---
title: HB 88. State veterinary education; biomedical technicians to be eligible for the state student loan forgiveness program; provide
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/hb88
cite_as: HB 88, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb88
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb88.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb88/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/69427
date: 2026-02-26
status: introduced
corpus_version: bills-2026-09-13
license: Public record of the Georgia General Assembly, via LegiScan; see about.md
publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice.
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omitted: votes and history
omitted_chars: 319
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb88.md?full=1
bill_number: HB 88
session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
session_slug: 2025-2026
chamber: House
bill_type: bill
status_date: 2025-01-16
last_action: House Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute
sponsors:
- Imani Barnes
- Karla Drenner
- Jasmine Clark
- Spencer Frye
- Rhonda Burnough
- Mekyah McQueen
text_version: Comm Sub
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HB88/2025
upstream_id: 1925967
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
- student loan forgiveness
- veterinary technicians
- rural health care
- higher education funding
---
# HB 88. State veterinary education; biomedical technicians to be eligible for the state student loan forgiveness program; provide
## Text
The House Committee on Higher Education offers the following substitute to HB 88:
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend Article 7 of Chapter 3 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated,
relating to scholarships, loans, and grants, so as to provide for the purchase of loans made
to students for educational purposes for persons who have completed a program of study in
the field of veterinary technology or its equivalent and are authorized to practice veterinary
technology; to provide for definitions; to provide for conditions and eligibility; to provide
for terms of the loan purchase agreement; to provide for cancellation; to provide for related
matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION 1.
Article 7 of Chapter 3 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to
scholarships, loans, and grants, is amended by adding a new part to read as follows:
"Part 6C
20-3-518.12.
As used in this part, the term:
(1) 'Board' means the State Veterinary Education Board created under Code
Section 20-3-518.2.
(2) 'Practice veterinary technology' shall have the same meaning as set forth in Code
Section 43-50-3.
(3) 'Veterinary technology' shall have the same meaning as set forth in Code
Section 43-50-3.
20-3-518.13.
(a) Beginning January 1, 2027, the board may provide for the purchase of loans made to
students for educational purposes for persons who have completed a program of study in
the field of veterinary technology or its equivalent and are authorized to practice veterinary
technology in this state and are residents of this state, with services in the form of the
practice of veterinary technology while residing in this state to be rendered as consideration
for such loan purchases.
(b) Only persons who have been practicing veterinary technology for ten years or less shall
be eligible for loan purchases under this part. No person shall be eligible for a loan
purchase under this part more than once in his or her lifetime.
20-3-518.14.
(a)(1) Subject to appropriations, persons whose applications are approved and enter into
a loan purchase agreement with the board, as provided by Code Section 20-3-518.13,
shall receive a loan purchase in a total amount to be determined by the board, but not
exceeding $30,000.00 per person. The loan purchases shall be paid in such manner as the
board shall determine.
(2) The loan purchases to be granted to each applicant shall be based upon the condition
that the consideration for such loan purchases shall be services to be rendered by the
applicant after entering into a loan purchase agreement with the board by practicing
veterinary technology full time in any board approved rural county in Georgia with a
population of 50,000 or less according to the United States decennial census of 2020 or
any future such census.
(3) For time served after entering into a loan purchase agreement with the board in
practicing his or her profession full time in such board approved location, the applicant
shall receive a loan purchase at a rate equivalent to $10,000.00 per 12 months of service;
provided, however, that the total purchase amount shall not exceed the maximum
specified in paragraph (1) of this subsection.
(b) The board shall not enter into new loan purchase agreements with more than five
persons per year pursuant to this part; provided, however, that the total sum of loan
purchases from state appropriations for which the board contractually obligates itself in any
fiscal year shall not exceed the amount of funds for such loan purchase agreements
specified in annual appropriations Acts. Funds in the loan purchase fund account that are
not expended or contractually obligated by the board for loan purchases during any fiscal
year shall lapse.
20-3-518.15.
