Title GV, Government Code

Sec. 485A.252. MONITORING QUALIFIED PERSON COMMITMENTS. (a) The office may monitor a qualified person to determine whether and to what extent the qualified person has followed through on the commitments made by the qualified person under this chapter. (b) The office may determine…

Sec. 487.001. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter: (1) Repealed by Acts 2013, 83rd Leg., R.S., Ch. 148, Sec. 44(1), eff. September 1, 2013. (2) "Commissioner" means the commissioner of agriculture. (3) "Department" means the Department of Agriculture. (4) "Office" means the Office of Ru…

Sec. 487.003. REFERENCE IN LAW. (a) A reference in this chapter or other law to the Texas Department of Rural Affairs or the Office of Rural Community Affairs means the office, and a reference in this chapter or other law to the board of the Texas Department of Rural Affairs mean…

Sec. 487.026. DIRECTOR. The director serves as the chief executive officer of the office and performs the administrative duties of the office. Added by Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 1424, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 2001. Amended by: Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1241 (H.B. 2542), Sec. 5…

Sec. 487.051. POWERS AND DUTIES. (a) The office shall: (1) assist rural communities in the key areas of economic development, community development, rural health, and rural housing; (2) serve as a clearinghouse for information and resources on all state and federal programs affec…

Sec. 487.052. RULES. The department may adopt rules as necessary to implement this chapter. Added by Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 1424, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 2001. Amended by: Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1241 (H.B. 2542), Sec. 10, eff. June 15, 2007. Acts 2013, 83rd Leg., R.S., …

Sec. 487.055. ADVISORY COMMITTEES. (a) The commissioner may appoint advisory committees as necessary to assist the office in performing its duties. An advisory committee may be composed of private citizens and representatives from state and local governmental entities. A state or…

Sec. 487.060. APPLICATION REQUIREMENT FOR COLONIAS PROJECTS. (a) In this section, "colonia" means a geographic area that: (1) is an economically distressed area as defined by Section 17.921, Water Code; (2) is located in a county any part of which is within 62 miles of an interna…

Sec. 487.101. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter: (1) "Selection committee" means the Outstanding Rural Scholar Selection Committee. (2) "Fund" means the outstanding rural scholar fund. (3) "Postsecondary educational institution" means: (A) an institution of higher education, as def…

Sec. 487.102. ADMINISTRATION. The department shall administer or contract for the administration of the program. Added by Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 1424, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 2001. Amended by: Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 112 (H.B. 1918), Sec. 31, eff. September 1, 2009.

Sec. 487.103. SELECTION COMMITTEE. (a) The selection committee shall advise the department on the progress of the program. (b) The selection committee is composed of 12 members appointed by the commissioner. (c) The commissioner shall consider geographical representation in makin…

Sec. 487.104. SELECTION OF OUTSTANDING RURAL SCHOLARS. (a) The selection committee shall select outstanding rural scholars through a statewide competition. (b) The selection committee shall make selections based on criteria approved by the department and adopted as a rule of the …

Sec. 487.105. ELIGIBILITY FOR OUTSTANDING RURAL SCHOLAR COMPETITION. (a) To be eligible to participate in the competition under Section 487.104, a high school student or an undergraduate student at a postsecondary educational institution must: (1) be nominated and sponsored by a …

Sec. 487.106. ELIGIBILITY FOR LOANS; RURAL COMMUNITY FINANCIAL SUPPORT. (a) For an outstanding rural scholar to be eligible for a forgivable loan, community sponsorship must include financial support. (b) Community financial support consists of a commitment to fund 50 percent of …

Sec. 487.107. AWARDING OF LOANS. (a) The selection committee shall recommend to the department guidelines for the awarding of forgivable loans to outstanding rural scholars. (b) The department, acting on the advice of the selection committee, shall award forgivable loans to outst…

Sec. 487.108. AMOUNT OF LOAN. (a) On confirmation of an outstanding rural scholar's admission to a postsecondary educational institution, or on receipt of an enrollment report of the scholar at a postsecondary educational institution, and a certification of the amount of financia…

Sec. 487.109. LOAN FORGIVENESS. (a) The principal balance and interest for one year of a forgivable loan awarded to an outstanding rural scholar must be forgiven for each year the scholar practices as a health care professional in the sponsoring community. (b) The sponsoring comm…

Sec. 487.110. FUND. (a) The outstanding rural scholar fund is in the state treasury. (b) The fund consists of legislative appropriations, gifts, grants, donations, the market value of in-kind contributions, and principal and interest payments on forgivable loans deposited to the …

Sec. 487.111. POSTSECONDARY EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS; MONITORING. (a) A postsecondary educational institution shall provide to the selection committee a copy of the academic transcript of each rural scholar for whom the institution has received a release that complies with state …

Sec. 487.112. ADOPTION AND DISTRIBUTION OF RULES. (a) The department shall adopt reasonable rules to enforce the requirements, conditions, and limitations under this subchapter. (b) The department shall set the rate of interest charged on a forgivable loan under this subchapter. …

Sec. 487.151. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter: (1) "Fund" means the health careers education fund. (2) "Postsecondary educational institution" means: (A) an institution of higher education, as defined by Section 61.003, Education Code; (B) a nonprofit, independent institution app…

Sec. 487.152. ADMINISTRATION. (a) Subject to available funding, the department shall administer or contract for the administration of the program. (b) The department may solicit and accept gifts, grants, donations, and contributions to support the program. Added by Acts 2001, 77t…

