Bill Text: TX SB204 | 2017-2018 | 85th Legislature | Introduced

Texas Senate Bill 204 (Prior Session Legislation)

Introduced

Bill Title: Relating to student loan repayment assistance for certain employees of the Department of Family and Protective Services.

Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2017-01-25 - Referred to Health & Human Services [SB204 Detail]

Download: Texas-2017-SB204-Introduced.html

	85R1499 AAF-D

	By: West	S.B. No. 204



	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
	AN ACT
	relating to student loan repayment assistance for certain employees
	of the Department of Family and Protective Services.
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
	SECTION 1. Chapter 61, Education Code, is amended by adding
	Subchapter N to read as follows:
	SUBCHAPTER N. REPAYMENT ASSISTANCE FOR CERTAIN DEPARTMENT OF
	FAMILY AND PROTECTIVE SERVICES EMPLOYEES
	Sec. 61.731. REPAYMENT ASSISTANCE AUTHORIZED. The board
	shall establish a program to provide, using funds appropriated for
	that purpose and in accordance with this subchapter and rules of the
	board, assistance in the repayment of student loans for employees
	of the Department of Family and Protective Services who apply and
	qualify for the assistance.
	Sec. 61.732. ELIGIBILITY. To be eligible to receive
	repayment assistance, a person must:
	(1) apply to the board; and
	(2) have been employed for at least one year as, and be
	currently employed full-time at the Department of Family and
	Protective Services as:
	(A) a child protective services family-based
	safety services caseworker;
	(B) a child protective services investigator;
	(C) a child-care licensing investigator or
	inspector; or
	(D) a residential child-care licensing
	investigator or inspector.
	Sec. 61.733. AMOUNT OF REPAYMENT ASSISTANCE; LIMITATION.
	(a) For each year that a person meets the eligibility requirements
	provided by Section 61.732, the person may receive repayment
	assistance under this subchapter in an amount determined by board
	rule, not to exceed $2,500.
	(b) A person may not receive repayment assistance under this
	subchapter for more than four years.
	(c) If the money available for repayment assistance in a
	period for which assistance is awarded is insufficient to provide
	assistance to all eligible applicants, the board shall award
	repayment assistance to eligible applicants by prioritizing awards
	to applicants employed in regions of this state experiencing the
	highest combined turnover rate for the employee positions listed in
	Section 61.732.
	Sec. 61.734. ELIGIBLE LOANS. The board may provide
	repayment assistance for the repayment of any student loan for
	education at a public or private institution of higher education,
	including loans for undergraduate education and graduate
	education, issued through any eligible lender, as defined by board
	rule.
	Sec. 61.735. REPAYMENT. (a) The board shall deliver any
	repayment assistance made under this subchapter in a lump sum
	directly to the eligible lender or other holder of the loan on the
	person's behalf and in accordance with any applicable federal law.
	(b) Repayment assistance received under this subchapter may
	be applied to the principal amount of the loan and to interest that
	accrues.
	Sec. 61.736. FUNDING. (a) The repayment assistance
	program established by this subchapter is funded only from
	appropriations made specifically to fund the program and from
	gifts, grants, and donations. The board shall attempt to provide
	repayment assistance in each state fiscal biennium in amounts
	sufficient to use all amounts appropriated for the program in that
	biennium.
	(b) The board may solicit and accept gifts, grants, and
	donations from any public or private source for the purposes of this
	subchapter.
	Sec. 61.737. RULES. (a) The board shall adopt rules
	necessary for the administration of this subchapter, including a
	rule that establishes the amount of repayment assistance awarded to
	eligible persons each year.
	(b) The board shall distribute to each institution of higher
	education, the Department of Family and Protective Services, and
	appropriate professional associations copies of the rules adopted
	under this section and pertinent information in this subchapter.
	SECTION 2. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board
	shall adopt the initial rules for the repayment assistance program
	under Subchapter N, Chapter 61, Education Code, as added by this
	Act, not later than December 1, 2017, if funds are appropriated for
	the purposes of this subchapter by an Act of the 85th Legislature,
	Regular Session, 2017.
	SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017.