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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the creation and administration of the rural physician |
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scholarship program. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Chapter 487, Government Code, is amended by |
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adding Subchapter P to read as follows: |
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SUBCHAPTER P. RURAL PHYSICIAN SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM |
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Sec. 487.701. DEFINITION. In this subchapter, "rural |
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medically underserved area" means a predominantly rural geographic |
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area in this state that the office by rule designates as being |
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underserved with respect to available medical care. |
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Sec. 487.702. SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM. In accordance with this |
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subchapter and rules adopted by the executive committee, the office |
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shall establish and administer a program to award scholarships to |
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medical students who agree to practice medicine in rural medically |
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underserved areas. |
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Sec. 487.703. ELIGIBILITY. To be eligible to receive a |
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scholarship under this subchapter, a student must: |
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(1) apply to the office; |
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(2) be enrolled at a medical school of a public or |
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private institution of higher education in this state; and |
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(3) enter into an agreement with the office as |
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provided by Section 487.704. |
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Sec. 487.704. AGREEMENT REQUIREMENTS. (a) To qualify for |
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a scholarship under this subchapter, a person must enter into a |
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written agreement with the office as provided by this section. The |
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agreement must: |
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(1) specify the conditions the person must satisfy to |
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receive the scholarship award; |
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(2) require the person to practice medicine for at |
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least three years in a rural medically underserved area; |
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(3) provide that any scholarship award the person |
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receives under this subchapter constitutes a loan until the person |
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completes the three years of practice and satisfies other |
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applicable conditions of the agreement; and |
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(4) require the person to sign a promissory note |
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acknowledging the conditional nature of the scholarship award |
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received and promising to repay the amount of that assistance plus |
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applicable interest and reasonable collection costs if the person |
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does not satisfy the applicable conditions. |
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(b) The office shall determine the terms of the promissory |
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note required by Subsection (a)(4). To the extent practicable, the |
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terms must be the same as those applicable to state or federally |
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guaranteed student loans made at the same time. |
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Sec. 487.705. GRANTS, GIFTS, AND DONATIONS. In addition to |
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funds appropriated by the legislature, the office may solicit and |
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accept grants, gifts, and donations from any public or private |
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source for the purposes of this subchapter. |
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Sec. 487.706. RULES. (a) The executive committee shall |
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adopt rules necessary to administer this subchapter. |
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(b) The office shall distribute to each medical school of a |
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public or private institution of higher education in this state a |
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copy of the rules adopted under this section. |
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SECTION 2. The executive committee of the Office of Rural |
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Community Affairs shall adopt rules for the rural physician |
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scholarship program under Subchapter P, Chapter 487, Government |
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Code, as added by this Act, not later than December 31, 2007. |
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SECTION 3. 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, 2007. |
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* * * * * |