87R3492 JRJ-F
	By: Darby, Anderson, Stucky, Buckley, Rogers	H.B. No. 1259

	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.