||
| loan, the promissory note or other loan agreement document | ||
| governing the terms of the loan must require all the loan proceeds | ||
| to be used for expenses incurred by a person in attending an | ||
| institution of higher education or a private or independent | ||
| institution of higher education. | ||
| Sec. 61.9966. PAYMENT OF LOAN REPAYMENT ASSISTANCE. | ||
| (a) The board shall pay any loan repayment assistance under this | ||
| subchapter in a lump sum delivered on the eligible person's behalf | ||
| directly to the holder of the loan. | ||
| (b) Loan repayment assistance provided under this | ||
| subchapter may be applied to any amount due on the loan. | ||
| (c) The board shall attempt to allocate all money available | ||
| to the board for the purpose of providing loan repayment assistance | ||
| under this subchapter. | ||
| Sec. 61.9967. GIFTS, GRANTS, AND DONATIONS. The board may | ||
| solicit and accept gifts, grants, and other donations from any | ||
| public or private source for the purposes of this subchapter. | ||
| Sec. 61.9968. RULES; POSTING REQUIRED. (a) The board shall | ||
| adopt rules necessary for the administration of this subchapter. | ||
| (b) The board shall post on the board's Internet website a | ||
| copy of the rules adopted under this subchapter and information | ||
| regarding the program established under this subchapter. | ||
| (c) The board may advertise in any available media or | ||
| otherwise promote the loan repayment assistance program to further | ||
| the purposes of this chapter. | ||
| Sec. 61.9969. EXPIRATION. This subchapter expires December | ||
| 31, 2022. | ||
| SECTION 3. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board | ||
| shall adopt rules for the frontline workers loan repayment | ||
| assistance program under Subchapter NO, Chapter 61, Education Code, | ||
| as added by this Act, not later than December 1, 2021. | ||
| SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021. | ||
