|
|
|
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
|
|
AN ACT
|
|
relating to the application of certain programs that support |
|
certain occupation-related postsecondary educational programs and |
|
students of those programs. |
|
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|
SECTION 1. Section 61.605(a), Education Code, is amended to |
|
read as follows: |
|
(a) The board may provide repayment assistance under this |
|
subchapter for the repayment of any student loan, including a loan |
|
for undergraduate education, received by an eligible person through |
|
any lender for education at: |
|
(1) an institution of higher education; |
|
(2) [,] a private or independent institution of higher |
|
education; |
|
(3) [, or] a public or private out-of-state |
|
institution of higher education accredited by a recognized |
|
accrediting agency; or |
|
(4) a nonprofit, tax-exempt, regionally accredited |
|
college or university operating in accordance with a memorandum of |
|
understanding with this state under an executive order issued by |
|
the governor[, including loans for undergraduate education, |
|
received by an eligible person through any lender]. |
|
SECTION 2. Section 61.608(b), Education Code, is amended to |
|
read as follows: |
|
(b) The board shall distribute to each institution of higher |
|
education or private or independent institution of higher |
|
education, each college or university described by Section |
|
61.605(a)(4), and [to] any appropriate state agency and |
|
professional association copies of the rules adopted under this |
|
section and other pertinent information relating to this |
|
subchapter. |
|
SECTION 3. Section 61.9621, Education Code, is amended to |
|
read as follows: |
|
Sec. 61.9621. DEFINITION. In this subchapter, |
|
"professional nursing program" means an educational program that: |
|
(1) is offered by: |
|
(A) a public or private institution of higher |
|
education; or |
|
(B) a nonprofit, tax-exempt, regionally |
|
accredited college or university operating in accordance with a |
|
memorandum of understanding with this state under an executive |
|
order issued by the governor; and |
|
(2) either: |
|
(A) prepares [for preparing] students to attain |
|
[for] initial licensure as registered nurses; or |
|
(B) leads students, including registered nurses |
|
holding an associate or comparable degree, to earn a bachelor of |
|
science degree in nursing. |
|
SECTION 4. Section 61.9622, Education Code, is amended to |
|
read as follows: |
|
Sec. 61.9622. PROGRAM. A professional nursing shortage |
|
reduction program is established to increase the number and types |
|
of registered nurses in order to meet the needs for registered |
|
nurses in this state. The board shall administer the professional |
|
nursing shortage reduction program to make grants for those |
|
purposes to professional nursing programs and other entities |
|
involved with those programs [a professional nursing program in the |
|
preparation of students for initial licensure as registered nurses |
|
in order to increase the number and types of registered nurses to |
|
meet the needs for registered nurses in the state]. |
|
SECTION 5. Section 61.9623(a), Education Code, is amended |
|
to read as follows: |
|
(a) A grant from the professional nursing shortage |
|
reduction program to a professional nursing program or other entity |
|
described by Section 61.9622 [involved with a professional nursing |
|
program in the preparation of students for initial licensure as |
|
registered nurses] must be: |
|
(1) expended exclusively on costs related to: |
|
(A) enrolling additional students; |
|
(B) nursing faculty enhancement in accordance |
|
with Section 61.96231; |
|
(C) encouraging innovation in the recruitment |
|
and retention of students, including the recruitment and retention |
|
of Spanish-speaking and bilingual students; or |
|
(D) identifying, developing, or implementing |
|
innovative methods to make the most effective use of limited |
|
professional nursing program faculty, instructional or clinical |
|
space, and other resources, including: |
|
(i) sharing curriculum and administrative |
|
or instructional personnel, facilities, and responsibilities |
|
between two or more professional nursing programs located in the |
|
same region of this state; and |
|
(ii) using preceptors or part-time faculty |
|
to provide clinical instruction in order to address the need for |
|
qualified faculty to accommodate increased student enrollment in |
|
the professional nursing program; |
|
(2) contingent on the professional nursing program's |
|
having been approved as a professional nursing program by the board |
|
or the Texas Board of Nursing, as appropriate; |
|
(3) contingent on the professional nursing program's |
|
not being on probation with the Texas Board of Nursing or other |
|
accrediting body; and |
|
(4) if granted to increase enrollments, contingent on |
|
the professional nursing program's ability to enroll additional |
|
students, including having the necessary classroom space and |
|
clinical slots. |
|
SECTION 6. Sections 61.96232(a) and (b), Education Code, |
|
are amended to read as follows: |
|
(a) The board by rule shall establish a process under which |
|
a public or private institution of higher education or an |
|
institution described by Section 61.9621(2) that offers a |
|
professional nursing program may apply for a grant under this |
|
subchapter and the commissioner of higher education, contingent on |
|
appropriations of money for the grants, selects one or more |
|
applicants to receive a grant based on criteria established by |
|
board rule. The criteria must include the institution's agreement |
|
that the institution's professional nursing program will enroll |
|
additional students or graduate additional students in a program |
|
that: |
|
(1) prepares students [prepared] for initial |
|
licensure as registered nurses; or |
|
(2) leads students, including registered nurses |
|
holding an associate or comparable degree, to earn a bachelor of |
|
science degree in nursing. |
|
(b) The process established under Subsection (a) may |
|
authorize the commissioner of higher education to accept a joint |
|
application from multiple institutions that agree to cooperate on a |