(a) Each applicant before being granted a loan purchase shall enter into a contract with a
term of three consecutive years with the board agreeing to the terms and conditions upon
which the loan purchase is granted, including such terms and provisions as will carry out
the full purpose and intent of this part. It shall not be necessary for a contract enrollee to
reapply after entering into a contract; provided, however, that the board may require the
contract enrollee to provide an annual certification of continued compliance with this Code
section. The form of such contract shall be prepared and approved by the Attorney
General, and each contract shall be signed by the chairperson of the board and by the
applicant.
(b) The board shall have the authority to cancel the loan purchase contract of any applicant
at any time for any cause deemed sufficient by the board, provided that such authority shall
not be arbitrarily or unreasonably exercised.
(c) The board shall adopt such rules and regulations as are reasonable and necessary to
implement the provisions of this part."
SECTION 2.
All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.
## Summaries written by Georgia Commons
The following was written by claude-sonnet-5 from the text above and is not part of the bill. Quote the text, not the summary.
A Georgia House bill would let the State Veterinary Education Board buy back student loans for veterinary technicians who agree to work in rural Georgia counties, starting in 2027.
### Plain-language summary
Georgia already runs a loan purchase program for veterinary students through the State Veterinary Education Board, but it currently does not cover veterinary technicians, the trained support staff who assist veterinarians. This bill adds a new part to state law creating a similar loan purchase program specifically for licensed veterinary technicians.
Starting January 1, 2027, veterinary technicians who have practiced for ten years or less and are Georgia residents could apply to have the board purchase up to $30,000 of their student loans. In exchange, they must work full time for three years in a board-approved rural county with 50,000 or fewer residents based on the 2020 census. They earn $10,000 in loan purchases per year of service. The board can accept no more than five new applicants per year, subject to available state funding, and can cancel a contract for good cause. Each recipient may use the program only once.
### What it does
- Creates a new loan purchase program for licensed veterinary technicians, similar to an existing one for veterinarians, starting January 1, 2027.
- Limits eligibility to Georgia residents who have practiced veterinary technology for ten years or less and only once per person.
- Caps loan purchases at $30,000 per person, paid at a rate of $10,000 per year of qualifying rural service.
- Requires recipients to sign a three-year contract to work full time in a board-approved rural county of 50,000 or fewer residents.
- Limits the board to signing no more than five new loan purchase agreements per year, subject to state funding levels.
- Gives the board authority to cancel a contract for sufficient cause, as long as that power is not used arbitrarily.
### Who it affects
Licensed veterinary technicians early in their careers, especially those with student debt; rural Georgia counties with populations of 50,000 or less that need veterinary support staff; and the State Veterinary Education Board, which would administer the new program.
### Why it matters
Rural areas of Georgia often struggle to attract veterinary staff. By paying down student loans in exchange for a three-year rural service commitment, the bill creates a financial incentive meant to steer newly licensed veterinary technicians toward underserved rural communities.
### Key provisions
- New Code Section 20-3-518.12 defines terms including 'practice veterinary technology' and 'veterinary technology' by reference to existing licensing law.
- Section 20-3-518.13 sets the January 1, 2027 start date and limits eligibility to Georgia residents with ten or fewer years practicing veterinary technology.
- Section 20-3-518.14 caps loan purchases at $30,000 per person, sets the $10,000 per year service rate, and limits the board to five new contracts per year.
- Section 20-3-518.14 also states that unspent or unobligated funds in the loan purchase account lapse at the end of the fiscal year.
- Section 20-3-518.15 requires a three-year signed contract approved by the Attorney General and allows the board to require annual compliance certification.
- Section 20-3-518.15 gives the board authority to cancel a contract for sufficient cause, so long as it is not exercised arbitrarily or unreasonably.
## Status
- Status: Introduced (2025-01-16)
- Last action: House Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (2026-02-26)
- Sponsors: Imani Barnes, Karla Drenner, Jasmine Clark, Spencer Frye, Rhonda Burnough, Mekyah McQueen
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/69427
> The history, votes, and amendments (319 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb88.md?full=1