1-1     By:  Hodge (Senate Sponsor - Cain)                    H.B. No. 3544
 1-2           (In the Senate - Received from the House May 6, 1999;
 1-3     May 7, 1999, read first time and referred to Committee on
 1-4     Education; May 14, 1999, reported adversely, with favorable
 1-5     Committee Substitute by the following vote:  Yeas 8, Nays 0;
 1-6     May 14, 1999, sent to printer.)
 1-7     COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR H.B. No. 3544                    By:  Cain
 1-8                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-9                                   AN ACT
1-10     relating to student loan repayment assistance for certain dentists.
1-11           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-12           SECTION 1.  Chapter 61, Education Code, is amended by adding
1-13     Subchapter T to read as follows:
1-14                     SUBCHAPTER T.  REPAYMENT OF CERTAIN
1-15                           DENTAL EDUCATION LOANS
1-16           Sec. 61.901.  REPAYMENT AUTHORIZED.  The board may provide,
1-17     using funds appropriated for that purpose and in accordance with
1-18     this subchapter and rules of the board, assistance in the repayment
1-19     of student loans for dentists who apply and qualify for the
1-20     assistance.
1-21           Sec. 61.902.  ELIGIBILITY.  (a)  To be eligible to receive
1-22     repayment assistance, a dentist must apply to the board and have
1-23     completed at least one year of dental practice in an area of the
1-24     state that is underserved with respect to dental care.
1-25           (b)  The board by rule may provide for repayment assistance
1-26     on a pro rata basis for dentists in part-time practice described by
1-27     Subsection (a).
1-28           Sec. 61.903.  LIMITATION.  A dentist may receive repayment
1-29     assistance grants for each of not more than five years.
1-30           Sec. 61.904.  ELIGIBLE LOANS.  (a)  The board may provide
1-31     repayment assistance for the repayment of any student loan for
1-32     education at a public or private institution of higher education in
1-33     this state, including loans for undergraduate education, received
1-34     by a dentist through any lender.
1-35           (b)  The board may withhold repayment assistance for a
1-36     student loan that is in default at the time of the dentist's
1-37     application.
1-38           (c)  Each fiscal biennium, the board shall attempt to
1-39     allocate all funds appropriated to it for the purpose of providing
1-40     repayment assistance under this subchapter.
1-41           Sec. 61.905.  REPAYMENT.  (a)  The coordinating board shall
1-42     deliver any repayment made under this subchapter in a lump sum
1-43     payable to the lender and the dentist, in accordance with any
1-44     applicable federal law.
1-45           (b)  A repayment made under this subchapter may be applied to
1-46     any amount due in connection with the loan.
1-47           Sec. 61.906.  ADVISORY COMMITTEES.  The board may:
1-48                 (1)  appoint advisory committees from outside the
1-49     board's membership to assist the board in performing its duties
1-50     under this subchapter; and
1-51                 (2)  request the assistance of the Oral Health Services
1-52     Advisory Committee in performing those duties.
1-53           Sec. 61.907.  ACCEPTANCE OF FUNDS.  The board may accept
1-54     gifts, grants, and donations for the purposes of this subchapter.
1-55           Sec. 61.908.  RULES.  (a)  The board shall adopt rules
1-56     necessary for the administration of this subchapter, including a
1-57     rule that sets a maximum amount of repayment assistance that may be
1-58     received by a dentist in one year.  The board may consult with the
1-59     Oral Health Services Advisory Committee to assist the board in
1-60     establishing priorities among eligible dentists for repayment
1-61     assistance, taking into account the degree of an area's shortage of
1-62     dental services, geographic locations, whether the dentist is or
1-63     will be providing service in an underserved area with respect to
1-64     dental services, and other criteria the board considers
 2-1     appropriate.
 2-2           (b)  The coordinating board shall distribute to each dental
 2-3     school in this state and to appropriate state agencies and
 2-4     professional associations copies of the rules adopted under this
 2-5     section and other pertinent information relating to this
 2-6     subchapter.
 2-7           Sec. 61.909.  TOTAL AMOUNT OF REPAYMENT ASSISTANCE.  The
 2-8     total amount of repayment assistance distributed by the board under
 2-9     this subchapter may not exceed the total amount of gifts and grants
2-10     accepted by the board for repayment assistance, dental school
2-11     tuition set aside under Section 61.910, legislative appropriations
2-12     for repayment assistance, and other funds available to the board
2-13     for purposes of this subchapter.
2-14           Sec. 61.910.  DENTAL SCHOOL TUITION SET ASIDE FOR CERTAIN
2-15     LOAN REPAYMENTS.  (a)  The governing board of each dental school of
2-16     an institution of higher education shall set aside two percent of
2-17     tuition charges for resident students enrolled in a degree program
2-18     for training dentists.
2-19           (b)  The amount set aside shall be transferred to the
2-20     comptroller of public accounts to be maintained in the state
2-21     treasury for the sole purpose of repayment of student loans of
2-22     dentists under this subchapter.  Section 403.095(b), Government
2-23     Code, does not apply to the amount set aside by this section.
2-24           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1999.
2-25           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the
2-26     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
2-27     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
2-28     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
2-29     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.
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