|
regional or joint basis for their professional nursing programs to |
|
enroll additional students or graduate additional students |
|
described by Subsection (a) [prepared for initial licensure as |
|
registered nurses]. |
|
SECTION 7. Section 61.9626(a), Education Code, is amended |
|
to read as follows: |
|
(a) Each institution of higher education that has a |
|
professional nursing program shall submit an annual report to the |
|
board detailing its strategy for increasing the number of students |
|
who [that] graduate from the program prepared to attain initial |
|
[for] licensure as registered nurses or who earn a bachelor of |
|
science degree in nursing. The report must include: |
|
(1) the capacity of the program, either alone or in |
|
cooperation with one or more other programs, to graduate more |
|
students who are prepared to attain initial [for] licensure or who |
|
earn a bachelor of science degree as described by this subsection |
|
[as registered nurses]; and |
|
(2) the resources allocated to increase the number of |
|
students who [that] graduate from the program prepared to attain |
|
initial [for] licensure or who earn a bachelor of science degree as |
|
described by this subsection [as registered nurses]. |
|
SECTION 8. Section 61.9751(2), Education Code, is amended |
|
to read as follows: |
|
(2) "Nursing education program" means: |
|
(A) an undergraduate professional nursing |
|
program or a graduate professional nursing program as those terms |
|
are defined by Section 54.355; and |
|
(B) a comparable nursing program offered by a |
|
nonprofit, tax-exempt, regionally accredited college or university |
|
operating in accordance with a memorandum of understanding with |
|
this state under an executive order issued by the governor. |
|
SECTION 9. Section 61.9821, Education Code, is amended to |
|
read as follows: |
|
Sec. 61.9821. 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 to which this subchapter applies [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. |
|
SECTION 10. Subchapter JJ, Chapter 61, Education Code, is |
|
amended by adding Section 61.98211 to read as follows: |
|
Sec. 61.98211. APPLICABILITY OF SUBCHAPTER. This |
|
subchapter applies to: |
|
(1) an institution of higher education; |
|
(2) a private or independent institution of higher |
|
education; and |
|
(3) a nonprofit, tax-exempt, regionally accredited |
|
college or university operating in accordance with a memorandum of |
|
understanding with this state under an executive order issued by |
|
the governor. |
|
SECTION 11. Section 61.9822, Education Code, is amended to |
|
read as follows: |
|
Sec. 61.9822. 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 part-time or full-time for at least |
|
one year as, and be currently employed part-time or full-time as, a |
|
faculty member of a nursing degree program at an institution to |
|
which this subchapter applies [of higher education or a private or |
|
independent institution of higher education]; and |
|
(3) comply with any additional requirements adopted by |
|
board rule. |
|
SECTION 12. Sections 61.9823(a) and (b), Education Code, |
|
are amended to read as follows: |
|
(a) On qualifying for loan repayment assistance under this |
|
subchapter, a nurse may receive repayment assistance for each year |
|
of part-time or full-time employment as a faculty member of a |
|
nursing degree program at an institution to which this subchapter |
|
applies [of higher education or private or independent institution |
|
of higher education], not to exceed five years. |
|
(b) The board by rule shall determine the maximum amount of |
|
loan repayment assistance received by a nurse under this subchapter |
|
[may not exceed $7,000] in any one year. The board shall base the |
|
amount of loan repayment assistance received by a nurse for |
|
part-time employment on the proportion of the number of hours |
|
worked by the nurse to the number of hours worked by a full-time |
|
nurse. |
|
SECTION 13. Section 61.9824(a), Education Code, is amended |
|
to read as follows: |
|
(a) The board may provide repayment assistance for the |
|
repayment of any student loan received by an eligible person |
|
through any lender that is for education, including undergraduate |
|
education, at: |
|
(1) a public or private institution of higher |
|
education; or |
|
(2) a nonprofit, tax-exempt, regionally accredited |
|
college or university operating in accordance with a memorandum of |
|
understanding with this state under an executive order issued by |
|
the governor [any public or private institution of higher |
|
education, including a loan for undergraduate education, received |
|
by an eligible person through any lender]. |
|
SECTION 14. Section 61.9828(b), Education Code, is amended |
|
to read as follows: |
|
(b) The board shall distribute a copy of the rules adopted |
|
under this section and pertinent information regarding this |
|
subchapter to: |
|
(1) each institution to which this subchapter applies |
|
[of higher education and private or independent institution of |
|
higher education]; |
|
(2) any appropriate state agency; and |
|
(3) any appropriate professional association. |
|
SECTION 15. As soon as practicable after the effective date |
|
of this Act, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board shall |
|
adopt any rules necessary to administer the changes in law made by |
|
this Act. |
|
SECTION 16. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board |
|
may not award grants under the professional nursing shortage |
|
reduction program as provided by the changes in law made by this Act |
|
to Sections 61.9621 and 61.96232, Education Code, before June 1, |
|
2023. |
|
SECTION 17. Subchapter JJ, Chapter 61, Education Code, as |
|
amended by this Act, applies beginning with loan repayment |
|
assistance awarded under that subchapter for the 2022-2023 academic |
|
year. Loan repayment assistance awarded under Subchapter JJ, |
|
Chapter 61, Education Code, for an academic year before the |
|
2022-2023 academic year is governed by the law in effect |
|
immediately before the effective date of this Act, and the former |
|
law is continued in effect for that purpose. |
|
SECTION 18. 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, 2021. |