S.B. No. 1757
 
 
 
 
AN ACT
  relating to student loan repayment assistance under the math and
  science scholars loan repayment program.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 61.9832, Education Code, is amended by
  amending Subsections (a) and (c) and adding Subsection (c-1) to
  read as follows:
         (a)  To be eligible to receive loan repayment assistance
  under this subchapter, a person must:
               (1)  apply annually for the loan repayment assistance
  in the manner prescribed by the board;
               (2)  be a United States citizen;
               (3)  have completed an undergraduate or graduate
  program in mathematics or science;
               (4)  have a cumulative grade point average of at least
  3.0 [3.5] on a four-point scale or the equivalent;
               (5)  be:
                     (A)  certified under Subchapter B, Chapter 21, to
  teach mathematics or science in a public school in this state; or
                     (B)  teaching under a probationary teaching
  certificate;
               (6)  have been employed for at least one year as a
  teacher teaching mathematics or science at a public school that
  receives funding under Title I, Elementary and Secondary Education
  Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. Section 6301 et seq.);
               (7)  not be in default on any other education loan;
               (8)  not receive any other state or federal loan
  repayment assistance, including a Teacher Education Assistance for
  College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant or teacher loan
  forgiveness;
               (9)  enter into an agreement with the board under
  Subsection (c); and
               (10)  comply with any other requirement adopted by the
  board under this subchapter.
         (c)  To receive loan repayment assistance under this
  subchapter, a person must enter into an agreement with the board
  that includes the following provisions:
               (1)  the person will accept an offer of full-time
  employment to teach mathematics or science, as applicable based on
  the person's certification, in a public school that receives
  funding under Title I, Elementary and Secondary Education Act of
  1965 (20 U.S.C. Section 6301 et seq.);
               (2)  the person will complete four consecutive years of
  employment as a full-time classroom teacher in a school described
  by Subdivision (1) whose primary duty is to teach mathematics or
  science, as applicable, based on the person's certification;
               (3)  beginning with the school year immediately
  following the last of the four consecutive school years described
  by Subdivision (2), the person will complete an [four] additional
  number of consecutive school years teaching in any public school in
  this state, as prescribed by board rule; and
               (4)  the person acknowledges the conditional nature of
  the loan repayment assistance.
         (c-1)  The rules adopted under Subsection (c)(3) may not
  require a person to complete more than four additional consecutive
  school years of teaching as described by that subdivision.
         SECTION 2.  Section 61.9835(a), Education Code, is amended
  to read as follows:
         (a)  The board may provide repayment assistance under this
  subchapter for the repayment of any student loan that:
               (1)  is for education at:
                     (A)  a public or private institution of higher
  education; or
                     (B)  a nonprofit, tax-exempt, regionally
  accredited college or university operating in accordance with a
  memorandum of understanding with this state under an executive
  order issued by the governor; and
               (2)  is received by an eligible person through an
  eligible lender.
         SECTION 3.  (a)  As soon as practicable after the effective
  date of this Act, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board
  shall adopt rules necessary to administer Section 61.9832,
  Education Code, as amended by this Act.
         (b)  Section 61.9832, Education Code, as amended by this Act,
  applies only to a loan repayment assistance agreement entered into
  under Subchapter KK, Chapter 61, Education Code, on or after the
  effective date of this Act. A loan repayment assistance agreement
  entered into before the effective date of this Act is governed by
  the law in effect immediately before that date, and the former law
  is continued in effect for that purpose.
         SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2019.
 
 
 
 
 
  ______________________________ ______________________________
     President of the Senate Speaker of the House     
 
         I hereby certify that S.B. No. 1757 passed the Senate on
  April 29, 2019, by the following vote: Yeas 29, Nays 2; and that
  the Senate concurred in House amendment on May 25, 2019, by the
  following vote: Yeas 30, Nays 0.
 
 
  ______________________________
  Secretary of the Senate    
 
         I hereby certify that S.B. No. 1757 passed the House, with
  amendment, on May 22, 2019, by the following vote: Yeas 101,
  Nays 41, three present not voting.
 
 
  ______________________________
  Chief Clerk of the House   
 
 
 
  Approved:
 
  ______________________________ 
              Date
 
 
  ______________________________ 
            Governor