| |
|
|
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
|
|
|
AN ACT
|
| |
|
|
relating to student loan repayment assistance for nurses employed |
|
|
as faculty members at certain institutions of higher education. |
|
|
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|
|
SECTION 1. Chapter 61, Education Code, is amended by adding |
|
|
Subchapter GG to read as follows: |
|
|
SUBCHAPTER GG. NURSING FACULTY LOAN REPAYMENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM |
|
|
Sec. 61.9781. REPAYMENT AUTHORIZED. The board shall |
|
|
establish and administer a program to provide, in accordance with |
|
|
this subchapter and board rules, assistance in the repayment of |
|
|
student loans for nurses who: |
|
|
(1) are serving on the faculties of nursing degree |
|
|
programs at institutions of higher education or private or |
|
|
independent institutions of higher education in positions that |
|
|
require an advanced degree in professional nursing; and |
|
|
(2) apply and qualify for the assistance. |
|
|
Sec. 61.9782. ELIGIBILITY. To be eligible to receive loan |
|
|
repayment assistance under this subchapter, a nurse must: |
|
|
(1) apply to the board; |
|
|
(2) at the time of application for repayment |
|
|
assistance have been employed full-time for at least one year as, |
|
|
and be currently employed full-time as, a faculty member of a |
|
|
nursing degree program at an institution of higher education or a |
|
|
private or independent institution of higher education; and |
|
|
(3) comply with any additional requirements adopted by |
|
|
board rule. |
|
|
Sec. 61.9783. LIMITATIONS. (a) On qualifying for loan |
|
|
repayment assistance under this subchapter, a nurse may receive |
|
|
repayment assistance for each year of full-time employment as a |
|
|
faculty member of a nursing degree program at an institution of |
|
|
higher education or private or independent institution of higher |
|
|
education, not to exceed five years. |
|
|
(b) The amount of loan repayment assistance received by a |
|
|
nurse under this subchapter may not exceed $5,000 in any one year. |
|
|
(c) The total amount of loan repayment assistance provided |
|
|
under this subchapter may not exceed the total amount of gifts and |
|
|
grants accepted by the board for the repayment assistance, |
|
|
legislative appropriations for the repayment assistance, and other |
|
|
funds available to the board for the repayment assistance, |
|
|
including any money reallocated under Section 61.9786. |
|
|
Sec. 61.9784. ELIGIBLE LOANS. (a) The board may provide |
|
|
repayment assistance for the repayment of any student loan for |
|
|
education at any public or private institution of higher education, |
|
|
including a loan for undergraduate education, received by an |
|
|
eligible person through any lender. |
|
|
(b) The board may not provide repayment assistance for a |
|
|
student loan that is in default at the time of the nurse's |
|
|
application. |
|
|
Sec. 61.9785. REPAYMENT. (a) The board shall deliver any |
|
|
repayment under this subchapter in a lump sum: |
|
|
(1) payable to both the lender or other holder of the |
|
|
loan and the nurse; or |
|
|
(2) directly to the lender or other holder of the loan |
|
|
on the nurse's behalf. |
|
|
(b) A repayment under this subchapter may be applied to any |
|
|
amount due in connection with the loan. |
|
|
Sec. 61.9786. REALLOCATION OF MONEY. (a) In each state |
|
|
fiscal year, the board shall reallocate for loan repayment |
|
|
assistance under this subchapter for a particular year any money in |
|
|
the physician education loan repayment program account established |
|
|
under Section 61.5391 that exceeds the amount necessary in that |
|
|
fiscal year for purposes of repayment assistance under Subchapter |
|
|
J. |
|
|
(b) Each year money reallocated under this section may be |
|
|
used to fund loan repayment assistance for not more than 50 eligible |
|
|
applicants. |
|
|
(c) Any money reallocated under Subsection (a) in a fiscal |
|
|
year that is not used for loan repayment assistance under this |
|
|
subchapter in that fiscal year is treated as if that unused amount |
|
|
had not been reallocated in that fiscal year. |
|
|
Sec. 61.9787. SOLICITATION AND ACCEPTANCE OF GIFTS. The |
|
|
board may solicit and accept gifts and grants from any source for |
|
|
the purposes of this subchapter. |
|
|
Sec. 61.9788. RULES. (a) The board shall adopt rules as |
|
|
necessary to administer this subchapter. |
|
|
(b) The board shall distribute a copy of the rules adopted |
|
|
under this section and pertinent information regarding this |
|
|
subchapter to: |
|
|
(1) each institution of higher education and private |
|
|
or independent institution of higher education; |
|
|
(2) any appropriate state agency; and |
|
|
(3) any appropriate professional association. |
|
|
SECTION 2. Subsection (b), Section 61.5391, Education Code, |
|
|
is amended to read as follows: |
|
|
(b) Money in the account may not be appropriated for any |
|
|
purpose except: |
|
|
(1) to provide loan repayment assistance to eligible |
|
|
physicians under this subchapter; or |
|
|
(2) to provide loan repayment assistance under |
|
|
Subchapter GG if reallocated under Section 61.9786. |
|
|
SECTION 3. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board |
|
|
shall adopt the rules for loan repayment assistance under |
|
|
Subchapter GG, Chapter 61, Education Code, as added by this Act, not |
|
|
later than December 1, 2011. |
|
|
SECTION 4. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
|
|
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
|
|
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
|
|
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
|
|
Act takes effect September 1, 2011. |
|
|
|
|
|
* * * * * |