1-1     By:  Bernsen                                          S.B. No. 1636
 1-2           (In the Senate - Filed March 9, 2001; March 14, 2001, read
 1-3     first time and referred to Committee on Education; April 30, 2001,
 1-4     reported adversely, with favorable Committee Substitute by the
 1-5     following vote:  Yeas 8, Nays 0; April 30, 2001, sent to printer.)
 1-6     COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 1636                  By:  Nelson
 1-7                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-8                                   AN ACT
 1-9     relating to the use of a portion of medical school tuition for
1-10     student loan repayment assistance for physicians.
1-11           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-12           SECTION 1.  Section 61.539, Education Code, is amended to
1-13     read as follows:
1-14           Sec. 61.539.  MEDICAL SCHOOL TUITION SET ASIDE FOR CERTAIN
1-15     LOAN REPAYMENTS.  (a)  The governing boards of each medical unit of
1-16     an institution of higher education shall cause to be set aside two
1-17     percent of tuition charges for each student [resident students]
1-18     registered in a medical branch, school, or college.
1-19           (b)  The amount set aside shall be transferred to the
1-20     comptroller of public accounts to be maintained in the state
1-21     treasury for the sole purpose of repayment of student loans of
1-22     physicians serving in designated state agencies or economically
1-23     depressed or rural medically underserved areas of the state as
1-24     specified by this subchapter.  Section [Sections 403.094(h) and]
1-25     403.095, Government Code, does [do] not apply to the amount set
1-26     aside by this section.
1-27           (c)  As soon as practicable after each state fiscal year, the
1-28     comptroller shall prepare a report for that fiscal year of the
1-29     number of students registered in a medical branch, school, or
1-30     college, the total amount of tuition charges collected by each
1-31     institution of higher education and transferred to the state
1-32     treasury under this section, and the total amount available under
1-33     Subsection (b) for the repayment of student loans of physicians
1-34     under this subchapter.  The comptroller shall deliver a copy of the
1-35     report to the governor, the lieutenant governor, the speaker of the
1-36     house of representatives, and the Texas Higher Education
1-37     Coordinating Board not later than January 1 following the end of
1-38     the fiscal year covered by the report.
1-39           SECTION 2.  The change in law made by this Act applies
1-40     beginning with tuition fees charged to students registered in a
1-41     medical branch, school, or college for the 2001-2002 academic year.
1-42           SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
1-43     a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
1-44     provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this
1-45     Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
1-46     Act takes effect September 1, 2001.
1-47                                  * * * * *