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:
<ins>"Part 6C
20-3-518.12.
As used in this part, the term:
</ins>
<ins>(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
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<ins>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.
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<ins>(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."
</ins> SECTION 2.
All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.