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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 61.655, 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 may |
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include: |
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(1) scholastic ability and performance; |
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(2) financial need; |
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(3) the geographical area in which the person is |
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likely to practice; |
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(4) whether the person receives Temporary Assistance |
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for Needy Families [Aid to Families with Dependent Children] or |
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participates in another public welfare program; |
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(5) employment by a state agency; |
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(6) employment on a nursing school faculty or a |
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person's intention to seek employment on a nursing school faculty; |
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(7) whether the person is practicing in a geographical |
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area, a practice setting, or an area of practice with an acute |
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nursing shortage or is likely to practice in such an area; |
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(8) the type of certificate or academic degree held or |
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pursued; or |
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(9) any additional factors the board considers |
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relevant to promoting the health care and educational needs of the |
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state. |
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SECTION 2. Section 61.656(d), Education Code, is amended to |
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read as 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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SECTION 3. 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 4. 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 5. 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 6. 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 7. 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 8. (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) The changes in law made by this Act apply beginning with |
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loan repayment assistance awarded under Subchapter JJ, Chapter 61, |
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Education Code, for the 2024-2025 academic year. Loan repayment |
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assistance awarded under Subchapter JJ, Chapter 61, Education Code, |
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for an academic year before the 2024-2025 academic year is governed |
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by the law in effect immediately before the effective date of this |
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Act, and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose. |
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SECTION 9. 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. |