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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to a pilot program to provide student loan repayment |
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assistance to certain correctional officers who graduate from Sam |
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Houston State University or certain other institutions of higher |
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education. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Chapter 61, Education Code, is amended by adding |
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Subchapter FF to read as follows: |
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SUBCHAPTER FF. CORRECTIONAL OFFICER LOAN REPAYMENT |
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ASSISTANCE PILOT PROGRAM |
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Sec. 61.9781. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter: |
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(1) "Correctional officer" means a correctional |
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officer employed in a confinement facility operated by the Texas |
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Department of Criminal Justice. |
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(2) "Trust fund" means the correctional officer loan |
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repayment assistance trust fund. |
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Sec. 61.9782. REPAYMENT AUTHORIZED. The board shall |
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establish a pilot program to provide, using money in the trust fund |
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and in accordance with this subchapter and rules of the board, |
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assistance in the repayment of student loans for correctional |
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officers who apply and qualify for the assistance. |
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Sec. 61.9783. ELIGIBILITY. To be eligible to receive |
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repayment assistance, a correctional officer must: |
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(1) have received a baccalaureate degree from Sam |
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Houston State University or from another general academic teaching |
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institution designated by board rule under Section 61.9789(b); |
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(2) establish to the board that: |
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(A) the repayment assistance will be used to |
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repay any part of a student loan received by the correctional |
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officer to cover tuition and fees required for enrollment in |
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junior-level or senior-level course work in the baccalaureate |
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degree program at the institution; and |
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(B) during the period of the correctional |
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officer's enrollment at the institution as described by Paragraph |
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(A), the officer: |
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(i) was employed full-time as a |
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correctional officer in this state; |
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(ii) was classified as a resident of this |
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state under Subchapter B, Chapter 54; |
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(iii) established financial need as |
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determined by board rule; and |
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(iv) maintained good academic standing at |
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the institution as determined by board rule; |
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(3) complete at least one full year of employment as a |
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full-time correctional officer in this state not later than the |
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second anniversary of the date of the person's graduation from the |
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institution; and |
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(4) comply with any other requirements adopted by |
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board rule under this subchapter. |
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Sec. 61.9784. ELIGIBLE LOANS. (a) The board may provide |
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repayment assistance for the repayment of any student loan received |
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by an eligible correctional officer through any lender for the |
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costs of tuition and fees at Sam Houston State University or at |
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another general academic teaching institution designated by board |
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rule under Section 61.9789(b). |
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(b) The board may withhold repayment assistance for a |
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student loan that is in default at the time of the correctional |
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officer's application. |
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(c) Subject to Sections 61.9785 and 61.9788, each state |
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fiscal biennium the board shall attempt to allocate all funds |
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available in the trust fund for the purpose of providing repayment |
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assistance under this subchapter. |
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Sec. 61.9785. REPAYMENT. (a) The board shall deliver any |
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repayment under this subchapter in a lump sum payable to the lender |
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and the correctional officer, in accordance with any applicable |
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federal law. |
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(b) A repayment under this subchapter may be applied to any |
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amount due in connection with the loan. |
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(c) The board may grant prior conditional approval to a |
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correctional officer who completes each eligibility requirement |
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under Section 61.9783 other than the requirement under Section |
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61.9783(3) and may reserve money in the trust fund for disbursement |
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under this subchapter on the officer's completion of that |
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requirement. |
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Sec. 61.9786. RULES. (a) The board shall adopt rules |
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necessary to administer this subchapter. The board may consult |
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with the Texas Department of Criminal Justice to assist the board in |
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establishing priorities among eligible correctional officers for |
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repayment assistance. |
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(b) The board shall distribute to Sam Houston State |
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University, any general academic teaching institution designated |
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by board rule under Section 61.9789(b), each public junior college, |
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and appropriate state agencies and professional associations |
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copies of the rules adopted under this section and other pertinent |
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information relating to this subchapter. |
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Sec. 61.9787. AMOUNT OF REPAYMENT ASSISTANCE. (a) The loan |
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repayment amount for one year of full-time employment as a |
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correctional officer after graduation from Sam Houston State |
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University or from a general academic teaching institution |
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designated by board rule under Section 61.9789(b) may not exceed |
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the cost of the tuition and fees required for the officer to enroll |
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in 30 semester credit hours of junior-level or senior-level course |
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work at the institution, as applicable. |
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(b) The total amount of repayment assistance distributed by |
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the board under this subchapter may not exceed the total amount of |
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gifts and grants accepted by the board for repayment assistance, |
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legislative appropriations for repayment assistance, and other |
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funds available to the board for purposes of this subchapter. |
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Sec. 61.9788. TRUST FUND. (a) The board shall award |
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repayment assistance under this subchapter from the amount |
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available in the trust fund. The trust fund is established outside |
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the treasury but is held in trust by the comptroller. Money in the |
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trust fund may be spent without appropriation and only to fund the |
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pilot program. Interest and income from the assets of the trust |
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fund shall be credited to and deposited in the trust fund. In each |
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state fiscal year the board may spend from the trust fund to cover |
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the costs of administering this subchapter an amount not to exceed |
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2.5 percent of the total amount of money deposited into the trust |
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fund in that fiscal year. |
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(b) The board may solicit and accept gifts and grants from |
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any public or private source for the purposes of this subchapter and |
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shall deposit a gift or grant to the credit of the trust fund. |
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(c) The legislature may appropriate money to the trust fund. |
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Sec. 61.9789. EVALUATION OF PILOT PROGRAM. (a) The board |
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shall evaluate the effectiveness of the pilot program established |
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under this subchapter and report the results of the evaluation to |
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the legislature not later than December 31 of each even-numbered |
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year. |
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(b) If the board determines that expansion of the program |
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would enhance the effectiveness of the program or improve the |
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board's ability to evaluate the program, the board by rule may |
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expand the program to include as eligible to receive repayment |
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assistance under Section 61.9783 a correctional officer who: |
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(1) received a baccalaureate degree from a general |
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academic teaching institution other than Sam Houston State |
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University designated by the board that is located near a |
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confinement facility operated by the Texas Department of Criminal |
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Justice; and |
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(2) meets all other eligibility requirements |
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prescribed by or adopted under Section 61.9783. |
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(c) If the board by rule expands the program under |
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Subsection (b), the board shall include in the report under |
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Subsection (a) information regarding the effectiveness of the |
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expansion and the name of each general academic teaching |
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institution included in the program. |
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Sec. 61.9790. TERMINATION OF PILOT PROGRAM. The board may |
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not award repayment assistance under this subchapter to pay the |
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costs of enrollment in an academic year after the 2015-2016 |
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academic year. On January 1, 2019, the trust fund is abolished and |
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any amount remaining in the trust fund shall be transferred to the |
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general revenue fund. |
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SECTION 2. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board |
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shall adopt the rules for repayment assistance under Subchapter FF, |
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Chapter 61, Education Code, as added by this Act, not later than |
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December 1, 2009. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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Act takes effect September 1, 2009. |