S.B. No. 37
 
 
 
 
AN ACT
  relating to a prohibition on the use of student loan default or
  breach of a student loan repayment or scholarship contract as a
  ground for refusal to grant or renew an occupational license or
  other disciplinary action in relation to an occupational license.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  The heading to Chapter 56, Occupations Code, is
  amended to read as follows:
  CHAPTER 56. DISCIPLINARY ACTION AGAINST RECIPIENTS OF STUDENT
  FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE PROHIBITED
         SECTION 2.  Sections 56.001(3), (4), (5), and (6),
  Occupations Code, are amended to read as follows:
               (3)  "Licensing authority" means a department,
  commission, board, office, or other agency of the state or of a
  political subdivision of the state that issues a license.
               (4)  "Scholarship contract" means an agreement by this
  state, an agency of this state, a political subdivision of this
  state, or the United States to make a grant to a person to support
  the person while attending a public or private institution of
  higher education or other postsecondary educational establishment
  in exchange for the person's agreement to perform a service
  obligation.
               (5)  "Student loan" means a loan made to a person by a
  public or private entity to support the person while attending a
  public or private institution of higher education or other
  postsecondary educational establishment [that is:
                     [(A)     owed to this state, an agency of this state,
  or the United States; or
                     [(B)     guaranteed by this state, an agency of this
  state, or the United States].
               (6)  "Student loan repayment contract" means an
  agreement by this state, an agency of this state, a political
  subdivision of this state, or the United States to repay all or part
  of a person's student loan in exchange for the person's agreement to
  perform a service obligation.
         SECTION 3.  Section 56.003, Occupations Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         Sec. 56.003.  DISCIPLINARY [AUTHORITY TO TAKE] ACTION IN
  EVENT OF DEFAULT OR BREACH PROHIBITED. A [On receipt of information
  from an administering entity that a person has defaulted on a
  student loan or has breached a student loan repayment contract or
  scholarship contract by failing to perform the person's service
  obligation under the contract, a] licensing authority may not take
  disciplinary action against a person based on the person's default
  on a student loan or breach of a student loan repayment contract or
  scholarship contract, including by:
               (1)  denying [deny] the person's application for a
  license or license renewal;
               (2)  suspending [suspend] the person's license; or
               (3)  taking [take] other disciplinary action against
  the person.
         SECTION 4.  Sections 157.015(f) and (g), Finance Code, are
  amended to read as follows:
         (f)  The commissioner may deny the renewal application for a
  residential mortgage loan originator license for the same reasons
  and grounds on which the commissioner could have denied an original
  application for a license, other than on the basis of the person's
  default on a student loan.
         (g)  The commissioner may deny the renewal application for a
  residential mortgage loan originator license if:
               (1)  the person seeking the renewal of the residential
  mortgage loan originator license is in violation of this chapter,
  Chapter 156, or Chapter 180, an applicable rule adopted under this
  chapter, Chapter 156, or Chapter 180, or any order previously
  issued to the person by the commissioner;
               (2)  the person seeking renewal of the residential
  mortgage loan originator license is in default in the payment of any
  administrative penalty, fee, charge, or other indebtedness owed
  under this title; or
               (3)  [the person seeking the renewal of the residential
  mortgage loan originator license is in default on a student loan
  administered by the Texas Guaranteed Student Loan Corporation,
  under Section 57.491, Education Code; or
               [(4)]  during the current term of the license, the
  commissioner becomes aware of any fact that would have been grounds
  for denial of an original license if the fact had been known by the
  commissioner on the date the license was granted.
         SECTION 5.  Section 180.055(d), Finance Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         (d)  For purposes of Subsection (a)(3), an individual is
  considered not to be financially responsible if the individual has
  shown a lack of regard in managing the individual's own financial
  affairs or condition.  A determination that an individual has not
  shown financial responsibility may not be based on the individual's
  default on a student loan but may include:
               (1)  an outstanding judgment against the individual,
  other than a judgment imposed solely as a result of medical
  expenses;
               (2)  an outstanding tax lien or other governmental
  liens and filings;
               (3)  a foreclosure during the three-year period
  preceding the date of the license application; and
               (4)  a pattern of seriously delinquent accounts, other
  than student loan accounts, during the three-year period preceding
  the date of the application.
         SECTION 6.  Sections 466.155(a) and (g), Government Code,
