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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to support for nursing-related postsecondary education, |
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including scholarships to nursing students, loan repayment |
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assistance to nurses and nursing faculty, and grants to nursing |
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education programs. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 61.651(1), Education Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(1) "Professional nursing student" means a student |
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enrolled in: |
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(A) an institution of higher education; or |
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(B) a nonprofit, tax-exempt, regionally |
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accredited college or university operating in accordance with a |
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memorandum of understanding with this state under an executive |
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order issued by the governor [a private or independent institution |
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of higher education] in a course of study leading to an initial or |
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an advanced degree in professional nursing. |
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SECTION 2. Section 61.655, Education Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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Sec. 61.655. PURPOSE; ELIGIBILITY. (a) A scholarship |
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program[, matching fund program,] or loan repayment program |
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established under this subchapter shall be established and |
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administered in a manner that the board determines best promotes |
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the health care and educational needs of this state. |
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(b) The board may establish multiple categories of persons |
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to receive scholarships[, matching funds,] and loan repayments. |
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The board may include faculty from professional nursing programs |
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with master's degrees or doctorates among the categories of persons |
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authorized to receive loan repayments. |
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(c) Each year funds are available, the board shall establish |
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the categories of persons eligible to receive scholarships[, |
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matching funds,] and loan repayments and the criteria for selecting |
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persons to be assisted under each category. The criteria: |
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(1) must include that the person be enrolled in, or |
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have outstanding student loans for education received at, as |
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applicable to the program: |
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(A) an institution of higher education; or |
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(B) a nonprofit college or university described |
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by Section 61.651(1)(B); and |
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(2) may include: |
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(A) [(1)] scholastic ability and performance; |
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(B) [(2)] financial need; |
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(C) [(3)] the geographical area in which the |
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person is likely to practice; |
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(D) [(4)] whether the person receives Temporary |
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Assistance for Needy Families [Aid to Families with Dependent |
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Children] or participates in another public welfare program; |
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(E) [(5)] employment by a state agency; |
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(F) [(6)] employment on a nursing school faculty |
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or a person's intention to seek employment on a nursing school |
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faculty; |
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(G) [(7)] whether the person is practicing in a |
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geographical area, a practice setting, or an area of practice with |
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an acute nursing shortage or is likely to practice in such an area; |
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(H) [(8)] the type of certificate or academic |
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degree held or pursued; or |
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(I) [(9)] any additional factors the board |
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considers relevant to promoting the health care and educational |
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needs of the state. |
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SECTION 3. Section 61.656, Education Code, is amended by |
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amending Subsection (d) and adding Subsection (e) to read as |
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follows: |
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(d) The board shall distribute information about the |
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scholarship program[, matching fund program,] and loan repayment |
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program established under this subchapter to: |
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(1) employers of registered nurses or licensed |
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vocational nurses; |
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(2) associations of employers; |
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(3) schools and educational programs for registered |
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nurses or licensed vocational nurses; and |
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(4) professional associations of registered nurses or |
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licensed vocational nurses. |
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(e) The rules adopted under this section must provide that |
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not more than 10 percent of the total amount of scholarships or |
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repayment assistance awarded under a program established under this |
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subchapter in a year may be awarded to persons enrolled in, or for |
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the repayment of student loans for education received at, as |
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applicable to the program, a nonprofit college or university |
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described by Section 61.651(1)(B). |
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SECTION 4. Section 61.658(b), Education Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(b) The board may structure the scholarship program[, the |
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matching fund program,] and the loan repayment program established |
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under this subchapter to secure funds available under federal |
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matching programs. |
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SECTION 5. Section 61.9822, Education Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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Sec. 61.9822. ELIGIBILITY. To be eligible to receive loan |
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repayment assistance under this subchapter, a nurse must: |
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(1) apply to the board; |
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(2) at the time of application for repayment |
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assistance have been employed part-time or full-time for at least |
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one year as, and be currently employed part-time or full-time as, a |
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faculty member of a nursing degree program at an institution of |
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higher education or a private or independent institution of higher |
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education; and |
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(3) comply with any additional requirements adopted by |
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board rule. |
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SECTION 6. Sections 61.9823(a) and (b), Education Code, are |
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amended to read as follows: |
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(a) On qualifying for loan repayment assistance under this |
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subchapter, a nurse may receive repayment assistance for each year |
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of part-time or full-time employment as a faculty member of a |
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nursing degree program at an institution of higher education or |
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private or independent institution of higher education, not to |
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exceed five years. |
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(b) The board by rule shall determine the maximum amount of |
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loan repayment assistance received by a nurse under this subchapter |
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[may not exceed $7,000] in any one year. The board shall base the |
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amount of loan repayment assistance received by a nurse for |
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part-time employment on the proportion of the number of hours |
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worked by the nurse to the number of hours worked by a full-time |
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nurse. |
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SECTION 7. Sections 63.202(f) and (g), Education Code, are |
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amended to read as follows: |
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(f) Notwithstanding the limitation provided by Subsection |
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(b), grants awarded under Subsection (c) for the state fiscal |
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biennium ending on August 31, 2025 [2021], and the fiscal biennium |
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ending on August 31, 2027 [2023], by the Texas Higher Education |
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Coordinating Board shall be awarded to programs preparing students |
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for initial licensure as registered nurses or programs preparing |
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qualified faculty members with a master's or doctoral degree for |
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the program, including programs at two-year institutions of higher |
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education, four-year general academic teaching institutions, |
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health science centers, and independent or private institutions of |
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higher education, or to the nursing resource section established |
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under Section 105.002(b), Health and Safety Code. In awarding |
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grants under this subsection, the coordinating board may: |
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(1) give priority to institutions proposing to address |
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the shortage of registered nurses by promoting innovation in |
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education, recruitment, and retention of nursing students and |
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qualified faculty; |
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(2) award grants on a competitive basis; |
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(3) consider the availability of matching funds; and |
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(4) fund a study by the nursing resource section to |
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evaluate the competencies of clinical judgment and behaviors that |
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professional nursing students should possess at the time of |
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graduation. |
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(g) Subsection (f) and this subsection expire September 1, |
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2027 [2023]. |
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SECTION 8. The following provisions of the Education Code |
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are repealed: |
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(1) Sections 61.653 and 61.657; and |
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(2) Section 61.656(c). |
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SECTION 9. (a) As soon as practicable after the effective |
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date of this Act, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board |
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shall adopt rules necessary to administer the changes in law made by |
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this Act. |
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(b) Section 61.655, Education Code, as amended by this Act, |
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applies beginning with scholarships and loan repayment assistance |
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awarded under a program established under Subchapter L, Chapter 61, |
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Education Code, for the 2024-2025 academic year. Scholarships and |
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loan repayment assistance awarded under a program established under |
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Subchapter L, Chapter 61, Education Code, for an academic year |
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before the 2024-2025 academic year are governed by the law in effect |
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immediately before the effective date of this Act, and the former |
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law is continued in effect for that purpose. |
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(c) The changes in law made by this Act to Subchapter JJ, |
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Chapter 61, Education Code, apply beginning with loan repayment |
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assistance awarded under that subchapter for the 2024-2025 academic |
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year. Loan repayment assistance awarded under Subchapter JJ, |
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Chapter 61, Education Code, for an academic year before the |
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2024-2025 academic year is governed by the law in effect |
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immediately before the effective date of this Act, and the former |
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law is continued in effect for that purpose. |
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SECTION 10. This Act takes effect immediately if it |
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receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each |
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house, as provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. |
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If this Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate |
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effect, this Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |