Relating to eligibility requirements for the repayment of certain mental health professional education loans.

This bill would expand eligibility requirements for the repayment of certain mental health professional education loans. The total amount a chemical dependency counselor could receive in repayment assistance would be not greater than $10,000. The bill would also add the provision that if not all funds for the program are used in a fiscal year, the education board would be allowed to allocate any unused funds to award repayment assistance grants to mental health professionals listed in Section 61.601 of the Education Code. The board would also be required to seek the maximum amount of funds available through the student loan repayment program under the National Health Service Corps program.