By Turner of Coleman H.B. No. 2042
Line and page numbers may not match official copy.
Bill not drafted by TLC or Senate E&E.
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to the creation of the Rural Veterinarian Incentive
1-3 Program.
1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-5 SECTION 1. Subtitle B, Title 3, Education Code is amended by
1-6 adding a new Chapter 89 to read as follows:
1-7 Chapter 89. RURAL VETERINARIAN INCENTIVE PROGRAM.
1-8 Sec. 89.001. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter:
1-9 (1) "Committee" means the Rural Veterinarian Incentive
1-10 Program advisory committee.
1-11 (2) "Fund" means the Rural Veterinarian Incentive
1-12 Program Fund.
1-13 (3) "College" means the Texas A&M University College
1-14 of Veterinary Medicine.
1-15 (4) "Program" means the Rural Veterinarian Incentive
1-16 Program.
1-17 (5) "Rural county" means a county with a population of
1-18 less than 50,000.
1-19 (6) "Commission" means the Texas Animal Health
1-20 Commission.
1-21 (7) "Board" means the State Board of Veterinary
2-1 Examiners.
2-2 Sec. 89.002. RURAL VETERINARIAN ASSISTANCE PROGRAM ADVISORY
2-3 COMMITTEE. (a) The members of the committee shall be composed of
2-4 the following:
2-5 (1) The executive director of the commission;
2-6 (2) The executive director of the board;
2-7 (3) The dean of the college;
2-8 (4) A veterinarian with a mixed animal practice; and
2-9 (5) A veterinarian with a large animal practice.
2-10 (b) The dean of the college shall serve as the chair of the
2-11 advisory committee.
2-12 (c) The committee shall promulgate rules:
2-13 (1) to establish the criteria for students or
2-14 graduates eligible to participate in the program, including:
2-15 (A) a minimum grade point average; and
2-16 (B) financial need of the participant;
2-17 (2) to govern the distribution of monies from the fund
2-18 for the program;
2-19 (3) to establish the criteria necessary for a
2-20 community or political subdivision in a rural county to qualify as
2-21 a student sponsor;
2-22 (4) to govern agreements of financial support between
2-23 a rural sponsor and a student; and
2-24 (5) to establish other procedures necessary to
2-25 administer the program.
3-1 Sec. 89.003. ELIGIBLE STUDENTS. (a) A student is eligible
3-2 to participate in the program if the student:
3-3 (1) is enrolled with the college; or
3-4 (2) applied to participate in the program within one
3-5 year of the date of graduation from the college; and
3-6 (3) will receive, or has received, at least fifty
3-7 percent of the funds for tuition and fees from a student loan.
3-8 (b) The committee may establish a minimum grade point
3-9 average
3-10 Sec. 89.004. RURAL SPONSORS. (a) A rural community or
3-11 political subdivision which qualifies under the rules promulgated
3-12 by the committee under Section 89.002(b)(3) may provide financial
3-13 support to a student described in Section 89.003(a).
3-14 (b) The sponsor shall enter into an agreement with the
3-15 student under Subsection (c).
3-16 (c) An agreement of financial support shall fund at least
3-17 one full year of tuition and fees for an eligible student enrolled
3-18 in the college.
3-19 (d) Financial support under this section:
3-20 (1) may be satisfied in whole or part by a grant,
3-21 scholarship, or private foundation; and
3-22 (2) shall be deposited in the fund for distribution to
3-23 the student by the university.
3-24 Sec. 89.005. FINANCIAL SUPPORT. (a) A student
3-25 participating in the program shall enter into an agreement with the
4-1 university to practice veterinary medicine in a rural county for a
4-2 period of time equal to each year of financial support received by
4-3 the student.
4-4 (b) The financial support received by a student under this
4-5 chapter shall be used to retire student loan debt or pay tuition
4-6 and fees to the university.
4-7 (c) Financial support from the fund shall be awarded in the
4-8 form of grants.
4-9 Sec. 89.006. RURAL VETERINARIAN ASSISTANCE FUND. (a) The
4-10 Rural Veterinarian Assistance Fund is a fund in the state treasury.
4-11 (b) The fund consists of legislative appropriations, gifts,
4-12 grants, donations, the market value of in-kind contributions, and
4-13 other sources of revenue deposited to the credit of the fund by the
4-14 university.
4-15 (c) The fund shall be administered by the university in
4-16 accordance to the rules promulgated by the committee.
4-17 Sec. 89.006. ADMINISTRATION OF THE PROGRAM. The university
4-18 shall administer the program according to the rules promulgated by
4-19 the committee.
4-20 SECTION 2. The importance of this legislation and the
4-21 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses creates an
4-22 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
4-23 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
4-24 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.