| |
| |
|
|
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
|
|
|
AN ACT
|
|
|
relating to student loan repayment assistance for certain employees |
|
|
of the Department of Family and Protective Services. |
|
|
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|
|
SECTION 1. Chapter 61, Education Code, is amended by adding |
|
|
Subchapter N to read as follows: |
|
|
SUBCHAPTER N. REPAYMENT ASSISTANCE FOR CERTAIN DEPARTMENT OF |
|
|
FAMILY AND PROTECTIVE SERVICES EMPLOYEES |
|
|
Sec. 61.731. REPAYMENT ASSISTANCE AUTHORIZED. The board |
|
|
shall establish a program to provide, using funds appropriated for |
|
|
that purpose and in accordance with this subchapter and rules of the |
|
|
board, assistance in the repayment of student loans for employees |
|
|
of the Department of Family and Protective Services who apply and |
|
|
qualify for the assistance. |
|
|
Sec. 61.732. ELIGIBILITY. (a) To be eligible to receive |
|
|
repayment assistance, a person must: |
|
|
(1) apply to the board; and |
|
|
(2) have been employed for at least one year as, and be |
|
|
currently employed full-time at the Department of Family and |
|
|
Protective Services as: |
|
|
(A) a child protective services family-based |
|
|
safety services caseworker; |
|
|
(B) a child protective services investigator; |
|
|
(C) a child-care licensing investigator or |
|
|
inspector; or |
|
|
(D) a residential child-care licensing |
|
|
investigator or inspector. |
|
|
(b) In awarding repayment assistance to first-time |
|
|
applicants, the board shall give priority to applicants who |
|
|
demonstrate financial need. |
|
|
Sec. 61.733. AMOUNT OF REPAYMENT ASSISTANCE; LIMITATION. |
|
|
(a) For each year that a person meets the eligibility requirements |
|
|
provided by Section 61.732, the person may receive repayment |
|
|
assistance under this subchapter in an amount determined by board |
|
|
rule, not to exceed $2,500. |
|
|
(b) A person may not receive repayment assistance under this |
|
|
subchapter for more than four years. |
|
|
(c) If the money available for repayment assistance in a |
|
|
period for which assistance is awarded is insufficient to provide |
|
|
assistance to all eligible applicants described by Section |
|
|
61.732(b), the board shall award repayment assistance to eligible |
|
|
applicants by prioritizing awards to applicants employed in regions |
|
|
of this state experiencing the highest turnover. |
|
|
Sec. 61.734. ELIGIBLE LOANS. (a) The board may provide |
|
|
repayment assistance for the repayment of any student loan for |
|
|
education at a public or private institution of higher education, |
|
|
including loans for undergraduate education and graduate |
|
|
education, issued 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. |
|
|
Sec. 61.735. REPAYMENT. (a) The board shall deliver any |
|
|
repayment assistance made under this subchapter in a lump sum |
|
|
directly to the lender or other holder of the loan on the person's |
|
|
behalf and in accordance with any applicable federal law. |
|
|
(b) Repayment assistance received under this subchapter may |
|
|
be applied to the principal amount of the loan and to interest that |
|
|
accrues. |
|
|
Sec. 61.736. FUNDING. (a) The repayment assistance |
|
|
program established by this subchapter is funded only from |
|
|
appropriations made specifically to fund the program and from |
|
|
gifts, grants, and donations. The board shall attempt to provide |
|
|
repayment assistance in each state fiscal biennium in amounts |
|
|
sufficient to use all amounts appropriated for the program in that |
|
|
biennium. |
|
|
(b) The board may solicit and accept gifts, grants, and |
|
|
donations from any public or private source for the purposes of this |
|
|
subchapter. |
|
|
Sec. 61.737. RULES. (a) The board shall adopt rules |
|
|
necessary for the administration of this subchapter, including a |
|
|
rule that establishes the amount of repayment assistance awarded to |
|
|
eligible persons each year. |
|
|
(b) The board shall distribute to each institution of higher |
|
|
education, the Department of Family and Protective Services, and |
|
|
appropriate professional associations copies of the rules adopted |
|
|
under this section and pertinent information in this subchapter. |
|
|
SECTION 2. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board |
|
|
shall adopt the rules for the repayment assistance program under |
|
|
Subchapter N, Chapter 61, Education Code, as added by this Act, not |
|
|
later than December 1, 2015. |
|
|
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |