By: Darby, et al. (Senate Sponsor - Seliger) H.B. No. 1259
         (In the Senate - Received from the House April 19, 2021;
  May 6, 2021, read first time and referred to Committee on Higher
  Education; May 19, 2021, reported favorably by the following vote:  
  Yeas 9, Nays 0; May 19, 2021, sent to printer.)
Click here to see the committee vote
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
 
  relating to the rural veterinarian incentive program.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Chapter 56, Education Code, is amended by adding
  Subchapter G, and a heading is added to that subchapter to read as
  follows:
  SUBCHAPTER G. RURAL VETERINARIAN INCENTIVE PROGRAM
         SECTION 2.  Sections 88.621, 88.622, 88.623, 88.624, 88.625,
  and 88.626, Education Code, are transferred to Subchapter G,
  Chapter 56, Education Code, as added by this Act, redesignated as
  Sections 56.101, 56.102, 56.103, 56.104, 56.105, and 56.106,
  Education Code, and amended to read as follows:
         Sec. 56.101 [88.621].  DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter:
               (1)  "Account" means the rural veterinarian incentive
  program account.
               (2)  "College" means a college of veterinary medicine
  located in this state and accredited by the American Veterinary
  Medical Association Council on Education [The Texas A&M University
  College of Veterinary Medicine].
               (3) [(2)]  "Committee" means the rural veterinarian
  incentive program committee.
               (4) [(3)]  "Eligible participant" means a person
  eligible to participate in the program under Section 56.104
  [88.624].
               [(4)  "Fund" means the rural veterinarian incentive
  fund.]
               (5)  "General academic teaching institution" has the
  meaning assigned by Section 61.003.
               (6)  "Program" means the rural veterinarian incentive
  program established by this subchapter.
               (7) [(6)]  "Rural county" means a county in this state
  with a population of less than 100,000 [50,000].
               (8) [(7)]  "University system" has the meaning
  assigned by Section 61.003 [means Texas A&M University].
         Sec. 56.102 [88.622].  ADMINISTRATION OF PROGRAM. The Texas
  Animal Health Commission [university] shall administer the program
  in accordance with the rules adopted by the committee.
         Sec. 56.103 [88.623].  RURAL VETERINARIAN INCENTIVE PROGRAM
  COMMITTEE; RULES. (a) The rural veterinarian incentive program
  committee consists of:
               (1)  the executive director of the Texas Animal Health
  Commission, or the executive director's designee;
               (2)  the executive director of the State Board of
  Veterinary Medical Examiners, or the executive director's
  designee;
               (3)  the dean of each accredited [the] college of
  veterinary medicine located in this state, or the dean's designee;
               (4)  a veterinarian with a mixed animal practice,
  representing each university system located in Texas with an
  accredited college of veterinary medicine, appointed by the board
  of regents of each university system [The Texas A&M University
  System]; [and]
               (5)  a veterinarian with a large animal practice,
  representing each university system located in Texas with an
  accredited college of veterinary medicine, appointed by the board
  of regents of each university system; and
               (6)  a practitioner of veterinary medicine who serves
  as a commissioner of the Texas Animal Health Commission, appointed
  by the chair of the Texas Animal Health Commission [The Texas A&M
  University System].
         (b)  The executive director of the Texas Animal Health
  Commission [dean of the college] serves as the presiding officer of
  the committee.
         (c)  An appointed member of the committee serves a term of
  two years.
         (d)  The committee shall adopt rules:
               (1)  establishing criteria to determine whether a
  person is an eligible participant as the committee considers
  reasonable, including the person's:
                     (A)  background and interest in rural practice
  [minimum grade point average]; and
                     (B)  financial need;
               (2)  providing for requesting the distribution of money
  from the account [fund] for the program;
               (3)  establishing the criteria necessary for a
  community or political subdivision in a rural county to qualify as a
  student sponsor under Section 56.105 [88.625];
               (4)  governing agreements of financial support between
  a rural sponsor and an eligible student; and
               (5)  establishing other procedures necessary to
  administer the program.
         (e)  In adopting rules under this section related to the
  selection, submission, or certification of areas identified as
  having a veterinary shortage for the purpose of this subchapter,
  the committee shall consider any applicable regulations adopted
  under 7 U.S.C. Section 3151a and previous work of the Texas Animal
  Health Commission.
         Sec. 56.104 [88.624].  ELIGIBLE VETERINARY STUDENT OR
  GRADUATE. (a) Except as provided by Subsection (b), a [A] person
  is eligible to participate in the program only if the person:
               (1)  is enrolled as a student of the college or applies
  to participate in the program on or before the fourth [first]
  anniversary of the date the person graduates from the college;
               (2)  will receive or has received from a student loan at
  least 50 percent of the funds for tuition and fees for one or more
  academic years while enrolled in the college; and
               (3)  meets any additional qualifications adopted by the
  committee.
         (b)  A person enrolled as a student in an accredited college
  of veterinary medicine located outside of this state may apply
  under Subsection (a) to participate in the program if the student
  graduated from a high school located in this state or a general
  academic teaching institution located in this state.
