1-1 By: Haywood S.B. No. 1183 1-2 (In the Senate - Filed March 10, 1999; March 11, 1999, read 1-3 first time and referred to Committee on Natural Resources; 1-4 April 16, 1999, reported favorably by the following vote: Yeas 6, 1-5 Nays 0; April 16, 1999, sent to printer.) 1-6 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-7 AN ACT 1-8 relating to the creation and administration of the rural 1-9 veterinarian incentive program. 1-10 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-11 SECTION 1. Subtitle D, Title 3, Education Code, is amended 1-12 by adding Chapter 89 to read as follows: 1-13 Chapter 89. RURAL VETERINARIAN INCENTIVE PROGRAM 1-14 Sec. 89.001. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter: 1-15 (1) "Board" means the State Board of Veterinary 1-16 Medical Examiners. 1-17 (2) "College" means the College of Veterinary 1-18 Medicine, Texas A&M University. 1-19 (3) "Commission" means the Texas Animal Health 1-20 Commission. 1-21 (4) "Committee" means the rural veterinarian incentive 1-22 program advisory committee. 1-23 (5) "Fund" means the rural veterinarian incentive 1-24 program fund. 1-25 (6) "Program" means the rural veterinarian incentive 1-26 program. 1-27 (7) "Rural county" means a county with a population of 1-28 less than 50,000. 1-29 (8) "University" means Texas A&M University. 1-30 Sec. 89.002. RURAL VETERINARIAN INCENTIVE PROGRAM ADVISORY 1-31 COMMITTEE. (a) The committee is composed of the following five 1-32 members: 1-33 (1) the executive director of the commission; 1-34 (2) the executive director of the board; 1-35 (3) the dean of the college; 1-36 (4) a veterinarian with a mixed animal practice; and 1-37 (5) a veterinarian with a large animal practice. 1-38 (b) The dean of the college shall serve as the chair of the 1-39 committee. 1-40 (c) The committee shall promulgate rules: 1-41 (1) establishing the criteria for students or 1-42 graduates to be eligible to participate in the program, including: 1-43 (A) a minimum grade point average; and 1-44 (B) financial need of the participant; 1-45 (2) governing the distribution of money from the fund 1-46 for the program; 1-47 (3) establishing the criteria necessary for a 1-48 community or political subdivision in a rural county to qualify as 1-49 a rural sponsor; 1-50 (4) governing terms and conditions of agreements of 1-51 financial support between rural sponsors and eligible students; and 1-52 (5) establishing other procedures necessary to 1-53 administer the program. 1-54 Sec. 89.003. ELIGIBLE STUDENTS. A student is eligible to 1-55 participate in the program if the student: 1-56 (1) is enrolled with the college or applied to 1-57 participate in the program within one year of the date of 1-58 graduation from the college; 1-59 (2) receives or has received at least 50 percent of 1-60 the funds for tuition and fees from a student loan; and 1-61 (3) meets the minimum grade point average established 1-62 by the committee. 1-63 Sec. 89.004. RURAL SPONSORS. (a) A community or a 1-64 political subdivision in a rural county that qualifies under the 2-1 rules established by the committee under Section 89.002(c)(3) may 2-2 provide financial support to a student described in Section 89.003. 2-3 (b) The rural sponsor shall enter into an agreement with the 2-4 eligible student under Subsection (c). 2-5 (c) An agreement of financial support shall fund at least 2-6 one full year of tuition and fees for an eligible student enrolled 2-7 in the college. 2-8 (d) Financial support under this section: 2-9 (1) may be satisfied in whole or part by a grant, 2-10 scholarship, or private foundation; and 2-11 (2) shall be deposited in the fund for distribution to 2-12 the eligible student by the university. 2-13 Sec. 89.005. FINANCIAL SUPPORT. (a) A student 2-14 participating in the program shall enter into an agreement with the 2-15 university to practice veterinary medicine in a rural county for 2-16 one year for each year of financial support received by the 2-17 student. 2-18 (b) The financial support received by a student under this 2-19 chapter shall be used for the repayment of student loan 2-20 indebtedness or to pay tuition and fees to the university. 2-21 (c) Financial support from the fund shall be awarded in the 2-22 form of grants. 2-23 Sec. 89.006. RURAL VETERINARIAN INCENTIVE PROGRAM FUND. 2-24 (a) The rural veterinarian incentive program fund is a fund in the 2-25 state treasury. 2-26 (b) The fund consists of legislative appropriations, gifts, 2-27 grants, donations, the market value of in-kind contributions, and 2-28 other sources of revenue deposited to the credit of the fund by the 2-29 university. 2-30 (c) The fund shall be administered by the university in 2-31 accordance with the rules established by the committee. 2-32 Sec. 89.007. ADMINISTRATION OF THE PROGRAM. The university 2-33 shall administer the program according to the rules established by 2-34 the committee. 2-35 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 1999. 2-36 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the 2-37 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 2-38 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 2-39 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 2-40 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended. 2-41 * * * * *