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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to eligibility requirements for the Teach for Texas Loan |
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Repayment Assistance Program. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 56.352(a), Education Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(a) The purpose of this subchapter is to attract to the: |
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(1) teaching profession any persons who have expressed |
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interest in teaching and to support the employment of those persons |
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as classroom teachers by providing student loan repayment |
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assistance for service as a classroom teacher in the public schools |
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of this state; and |
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(2) school mental health profession any persons who |
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have expressed interest in providing mental health services to |
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students enrolled in public schools and to support the employment |
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of those persons as school mental health professionals by providing |
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student loan repayment assistance for service as a mental health |
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provider in the public schools of this state. |
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SECTION 2. Sections 56.353(a) and (c), Education Code, are |
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amended to read as follows: |
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(a) Teach for Texas repayment assistance is available only |
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to a person who applies for the assistance and who: |
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(1) is certified in a teaching field identified by the |
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commissioner of education as experiencing a critical shortage of |
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teachers in this state in the year in which the person receives the |
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assistance and has for at least one year taught full-time at, and is |
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currently teaching full-time at, the preschool, primary, or |
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secondary level in a public school in this state in that teaching |
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field; [or] |
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(2) is a certified educator who has for at least one |
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year taught full-time at, and is currently teaching full-time at, |
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the preschool, primary, or secondary level in a public school in |
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this state in a community identified by the commissioner of |
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education as experiencing a critical shortage of teachers in the |
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year in which the person receives the assistance; or |
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(3) is a mental health professional who: |
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(A) for at least one year has been employed |
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full-time at, and provided mental health services to students |
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enrolled in, a public school in this state; and |
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(B) is currently employed and providing mental |
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health services as described by Paragraph (A). |
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(c) If the money available for loan repayment assistance in |
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a period for which assistance is awarded is insufficient to provide |
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assistance to all eligible applicants described by Subsection (b), |
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the coordinating board shall establish priorities for awarding |
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repayment assistance to address only the most critical teacher |
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shortages described by Subsection (a)(1) or (2) [(a)]. |
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SECTION 3. Section 56.355(a), Education Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(a) The coordinating board may determine the manner in which |
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Teach for Texas loan repayment assistance is to be paid. The |
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coordinating board may provide for the payment of a portion of the |
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repayment assistance in one or more installments before the person |
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completes a full year of service as a teacher or a school mental |
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health professional, as applicable, and for the payment of the |
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remainder of the repayment assistance for that year after the |
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completion of the full year of service. |
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SECTION 4. Section 56.3575(b), Education Code, is amended |
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to read as follows: |
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(b) The coordinating board shall distribute a copy of the |
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rules adopted under this section and pertinent information relating |
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to this subchapter to each public or private institution of higher |
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education in this state that offers: |
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(1) an educator certification program, including an |
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alternative educator certification program or another equivalent |
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program; or |
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(2) an educational program that prepares students for |
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a school mental health profession. |
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SECTION 5. The change in law made by this Act to Section |
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56.353, Education Code, applies only to a person who first |
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establishes eligibility for loan repayment assistance under |
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Subchapter O, Chapter 56, Education Code, as amended by this Act, on |
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the basis of an application submitted on or after September 1, 2023. |
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A person who first establishes eligibility on the basis of an |
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application submitted before September 1, 2023, is governed by the |
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law in effect on the date the application was submitted, and the |
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former law is continued in effect for that purpose. |
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SECTION 6. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |