| 1 | 1 | | By: Zaffirini S.B. No. 2249 |
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| 2 | 2 | | |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 5 | 5 | | AN ACT |
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| 6 | 6 | | relating to a certification program for teachers of students with |
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| 7 | 7 | | visual impairments. |
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| 8 | 8 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 9 | 9 | | SECTION 1. Section 30.002, Education Code, is amended by |
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| 10 | 10 | | amending Subsection (g) and adding Subsection (h) to read as |
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| 11 | 11 | | follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | (g) To become certified as a teacher of students with visual |
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| 13 | 13 | | impairments, an educator must: |
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| 14 | 14 | | (1) successfully complete all course work required by |
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| 15 | 15 | | a State Board for Educator Certification-approved preparation |
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| 16 | 16 | | program in that field; and |
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| 17 | 17 | | (2) pass the State Board for Educator |
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| 18 | 18 | | Certification-approved examinations for certification in braille |
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| 19 | 19 | | and in visual impairments. |
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| 20 | 20 | | (h) To facilitate implementation of this section, the |
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| 21 | 21 | | commissioner shall develop a system to distribute from the |
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| 22 | 22 | | foundation school fund to school districts or regional education |
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| 23 | 23 | | service centers a special supplemental allowance for each student |
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| 24 | 24 | | with a visual impairment and for each student with a serious visual |
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| 25 | 25 | | disability and another medically diagnosed disability of a |
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| 26 | 26 | | significantly limiting nature who is receiving special education |
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| 27 | 27 | | services through any approved program. The supplemental allowance |
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| 28 | 28 | | may be spent only for special services uniquely required by the |
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| 29 | 29 | | nature of the student's disabilities and may not be used in lieu of |
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| 30 | 30 | | educational funds otherwise available under this code or through |
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| 31 | 31 | | state or local appropriations. |
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| 32 | 32 | | SECTION 2. This Act does not apply to a certification to |
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| 33 | 33 | | teach students with visual impairments granted or applied for |
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| 34 | 34 | | before the effective date of this Act, including the renewal of the |
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| 35 | 35 | | certification. |
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| 36 | 36 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 37 | 37 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 38 | 38 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 39 | 39 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 40 | 40 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2009. |
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