Sec. 487.153. HEALTH CAREERS PROMOTION. The department may establish a program to work with students, communities, and community-based organizations to encourage high school students to pursue health care professional careers. The department shall give priority to working with co…

Sec. 487.154. LOANS. (a) The department may award forgivable educational loans to eligible students under this subchapter. (b) The department may award forgivable loans to eligible students based on the availability of money in the fund. (c) If in any year the fund is inadequate …

Sec. 487.155. STUDENT ELIGIBILITY. (a) To be eligible to receive a loan under this subchapter, a student must: (1) be sponsored by an eligible community; (2) at the time of the application for the loan, be enrolled in high school or enrolled or accepted for enrollment in a postse…

Sec. 487.156. COMMUNITY ELIGIBILITY. (a) To be eligible to sponsor a student under this subchapter, a community must: (1) be located in a qualified area in this state; and (2) provide evidence of community sponsorship of the student. (b) Community sponsorship consists of: (1) a c…

Sec. 487.157. AMOUNT OF LOAN. (a) On confirmation of an eligible student's admission to a postsecondary educational institution, or on receipt of an enrollment report of the student at a postsecondary educational institution, and certification of the amount of financial support n…

Sec. 487.158. REQUIRED CONTRACT. (a) A student may receive assistance under this subchapter only if the student signs a contract agreeing to provide health care services to the sponsoring community on completion of the academic program and licensure or certification in the health…

Sec. 487.159. LOAN FORGIVENESS. (a) A loan recipient shall be forgiven the principal and interest of one year's loan for each year the recipient practices as a health care professional providing health care services in the sponsoring community, but only if the loan recipient prac…

Sec. 487.160. FUND. (a) The health careers education fund is established in the state treasury. (b) The department shall administer the fund. (c) The fund consists of gifts, grants, donations, the market value of in-kind contributions, and principal and interest payments on forgi…

Sec. 487.161. REPORTING; MONITORING. (a) The department shall require reports from students, communities, and postsecondary educational institutions as needed to monitor the program. After receiving any necessary releases as a condition of providing assistance, the department sha…

Sec. 487.162. PROGRAM PROMOTION. The department shall provide postsecondary educational institutions and communities in qualified areas with information about health care careers and loan opportunities, including information on eligibility and availability of funds under this sub…

Sec. 487.163. ADOPTION OF RULES. (a) The department shall adopt reasonable rules to enforce the requirements, conditions, and limitations of this subchapter. (b) The department shall set the rate of interest charged on a forgivable loan under this subchapter. (c) The department s…

Sec. 487.201. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter: (1) "Medically underserved community" means: (A) a community located in an area in this state with a medically underserved population; (B) a community located in an area in this state designated by the United States secretary of heal…

Sec. 487.202. PROGRAM. (a) The department shall establish and administer a program under this subchapter to increase the number of physicians providing primary care in medically underserved communities. (b) A medically underserved community may sponsor a physician who has complet…

Sec. 487.203. ELIGIBILITY. To be eligible to receive money from the department, a medically underserved community must: (1) apply for the money; and (2) provide evidence satisfactory to the office that it has entered into an agreement with a physician for the physician to provide…

Sec. 487.204. RULES. The department shall adopt rules necessary for the administration of this subchapter, including rules addressing: (1) eligibility criteria for a medically underserved community; (2) eligibility criteria for a physician; (3) minimum and maximum community contr…

Sec. 487.251. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter: (1) "Medically underserved area" means an area designated by the United States secretary of health and human services as having: (A) a shortage of personal health services or a population group that has such a shortage as provided by…

Sec. 487.252. TEXAS HEALTH SERVICE CORPS PROGRAM. (a) Subject to available funding, the department shall establish a program to assist communities in recruiting and retaining physicians to practice in medically underserved areas. (b) The department by rule shall establish: (1) el…

Sec. 487.253. ADMINISTRATION. (a) The department shall adopt rules necessary to administer this subchapter, and the department shall administer the program in accordance with those rules. (b) The department may not spend for the department's administrative costs in administering …

Sec. 487.254. REQUIRED CONTRACT. (a) The department may award a stipend to a physician under this subchapter if the physician enters into a written contract to provide services in a medically underserved area for at least one year for each year that the physician receives the sti…

Sec. 487.255. STIPENDS. (a) The department shall award stipends to physicians for one-year periods. A stipend awarded under this subchapter may not exceed $15,000 each year. (b) The department may renew a stipend used to assist a particular physician. (c) A physician is not eligi…

Sec. 487.256. FUNDING. The department may seek, receive, and spend money received through an appropriation, grant, donation, or reimbursement from any public or private source to implement this subchapter. Added by Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 1424, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 2001. Amend…

Sec. 487.301. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter: (1) "Public hospital" means a general or special hospital licensed under Chapter 241, Health and Safety Code, that is owned or operated by a municipality, county, municipality and county, hospital district, or hospital authority and …

Sec. 487.302. POWERS OF DEPARTMENT. In administering this subchapter, the department may: (1) enter into and enforce contracts and execute and deliver conveyances and other instruments necessary to make and administer grants, loans, and loan guarantees under this subchapter; (2) …

Sec. 487.303. GRANT, LOAN, AND LOAN GUARANTEE PROGRAM. (a) The department may use money appropriated to the department under Section 403.1065 to make a grant or low-interest loan to, or guarantee a loan for, a public or nonprofit hospital located in a rural county. (b) A grant, l…