HBA-KMH H.B. 2042 76(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 2042
By: Turner, Bob
Higher Education
3/8/1999
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Currently, the Center for Rural Health Initiatives implements a program
which provides physicians with student loan forgiveness or financial
support for practicing medicine in rural areas.  The mission of this
program is to provide rural areas with assistance where there is a shortage
of primary care physicians.   H.B. 2042 creates the Rural Veterinarian
Incentive Program which is a similar program to the physicians program of
the Center for Rural Health Initiatives.  The program offers a venue for
providing financial support to students enrolled in the College of
Veterinary Medicine at Texas A&M University or to those who have applied to
participate in the program, under certain conditions. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill
expressly delegates rulemaking authority to the Rural Veterinarian
Incentive Program advisory committee in SECTION 1 (Sections 89.002 and
89.006, Education Code), of this bill. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends Subtitle B, Title 3, Education Code, by adding Chapter
89, as follows: 

CHAPTER 89.  RURAL VETERINARIAN INCENTIVE PROGRAM

Sec.  89.001.   DEFINITIONS.  Defines "committee," "fund," "college,"
"program," "rural county," "commission," and "board." 

Sec. 89.002.  RURAL VETERINARIAN ASSISTANCE PROGRAM ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
Sets forth the required composition of the committee.  Requires the dean of
the college to serve as the chair of the advisory committee.  Requires the
committee to promulgate specified rules. 

Sec.  89.003.  ELIGIBLE STUDENTS.   Provides that a student is eligible to
participate in the program if the student is enrolled with the college or
applied to participate in the program within one year of the date of
graduation from the college and will receive, or has received, at least 50
percent of the funds for tuition and fees from a student loan.  Authorizes
the committee to establish a minimum grade point average. 

Sec.  89.004.  RURAL SPONSORS.  Authorizes a rural community or political
subdivision, in accordance with Section 89.002(b)(3), to provide financial
support to a student described in Section 89.003(a).  Requires a sponsor to
enter into an agreement with the student under Subsection (c).  Requires an
agreement of financial support to fund at least one full year of tuition
and fees for an eligible student enrolled in the college.  Authorizes
financial support under this section to be satisfied in whole or in part by
a grant, scholarship, or private foundation.  Requires financial support
under this section also to be deposited in the fund for distribution to the
student by the university. 

Sec.  89.005.  FINANCIAL SUPPORT.  Requires a student participating in the
program to enter into an agreement with the university to practice
veterinary medicine in a rural county  for a period of time equal to each
year of financial support received by the student.  Requires financial
support received by a student under this chapter to be used to retire
student loan debt or pay tuition and fees to the university.  Requires
financial support from the fund to be awarded in the form of grants. 

Sec.  89.006.  RURAL VETERINARIAN ASSISTANCE FUND.  Provides that the Rural
Veterinarian Assistance Fund is a fund in the state treasury and consists
of revenue deposited to the credit of the fund by the university, including
legislative appropriations.  Requires the fund to be administered by the
university in accordance with the rules promulgated by the committee. 

Sec.  89.006.  ADMINISTRATION OF THE PROGRAM.  Requires the university to
administer the program according to the rules promulgated by the committee. 

SECTION 2.  Emergency clause.
                       Effective date: 90 days after adjournment.