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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. Section 56.101(7), Education Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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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 56.105(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 3. 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 4. 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. |
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______________________________ |
______________________________ |
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President of the Senate |
Speaker of the House |
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I certify that H.B. No. 2026 was passed by the House on May 2, |
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2023, by the following vote: Yeas 112, Nays 33, 1 present, not |
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voting; that the House refused to concur in Senate amendments to |
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H.B. No. 2026 on May 23, 2023, and requested the appointment of a |
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conference committee to consider the differences between the two |
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houses; and that the House adopted the conference committee report |
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on H.B. No. 2026 on May 28, 2023, by the following vote: Yeas 118, |
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Nays 26, 2 present, not voting. |
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______________________________ |
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Chief Clerk of the House |
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I certify that H.B. No. 2026 was passed by the Senate, with |
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amendments, on May 18, 2023, by the following vote: Yeas 27, Nays |
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4; at the request of the House, the Senate appointed a conference |
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committee to consider the differences between the two houses; and |
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that the Senate adopted the conference committee report on H.B. No. |
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2026 on May 27, 2023, by the following vote: Yeas 27, Nays 4. |
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______________________________ |
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Secretary of the Senate |
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APPROVED: __________________ |
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Date |
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__________________ |
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Governor |