         Sec. 56.105 [88.625].  RURAL SPONSORS; AGREEMENT TO PROVIDE
  FINANCIAL SUPPORT. (a) A community or political subdivision
  located in a rural county that qualifies under the rules of the
  committee may become a sponsor of an eligible participant and may
  provide financial support to the eligible participant under the
  program.
         (b)  To participate as a sponsor in the program, the
  community or political subdivision must enter into an agreement
  with the eligible participant to provide financial support to the
  eligible participant in an amount not less than the tuition and fees
  required for a full academic year for a student enrolled in the
  college in exchange for the eligible participant's agreement to
  practice veterinary medicine in the sponsoring community or
  political subdivision.
         (c)  Financial support under this section:
               (1)  may be provided in whole or part by a grant,
  scholarship, or funds provided by a private foundation; and
               (2)  shall be deposited in the account [fund] for
  distribution to the eligible participant [by the university].
         Sec. 56.106 [88.626].  FINANCIAL SUPPORT; COMMITMENT TO
  PRACTICE IN RURAL COUNTY. (a) To participate in the program, an
  eligible participant must enter into an agreement with the
  university system that:
               (1)  requires the participant to practice veterinary
  medicine in a rural county for one calendar year for each academic
  year for which the participant [student] receives financial support
  under the program;
               (2)  specifies the conditions the participant must
  satisfy to receive financial support under the program;
               (3)  provides that any financial support the
  participant receives under the program constitutes a loan until the
  participant satisfies the conditions of the agreement; and
               (4)  requires the participant to sign a promissory note
  acknowledging the conditional nature of the financial support
  received under the program and promising to repay the amount of the
  financial support, any applicable interest, and reasonable
  collection costs if the participant does not satisfy the conditions
  of the agreement.
         (b)  The financial support received by an eligible
  participant under this subchapter must be used to retire student
  loan debt or to pay tuition and fees to the university system while
  the eligible participant is enrolled in the college.
         (c)  Financial support from the account [fund] shall be
  awarded as a lump sum payable:
               (1)  to both the participant and the lender or other
  holder of the affected loan; or
               (2)  directly to the lender or other holder of the
  affected loan on the participant's behalf [in the form of grants].
         SECTION 3.  Chapter 61, Education Code, is amended by adding
  Subchapter OO, and a heading is added to that subchapter to read as
  follows:
  SUBCHAPTER OO. RURAL VETERINARIAN INCENTIVE PROGRAM ACCOUNT
         SECTION 4.  Section 88.627, Education Code, is transferred
  to Subchapter OO, Chapter 61, Education Code, as added by this Act,
  redesignated as Section 61.9965, Education Code, and amended to
  read as follows:
         Sec. 61.9965 [88.627].  RURAL VETERINARIAN INCENTIVE
  PROGRAM ACCOUNT [FUND]. (a) The Texas Higher Education
  Coordinating Board shall administer the rural veterinarian
  incentive program account in accordance with Subchapter G, Chapter
  56, to provide assistance in the repayment of student loans for
  eligible veterinarians who apply and qualify for the assistance
  under the rules of the Texas Animal Health Commission rural
  veterinarian incentive program committee.
         (b)  The rural veterinarian incentive program account [fund]
  is an account [a special fund] in the [state treasury outside the]
  general revenue fund.
         [(b)]  The account is composed [fund consists] of:
               (1)  [legislative appropriations for purposes of the
  program,] gifts, grants, [donations, the market value of] in-kind
  contributions, or real or personal property contributed to the
  account from any individual, group, association, or corporation or
  the United States, subject to limitations or conditions set by law,
  for the purposes of this subchapter;
               (2)  earnings on the principal of the account; and
               (3)  other amounts [sources of revenue] deposited to
  the credit of the account, including:
                     (A)  money deposited from a community or political
  subdivision that qualifies under the rules authorized by Section
  56.105 to become a sponsor of an eligible participant under the
  program; and
                     (B)  legislative appropriations deposited to the
  account [fund by the university].
         (c)  Money and resources in the account shall be made
  available and payable as soon as practicable at the request of the
  Texas Animal Health Commission and may be used only for the
  following purposes:
               (1)  to provide financial support as a lump sum to an
  eligible participant under Subchapter G, Chapter 56, the lender or
  other holder of the participant's affected loan, or the
  participant's university system;
               (2)  a reasonable amount, not to exceed seven percent
  of the account value, to cover the costs of administration of the
  program; or
               (3)  a reasonable amount, not to exceed three percent
  of the account value, as specifically required for the coordinating
  board for administration of the account [The fund shall be
  administered by the university in accordance with rules adopted by
  the committee. The university may use a portion of the money
  deposited to the credit of the fund, not to exceed 10 percent of
  that amount, for the administration of the program].
         (d)  The unexpended balance of the account at the end of a
  fiscal year remains in the account subject to further appropriation
  for the purposes described by Subsection (c).
         SECTION 5.  The heading to Subchapter I, Chapter 88,
  Education Code, is repealed.
         SECTION 6.  On the effective date of this Act, any
  obligations, rights, contracts, records, real and personal
  property, funds, appropriations, and money of the rural
  veterinarian incentive program are transferred from The Texas A&M
  University System to the Texas Animal Health Commission.
         SECTION 7.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2021.
 
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