  are amended to read as follows:
         (a)  After a hearing, the director shall deny an application
  for a license or the commission shall suspend or revoke a license if
  the director or commission, as applicable, finds that the applicant
  or sales agent:
               (1)  is an individual who:
                     (A)  has been convicted of a felony, criminal
  fraud, gambling or a gambling-related offense, or a misdemeanor
  involving moral turpitude, if less than 10 years has elapsed since
  the termination of the sentence, parole, mandatory supervision, or
  probation served for the offense;
                     (B)  is or has been a professional gambler;
                     (C)  is married to an individual:
                           (i)  described in Paragraph (A) or (B); or
                           (ii)  who is currently delinquent in the
  payment of any state tax;
                     (D)  is an officer or employee of the commission
  or a lottery operator; or
                     (E)  is a spouse, child, brother, sister, or
  parent residing as a member of the same household in the principal
  place of residence of a person described by Paragraph (D);
               (2)  is not an individual, and an individual described
  in Subdivision (1):
                     (A)  is an officer or director of the applicant or
  sales agent;
                     (B)  holds more than 10 percent of the stock in the
  applicant or sales agent;
                     (C)  holds an equitable interest greater than 10
  percent in the applicant or sales agent;
                     (D)  is a creditor of the applicant or sales agent
  who holds more than 10 percent of the applicant's or sales agent's
  outstanding debt;
                     (E)  is the owner or lessee of a business that the
  applicant or sales agent conducts or through which the applicant
  will conduct a ticket sales agency;
                     (F)  shares or will share in the profits, other
  than stock dividends, of the applicant or sales agent; or
                     (G)  participates in managing the affairs of the
  applicant or sales agent;
               (3)  has been finally determined to be[:
                     [(A)]  delinquent in the payment of a tax or other
  money collected by the comptroller, the Texas Workforce Commission,
  or the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission;
                     [(B)     in default on a loan made under Chapter 52,
  Education Code; or
                     [(C)     in default on a loan guaranteed under
  Chapter 57, Education Code;]
               (4)  is a person whose location for the sales agency is:
                     (A)  a location licensed for games of bingo under
  Chapter 2001, Occupations Code;
                     (B)  on land that is owned by:
                           (i)  this state; or
                           (ii)  a political subdivision of this state
  and on which is located a public primary or secondary school, an
  institution of higher education, or an agency of the state; or
                     (C)  a location for which a person holds a wine and
  beer retailer's permit, mixed beverage permit, mixed beverage late
  hours permit, private club registration permit, or private club
  late hours permit issued under Chapter 25, 28, 29, 32, or 33,
  Alcoholic Beverage Code, other than a location for which a person
  holds a wine and beer retailer's permit issued under Chapter 25,
  Alcoholic Beverage Code, that derives less than 30 percent of the
  location's gross receipts from the sale or service of alcoholic
  beverages; or
               (5)  has violated this chapter or a rule adopted under
  this chapter.
         (g)  For purposes of Subsection (a)(3), the comptroller,
  Texas Workforce Commission, and Texas Alcoholic Beverage
  Commission[, Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, and Texas
  Guaranteed Student Loan Corporation] shall each provide the
  executive director with a report of persons who have been finally
  determined to be delinquent in the payment of any money owed to or
  collected by that agency. The commission shall adopt rules
  regarding the form and frequency of reports under this subsection.
         SECTION 7.  The following laws are repealed:
               (1)  Section 57.491, Education Code;
               (2)  Section 82.022(c), Government Code;
               (3)  Section 154.110(e), Government Code; and
               (4)  Sections 56.001(1), 56.002, 56.004, 56.005, and
  56.006, Occupations Code.
         SECTION 8.  A disciplinary action proceeding under Chapter
  56, Occupations Code, that was initiated before the effective date
  of this Act and that is pending on the effective date of this Act is
  terminated on that date.
         SECTION 9.  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, 2019.
 
 
 
 
 
  ______________________________ ______________________________
     President of the Senate Speaker of the House     
 
         I hereby certify that S.B. No. 37 passed the Senate on
  April 16, 2019, by the following vote:  Yeas 29, Nays 2.
 
 
  ______________________________
  Secretary of the Senate    
 
         I hereby certify that S.B. No. 37 passed the House on
  May 21, 2019, by the following vote:  Yeas 146, Nays 0, one
  present not voting.
 
 
  ______________________________
  Chief Clerk of the House   
 
 
 
  Approved:
 
  ______________________________ 
              Date
 
 
  ______________________________ 
            Governor