| 1 | 1 | | 82R7526 KJM-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Farias H.B. No. 1585 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 7 | | relating to certain eligibility requirements of the Teach for Texas |
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| 8 | 8 | | Loan Repayment Assistance Program. |
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| 9 | 9 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 10 | 10 | | SECTION 1. Section 56.353, Education Code, is amended by |
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| 11 | 11 | | amending Subsections (a) and (b) and adding Subsection (a-1) to |
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| 12 | 12 | | read as follows: |
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| 13 | 13 | | (a) Teach for Texas repayment assistance is available only |
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| 14 | 14 | | to a person who applies for the assistance and who: |
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| 15 | 15 | | (1) is certified in a teaching field identified by the |
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| 16 | 16 | | commissioner of education as experiencing a critical shortage of |
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| 17 | 17 | | teachers in this state in the year in which the person receives the |
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| 18 | 18 | | assistance and has for at least one year taught full-time at, and is |
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| 19 | 19 | | currently teaching full-time at, the preschool, primary, or |
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| 20 | 20 | | secondary level in a public school in this state in that teaching |
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| 21 | 21 | | field; [or] |
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| 22 | 22 | | (2) is a certified educator who has for at least one |
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| 23 | 23 | | year taught full-time at, and is currently teaching full-time at, |
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| 24 | 24 | | the preschool, primary, or secondary level in a public school in |
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| 25 | 25 | | this state at which it is difficult to attract or retain educators, |
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| 26 | 26 | | as [in a community] identified by the commissioner of education for |
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| 27 | 27 | | [as experiencing a critical shortage of teachers in] the year in |
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| 28 | 28 | | which the person receives the assistance; or |
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| 29 | 29 | | (3) is a certified educator who has for at least one |
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| 30 | 30 | | year taught full-time at, and is currently teaching full-time at, |
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| 31 | 31 | | the preschool, primary, or secondary level in a public school in |
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| 32 | 32 | | this state in which more than 50 percent of the students enrolled |
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| 33 | 33 | | are economically disadvantaged, as identified by the commissioner |
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| 34 | 34 | | of education for the year in which the person receives the |
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| 35 | 35 | | assistance. |
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| 36 | 36 | | (a-1) The commissioner of education each year shall |
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| 37 | 37 | | identify: |
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| 38 | 38 | | (1) for purposes of Subsections (a)(2) and (3), public |
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| 39 | 39 | | schools in this state at which it is difficult to attract or retain |
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| 40 | 40 | | educators; and |
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| 41 | 41 | | (2) for purposes of Subsection (a)(3), public schools |
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| 42 | 42 | | in this state in which more than 50 percent of the students enrolled |
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| 43 | 43 | | are economically disadvantaged. |
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| 44 | 44 | | (b) The coordinating board in awarding repayment assistance |
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| 45 | 45 | | shall give priority to applicants who are described by Subsection |
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| 46 | 46 | | (a)(2) or (3) or who demonstrate financial need. |
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| 47 | 47 | | SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act to Section |
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| 48 | 48 | | 56.353, Education Code, applies only to eligibility for loan |
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| 49 | 49 | | repayment assistance under Subchapter O, Chapter 56, Education |
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| 50 | 50 | | Code, on the basis of an application submitted on or after September |
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| 51 | 51 | | 1, 2011. Eligibility on the basis of an application submitted |
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| 52 | 52 | | before September 1, 2011, is covered by the law in effect at the |
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| 53 | 53 | | time the application was submitted, and the former law is continued |
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| 54 | 54 | | in effect for that purpose. |
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| 55 | 55 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2011. |
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