85R11130 AAF-F
 
  By: West S.B. No. 1060
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to requiring a public employer to give notice to new
  employees of the ability of certain employees to participate in the
  Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Subtitle A, Title 6, Government Code, is amended
  by adding Chapter 620 to read as follows:
  CHAPTER 620. NOTICE OF PUBLIC SERVICE LOAN FORGIVENESS PROGRAM
         Sec. 620.001.  DEFINITION. In this chapter, "public
  employer" means:
               (1)  a county, a municipality, or another political
  subdivision of this state, including a school district; or
               (2)  a board, a commission, an office, a department, or
  another agency in the executive, judicial, or legislative branch of
  state government, including an institution of higher education.
         Sec. 620.002.  NOTICE OF PUBLIC SERVICE LOAN FORGIVENESS
  PROGRAM. Not later than the fifth day after the date on which an
  employee begins employment with a public employer, the employer
  shall provide written notice to the employee of the ability of
  eligible employees of the employer to participate in the Public
  Service Loan Forgiveness Program administered by the United States
  Department of Education.
         SECTION 2.  (a)  Except as provided by Subsection (b) of this
  section, Chapter 620, Government Code, as added by this Act,
  applies to an employee who begins employment on or after the
  effective date of this Act.
         (b)  A public employer, as defined by Section 620.001,
  Government Code, as added by this Act, shall provide the written
  notice described by Section 620.002, Government Code, as added by
  this Act, to an employee employed by the employer on the effective
  date of this Act not later than September 11, 2017.
         SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2017.