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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the Texas Teach Corps Loan Repayment Assistance Program |
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for undergraduate students who agree to teach in school districts |
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in this state that have shortages of teachers in mathematics or |
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science. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Chapter 61, Education Code, is amended by adding |
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Subchapter II to read as follows: |
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SUBCHAPTER II. TEXAS TEACH CORPS STUDENT LOAN REPAYMENT ASSISTANCE |
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PROGRAM FOR MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE CLASSROOM TEACHERS |
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Sec. 61.9831. LOAN REPAYMENT ASSISTANCE AUTHORIZED. The |
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board shall provide, in accordance with this subchapter and board |
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rules, assistance in the repayment of eligible student loans for |
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eligible undergraduate students who agree to teach mathematics or |
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science for a specified period in school districts in this state |
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that are determined by the Texas Education Agency to have shortages |
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of teachers in mathematics or science. |
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Sec. 61.9832. ELIGIBILITY; AGREEMENT REQUIREMENTS. (a) To |
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be eligible to receive loan repayment assistance under this |
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subchapter, a person must: |
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(1) apply for the loan repayment assistance in the |
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manner prescribed by the board; |
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(2) have graduated from high school in this state; |
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(3) be currently enrolled in an educator preparation |
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program accredited by the State Board for Educator Certification |
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that is provided by an institution of higher education or by a |
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private or independent institution of higher education in this |
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state; |
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(4) have a cumulative grade point average of at least |
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2.75 on a four-point scale or the equivalent; |
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(5) enter into an agreement with the board providing |
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that: |
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(A) the person will earn a baccalaureate degree |
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through completion of an educator preparation program described by |
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Subdivision (3); |
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(B) the person will graduate with a cumulative |
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grade point average of at least 2.75 on a four-point scale or the |
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equivalent; |
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(C) the person will obtain, within the period |
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prescribed by board rule, appropriate certification under |
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Subchapter B, Chapter 21, to teach mathematics or science in a |
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public school in this state; |
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(D) beginning with the first school year that |
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begins after the date the person obtains the appropriate |
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certification described by Paragraph (C), the person will accept an |
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offer of full-time employment to teach mathematics or science, as |
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applicable based on the person's certification, in a school |
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district in this state selected by the person from among districts |
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determined by the Texas Education Agency to have shortages of |
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teachers in that subject for that first school year for which the |
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person is accepting employment; |
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(E) the person will complete four consecutive |
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years of employment as a full-time classroom teacher in a district |
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described by Paragraph (D) whose primary duty is to teach |
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mathematics or science, as applicable, based on the person's |
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certification; |
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(F) beginning with the school year immediately |
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following the last of the four consecutive school years described |
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by Paragraph (E), the person will complete four additional |
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consecutive school years teaching in any public school in this |
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state; and |
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(G) the person acknowledges the conditional |
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nature of the loan repayment assistance; |
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(6) comply with any other requirement adopted by the |
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board under this subchapter; and |
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(7) sign a promissory note acknowledging the |
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conditional nature of the repayment assistance received and |
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promising to repay any unforgiven amount of the loan, including |
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accrued interest, and reasonable collection costs if the person |
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does not satisfy the applicable conditions and is not excused from |
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the repayment obligation in accordance with law. |
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(b) Except as provided by Section 61.9833, for the first |
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school year of employment and each following consecutive school |
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year of employment, as described by Subsections (a)(5)(D), (E), and |
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(F), not to exceed a total of eight years, the board may provide |
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assistance for the repayment of one-half of one eligible loan, |
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including the accrued interest on the eligible loan, of an eligible |
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person. Subject to the availability of funding under Section |
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61.9836 and except as otherwise provided by this subsection, the |
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amount of an assistance payment provided under this subsection in |
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any year to an eligible person is $5,000. The board shall increase |
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that amount as necessary to adjust for inflation or, as determined |
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by the board, on the basis of other relevant considerations. The |
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board shall reduce the amount of a single assistance payment or |
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refrain from making an assistance payment to an eligible person as |
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necessary to avoid making total payments under this subsection to |
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the person in an amount greater than the total amount of principal |
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and interest due on the person's eligible loans. |
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(c) For purposes of this subchapter, whether a school |
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district is determined to have a shortage of mathematics or science |
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teachers for a school year is based on a determination made by the |
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Texas Education Agency during the preceding school year. Not later |
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than April 1 of each school year, the Texas Education Agency shall |
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determine which school districts in this state have a shortage of |
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mathematics or science teachers during that school year and shall |
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provide that information to the board and to each educator |
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preparation program in this state accredited by the State Board for |
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Educator Certification. |
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(d) For purposes of Subsection (a)(5)(E), if a person is |
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employed as a teacher in a school district determined to have a |
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shortage of teachers in mathematics or science for the first year of |
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employment, each subsequent year of continuous employment as a |
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teacher in that district is considered to be employment in a |
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district determined to have such a shortage of teachers in that |
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subject in that subsequent year, regardless of whether the Texas |
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Education Agency determined that the district had a shortage of |
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teachers in that subject for that year. |
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(e) To satisfy the teaching obligation prescribed by an |
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agreement under this section, a person must teach mathematics or |
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science courses for not less than an average of four hours each |
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school day. |
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(f) Except as provided by Subsection (g), a student may use |
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the repayment assistance under this subchapter only to pay tuition |
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and the cost of books and supplies for a semester credit hour that |
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is required for completion of the educator preparation program in |
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which the student is enrolled. |
