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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the Rural Veterinarian Incentive Program. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Sections 56.101(2) and (7), Education Code, are |
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amended to read as follows: |
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(2) "College" means a college of veterinary medicine |
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[located in this state and] accredited by the American Veterinary |
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Medical Association Council on Education. |
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(7) "Rural county" means a county in this state with a |
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population of less than 150,000 [100,000]. |
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SECTION 2. Section 56.103(d), Education Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(d) The committee shall adopt rules: |
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(1) establishing criteria to determine whether a |
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person is an eligible participant as the committee considers |
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reasonable, including the person's: |
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(A) background and interest in rural practice; |
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and |
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(B) financial need; |
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(2) providing for requesting the distribution of money |
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from the account for the program; |
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(3) establishing the criteria necessary for a |
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community or political subdivision in a rural county to qualify as a |
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student sponsor under Section 56.105; |
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(4) governing agreements of financial support between |
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a rural sponsor and an eligible student; |
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(5) establishing preferential treatment in the |
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selection process for applicants who: |
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(A) are residents of this state; |
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(B) graduated from a high school located in this |
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state or general academic teaching institution located in this |
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state; or |
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(C) graduated from an accredited college of |
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veterinary medicine in this state; and |
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(6) [(5)] establishing other procedures necessary to |
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administer the program. |
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SECTION 3. Section 56.104, Education Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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Sec. 56.104. ELIGIBLE VETERINARY STUDENT OR GRADUATE. A |
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[(a) Except as provided by Subsection (b), a] person is eligible to |
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participate in the program only if the person: |
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(1) is enrolled as a student of a [the] college or |
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applies to participate in the program on or before the fourth |
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anniversary of the date the person graduates from a [the] college; |
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(2) will receive or has received from a student loan at |
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least 50 percent of the funds for tuition and fees for one or more |
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academic years while enrolled in the college; and |
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(3) meets any additional qualifications adopted by the |
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committee. |
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[(b) A person enrolled as a student in an accredited college |
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of veterinary medicine located outside of this state may apply |
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under Subsection (a) to participate in the program if the student |
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graduated from a high school located in this state or a general |
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academic teaching institution located in this state.] |
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SECTION 4. Section 56.105(b), Education Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(b) To participate as a sponsor in the program, the |
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community or political subdivision must enter into an agreement |
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with the eligible participant to provide financial support to the |
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eligible participant in an amount not less than the tuition and fees |
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required for a full academic year for a student enrolled in a [the] |
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college in exchange for the eligible participant's agreement to |
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practice veterinary medicine in the sponsoring community or |
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political subdivision. |
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SECTION 5. Sections 56.106(a) and (b), Education Code, are |
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amended to read as follows: |
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(a) To participate in the program, an eligible participant |
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must enter into an agreement with the Texas Higher Education |
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Coordinating Board [university system] that: |
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(1) requires the participant to practice veterinary |
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medicine in a rural county for one calendar year for each academic |
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year for which the participant receives financial support under the |
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program; |
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(2) specifies the conditions the participant must |
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satisfy to receive financial support under the program; |
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(3) provides that any financial support the |
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participant receives under the program constitutes a loan until the |
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participant satisfies the conditions of the agreement; and |
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(4) requires the participant to sign a promissory note |
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acknowledging the conditional nature of the financial support |
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received under the program and promising to repay the amount of the |
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financial support, any applicable interest, and reasonable |
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collection costs if the participant does not satisfy the conditions |
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of the agreement. |
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(b) The financial support received by an eligible |
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participant under this subchapter must be used to retire student |
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loan debt or to pay tuition and fees to a college [the university |
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system] while the eligible participant is enrolled in the college. |
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SECTION 6. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |