By: Pacheco H.B. No. 546
 
 
 
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.