| |
| |
|
|
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
|
|
|
AN ACT
|
|
|
relating to a plan by the Department of State Health Services to |
|
|
establish and improve tuition reimbursement and student loan |
|
|
repayment programs for health care professionals serving border |
|
|
communities. |
|
|
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|
|
SECTION 1. PLAN FOR ESTABLISHING AND IMPROVING TUITION |
|
|
REIMBURSEMENT AND STUDENT LOAN REPAYMENT PROGRAMS FOR HEALTH CARE |
|
|
PROFESSIONALS IN BORDER COMMUNITIES. (a) The Department of State |
|
|
Health Services, in consultation with the Texas Higher Education |
|
|
Coordinating Board, shall develop and adopt a plan to establish new |
|
|
and improve existing tuition reimbursement programs and programs |
|
|
providing assistance with the repayment of student loans for |
|
|
eligible health care professionals who are serving in communities |
|
|
near and along the international border of this state with the |
|
|
United Mexican States. |
|
|
(b) The plan developed under this section must: |
|
|
(1) require a health care professional to commit to |
|
|
full-time employment as a health care professional in the |
|
|
communities near and along the international border of this state |
|
|
with the United Mexican States for a specified time to be eligible |
|
|
for participation in the tuition reimbursement and student loan |
|
|
repayment programs; and |
|
|
(2) give preference for participation in the programs |
|
|
to health care professionals who live in those communities. |
|
|
SECTION 2. SUBMISSION TO LEGISLATURE. Not later than |
|
|
September 1, 2024, the Department of State Health Services shall |
|
|
submit to the legislature the plan developed under Section 1 of this |
|
|
Act and the estimated cost to this state of implementing the plan. |
|
|
SECTION 3. EXPIRATION. This Act expires January 1, 2025. |
|
|
SECTION 4. EFFECTIVE DATE. 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, 2023. |