By: Nelson, et al. S.B. No. 19
(In the Senate - Filed July 20, 2017; July 20, 2017, read
first time and referred to Committee on Finance; July 23, 2017,
reported favorably by the following vote: Yeas 10, Nays 3,
2 present not voting; July 23, 2017, sent to printer.)
Click here to see the committee vote
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to bonuses and salaries for public school classroom
teachers and state assistance for the Texas Public School Employees
Group Insurance Program.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Subchapter I, Chapter 21, Education Code, is
amended by adding Sections 21.417 and 21.418 to read as follows:
Sec. 21.417. CLASSROOM TEACHER STATE CAREER BONUS.
(a) Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for
purposes of this section, the agency shall provide an annual bonus
to each classroom teacher with at least six years of teaching
experience at the beginning of the school year during which the
bonus is provided.
(b) The amount of the bonus provided to each classroom
teacher during any school year shall be established by
appropriation, and the appropriation may provide for different
bonus amounts during a school year based on the number of years of
teaching experience.
(c) A bonus provided to a classroom teacher under this
section is not considered in determining whether a school district
is paying the teacher the minimum monthly salary under Section
21.402.
(d) The agency shall provide a bonus under this section only
to a person employed as a classroom teacher at the time the bonus is
paid.
Sec. 21.418. CLASSROOM TEACHER SALARY INCREASES. (a) From
state funding designated specifically for purposes of this section,
including a separate appropriation in the General Appropriations
Act or a designation of revenue provided by the Texas Constitution,
a school district shall spend an amount equal to the product of
$1,000 multiplied by the number of classroom teachers employed by
the district to increase salaries for classroom teachers in a
manner determined by the board of trustees to be beneficial to the
district.
(b) The commissioner may adopt rules necessary to implement
this section, provided that the rules do not restrict the manner in
which the amount described by Subsection (a) is used by a school
district to increase salaries for classroom teachers.
SECTION 2. (a) The amount of $193,000,000 of the
unencumbered appropriations from the general revenue fund for the
state fiscal biennium ending August 31, 2019, made by S.B. 1, Acts
of the 85th Legislature, Regular Session, 2017 (the General
Appropriations Act), to the Health and Human Services Commission is
transferred to the Texas Education Agency to be used by the agency
to provide the following bonuses to public school classroom
teachers under Section 21.417, Education Code, as added by this
Act:
(1) a bonus of $600 to be paid in September 2018 for
each classroom teacher with at least 6 but less than 11 years of
teaching experience at the beginning of the 2018-2019 school year;
and
(2) a bonus of $1,000 to be paid in September 2018 for
each classroom teacher with at least 11 years of teaching
experience at the beginning of the 2018-2019 school year.
(b) The Health and Human Services Commission shall identify
the strategies and objectives out of which the transfer under
Subsection (a) of this section is to be made.
SECTION 3. (a) The amount of $212,000,000 of the
unencumbered appropriations from the general revenue fund for the
state fiscal biennium ending August 31, 2019, made by S.B. 1, Acts
of the 85th Legislature, Regular Session, 2017 (the General
Appropriations Act), to the Health and Human Services Commission is
transferred to the Teacher Retirement System of Texas and may be
used by the retirement system during that state fiscal biennium to
provide support to participants in the Texas Public School
Employees Group Insurance Program authorized by Chapter 1575,
Insurance Code. The Health and Human Services Commission shall
identify the strategies and objectives out of which the transfer is
to be made.
(b) The Teacher Retirement System of Texas may use the money
transferred under Subsection (a) of this section to:
(1) reduce costs for participants, including
premiums, deductibles, and prescription drugs, during the 2018 and
2019 plan years; and
(2) reduce the premium and maximum out-of-pocket cost
for an enrolled adult child with a mental disability or a physical
incapacity during the 2018 and 2019 plan years.
(c) The Teacher Retirement System of Texas shall determine
the most efficient allocation of the money transferred under
Subsection (a) of this section to achieve the maximum benefit for
participants in the program.
SECTION 4. (a) Section 21.417, Education Code, as added by
this Act, applies beginning with the 2018-2019 school year.
(b) Section 21.418, Education Code, as added by this Act,
applies beginning with the 2019-2020 school year.
SECTION 5. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house as
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
Act takes effect on the 91st day after the last day of the
legislative session.
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