Sec. 2306.5621. HOMES FOR TEXAS HEROES HOME LOAN PROGRAM. (a) In this section:

(1) "Fire fighter" means a member of a fire department who performs a function listed in Section 419.021(3)(C), Government Code.

(2) "Home" means a dwelling in this state in which a fire fighter, corrections officer, county jailer, public security officer, peace officer, professional educator, veteran, or person defined as emergency medical services personnel under this section intends to reside as the borrower's principal residence.

(3) "Mortgage lender" has the meaning assigned by Section 2306.004.

(4) "Peace officer" has the meaning assigned by Section 1.07(a)(36), Penal Code.

(5) "Program" means the Homes for Texas Heroes home loan program.

(6) "Corrections officer" means a corrections officer employed by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice or a juvenile correctional officer employed by the Texas Juvenile Justice Department.

(7) "County jailer" has the meaning assigned by Section 1701.001, Occupations Code.

(8) "Public security officer" has the meaning assigned by Section 1701.001, Occupations Code.

(9) "Emergency medical services personnel" has the meaning assigned by Section 773.003, Health and Safety Code.

(10) "Veteran" has the meaning assigned by Section 161.001, Natural Resources Code.

(11) "Allied health program faculty member" means a full-time member of the faculty of an undergraduate or graduate allied health program of a public or private institution of higher education in this state.

(12) "Graduate allied health program" means a postbaccalaureate certificate or master's or doctoral degree program in an allied health profession that is accredited by an accrediting entity recognized by the United States Department of Education.

(13) "Graduate professional nursing program" and "undergraduate professional nursing program" have the meanings assigned by Section 54.355, Education Code.

(14) "Professional educator" means a classroom teacher, full-time paid teacher's aide, full-time librarian, full-time counselor certified under Subchapter B, Chapter 21, Education Code, full-time school nurse, or allied health or professional nursing program faculty member.

(15) "Professional nursing program faculty member" means a full-time member of the faculty of either an undergraduate or graduate professional nursing program.

(16) "Undergraduate allied health program" means an undergraduate degree or certificate program that:

(A) prepares students for licensure, certification, or registration in an allied health profession; and

(B) is accredited by an accrediting entity recognized by the United States Department of Education.

(b) The corporation shall establish a program to provide eligible fire fighters, corrections officers, county jailers, public security officers, peace officers, emergency medical services personnel, professional educators, and veterans with low-interest home mortgage loans.

(c) To be eligible for a loan under this section, at the time a person files an application for the loan, the person must:

(1) be a:

(A) fire fighter, corrections officer, county jailer, public security officer, peace officer, veteran, or person defined as emergency medical services personnel under this section; or

(B) professional educator who is employed by a school district or is an allied health or professional nursing program faculty member in this state;

(2) reside in this state; and

(3) have an income of not more than 115 percent of area median family income, adjusted for family size, or the maximum amount permitted by Section 143(f), Internal Revenue Code of 1986, whichever is greater.

(d) The corporation may contract with other agencies of the state or with private entities to determine whether applicants qualify as fire fighters, corrections officers, county jailers, public security officers, peace officers, emergency medical services personnel, professional educators, or veterans under this section or otherwise to administer all or part of this section.

(d-1) The corporation may contract with the Texas Veterans Commission to provide other housing assistance to veterans receiving loans under this section.

(e) The board of directors of the corporation may set and collect from each applicant any fees the board considers reasonable and necessary to cover the expenses of administering the program.

(f) The board of directors of the corporation shall adopt rules governing:

(1) the administration of the program;

(2) the making of loans under the program;

(3) the criteria for approving mortgage lenders;

(4) the use of insurance on the loans and the homes financed under the program, as considered appropriate by the board to provide additional security for the loans;

(5) the verification of occupancy of the home by the fire fighter, corrections officer, county jailer, public security officer, peace officer, professional educator, veteran, or person defined as emergency medical services personnel as the borrower's principal residence; and

(6) the terms of any contract made with any mortgage lender for processing, originating, servicing, or administering the loans.

(g) The corporation shall ensure that a loan under this section is structured in a way that complies with any requirements associated with the source of the funds used for the loan.

(h) In addition to funds set aside for the program under Section 1372.0223(1), the corporation may solicit and accept funding for the program from the following sources:

(1) gifts and grants for the purposes of this section;

(2) available money in the housing trust fund established under Section 2306.201, to the extent available to the corporation;

(3) federal block grants that may be used for the purposes of this section, to the extent available to the corporation;

(4) other state or federal programs that provide money that may be used for the purposes of this section; and

(5) amounts received by the corporation in repayment of loans made under this section.

(h-1) To fund home mortgage loans for eligible fire fighters, corrections officers, county jailers, public security officers, peace officers, emergency medical services personnel, professional educators, and veterans under this section, the corporation may use any proceeds received from the sale of bonds, notes, or other obligations issued under the home loan program provided by this section, regardless of any amendments to the eligibility standards for loans made under the program and regardless of when the corporation received the proceeds from those bonds, notes, or other obligations issued under the program.

(i) Repealed by Acts 2013, 83rd Leg., R.S., Ch. 405 (S.B. 286), Sec. 6, and Ch. 1219 (S.B. 1553), Sec. 6, eff. June 14, 2013.

Added by Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 1050, Sec. 3, eff. June 20, 2003.

For text of section as added by Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 332, Sec. 16, see Sec. 2306.563, post.

Renumbered from Government Code, Section 2306.563 and amended by Acts 2005, 79th Leg., Ch. 196 (H.B. 1007), Sec. 1, eff. May 27, 2005.

Amended by:

Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 455 (H.B. 618), Sec. 2, eff. June 16, 2007.

Acts 2013, 83rd Leg., R.S., Ch. 405 (S.B. 286), Sec. 3, eff. June 14, 2013.

Acts 2013, 83rd Leg., R.S., Ch. 405 (S.B. 286), Sec. 4, eff. June 14, 2013.

Acts 2013, 83rd Leg., R.S., Ch. 405 (S.B. 286), Sec. 5, eff. June 14, 2013.

Acts 2013, 83rd Leg., R.S., Ch. 405 (S.B. 286), Sec. 6, eff. June 14, 2013.

Acts 2013, 83rd Leg., R.S., Ch. 1219 (S.B. 1553), Sec. 3, eff. June 14, 2013.

Acts 2013, 83rd Leg., R.S., Ch. 1219 (S.B. 1553), Sec. 4, eff. June 14, 2013.

Acts 2013, 83rd Leg., R.S., Ch. 1219 (S.B. 1553), Sec. 5, eff. June 14, 2013.

Acts 2013, 83rd Leg., R.S., Ch. 1219 (S.B. 1553), Sec. 6, eff. June 14, 2013.

Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 734 (H.B. 1549), Sec. 117, eff. September 1, 2015.

Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1236 (S.B. 1296), Sec. 9.011, eff. September 1, 2015.