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(g) A student may not use the repayment assistance under |
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this subchapter to pay for living expenses unless the student has a |
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household income not greater than 200 percent of the income |
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guidelines necessary to qualify for the national free or |
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reduced-price lunch program established under 42 U.S.C. Section |
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1751 et seq. at the time of application for repayment assistance. |
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Sec. 61.9833. EXCEPTION TO CONSECUTIVE YEARS OF EMPLOYMENT |
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REQUIREMENT. The board shall excuse an otherwise eligible person |
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from the requirement imposed by Sections 61.9832(a)(5)(E) and (F) |
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that the employment be performed in consecutive years if the break |
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in employment is a result of the person's: |
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(1) full-time enrollment in a course of study related |
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to the field of teaching that is approved by the State Board for |
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Educator Certification and provided by an institution of higher |
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education or by a private or independent institution of higher |
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education in this state; |
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(2) service on active duty as a member of the armed |
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forces of the United States, including as a member of a reserve or |
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National Guard unit called for active duty; |
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(3) temporary total disability for a period of not |
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more than 36 months as established by the affidavit of a qualified |
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physician; |
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(4) inability to secure employment as required by |
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Section 61.9832 for a period not to exceed 12 months, because of |
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care required by a disabled spouse or child; |
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(5) inability, despite reasonable efforts, to secure, |
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for a single period not to exceed 12 months, employment as required |
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by Section 61.9832; or |
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(6) satisfaction of the provisions of any other |
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exception adopted by the board for purposes of this section. |
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Sec. 61.9834. ELIGIBLE LOANS. (a) The board may provide |
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under this subchapter repayment assistance for the repayment of any |
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student loan that: |
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(1) is for education at a public or private |
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institution of higher education; and |
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(2) is received by an eligible person through an |
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eligible lender. |
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(b) If the loan is not a state or federal guaranteed student |
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loan, the note or other writing governing the terms of the loan must |
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require the loan proceeds to be used for expenses incurred by a |
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person in attending a postsecondary educational institution. |
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(c) The board may not provide loan repayment assistance |
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under this subchapter for a student loan that is in default at the |
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time of the person's application for repayment assistance. |
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Sec. 61.9835. PAYMENT OF ASSISTANCE. (a) The board shall |
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pay any loan repayment assistance under this subchapter in a lump |
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sum: |
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(1) payable to both the holder of the loan and the |
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eligible person; or |
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(2) delivered on the eligible person's behalf directly |
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to the holder of the loan. |
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(b) Loan repayment assistance provided under this |
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subchapter may be applied to any amount due on the loan. |
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(c) Each fiscal biennium, the board shall attempt to |
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allocate all money available to the board for the purpose of |
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providing loan repayment assistance under this subchapter. |
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Sec. 61.9836. MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE TEACHER INVESTMENT |
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FUND. (a) In this section, "fund" means the mathematics and |
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science teacher investment fund. |
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(b) The fund is a dedicated account in the general revenue |
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fund and consists of: |
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(1) appropriations of money to the fund by the |
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legislature; |
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(2) gifts, grants, and other donations received for |
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the fund; and |
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(3) interest and other earnings from the investment of |
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the fund. |
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(c) The fund may be used only to provide repayment |
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assistance for the repayment of loans eligible under Section |
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61.9834, including related administrative costs. |
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(d) The fund is exempt from the application of Sections |
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403.095 and 404.071, Government Code. |
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(e) The board may solicit and accept grants, gifts, or |
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donations from any public or private entity for the purposes of this |
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subchapter. All money received under this subchapter shall be |
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deposited in the fund. |
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Sec. 61.9837. AMOUNT OF LOAN REPAYMENT ASSISTANCE. (a) The |
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total amount of loan repayment assistance paid by the board under |
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this subchapter may not exceed the total amount of money available |
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in the fund under Section 61.9836 and any other money that the board |
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is legally authorized to use for purposes of this subchapter. |
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(b) Not more than 4,000 eligible persons may be provided |
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loan repayment assistance in the amount authorized under this |
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subchapter in any school year. |
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(b-1) This subsection expires January 1, 2020. |
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Notwithstanding Subsection (b), not more than the following number |
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of eligible persons may be provided loan repayment assistance in |
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the amount authorized under this subchapter in the specified school |
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year: |
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(1) in the 2016-2017 school year, not more than 1,000 |
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eligible persons may be provided loan repayment assistance; |
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(2) in the 2017-2018 school year, not more than 2,000 |
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eligible persons may be provided loan repayment assistance; and |
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(3) in the 2018-2019 school year, not more than 3,000 |
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eligible persons may be provided loan repayment assistance. |
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(c) If in any year the amount of money available for loan |
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repayment assistance under this subchapter is insufficient to |
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provide loan repayment assistance to each eligible applicant or if |
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there are more eligible applicants than the number authorized by |
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this section, the board shall establish criteria to determine which |
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eligible applicants will be provided repayment assistance as the |
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board determines appropriate to further the purposes of this |
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subchapter. |
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Sec. 61.9838. RULES. The board shall: |
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(1) adopt rules necessary for the administration of |
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this subchapter, including a rule providing for the manner in which |
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a person may apply for loan repayment assistance; and |
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(2) distribute to each educator preparation program |
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approved by the State Board for Educator Certification offered by |
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an institution of higher education or by a private or independent |
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institution of higher education in this state a copy of the rules |
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adopted under this section. |
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SECTION 2. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board |
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shall begin providing loan repayment assistance under Subchapter |
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II, Chapter 61, Education Code, as added by this Act, for eligible |
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persons teaching in the 2016-2017 school year. |
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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, 2013. |