BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 2672

By: Frazier

Higher Education

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

School officials and teachers have raised concerns regarding teacher shortages in math and science fields and regarding money that goes unused for the math and science scholars loan repayment program. Removing the requirement for the public school at which a person is employed under the program to be a school that receives funding under Title I of the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 would open up the pool of persons eligible for student loan relief. H.B. 2672 seeks to address this issue by revising provisions relating to the basis for a person's eligibility for student loan repayment assistance under the program.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board in SECTIONS 3 and 5 of this bill.

ANALYSIS

H.B. 2672 amends the Education Code to remove and revise the provisions conditioning the basis for a person's eligibility for student loan repayment assistance under the math and science scholars loan repayment program on the person's employment, or continued employment after the first four years of service, at a public school that receives funding under Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965. The bill instead conditions that eligibility on employment at any public school and authorizes the same amount of loan repayment assistance received during the first four consecutive years of teaching if the person continues the service at any public school for the prescribed number of consecutive school years, in accordance with the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) rules, occurring immediately after those first four years. The bill requires the THECB to adopt rules necessary to administer the bill's provisions as soon as practicable after the bill's effective date.

H.B. 2672 applies only to a loan repayment assistance agreement entered into on or after the bill's effective date.

H.B. 2672 repeals Section 61.9839(b), Education Code.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2023.