By: Nelson, et al. S.B. No. 3
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to additional funding to school districts for classroom
teacher salaries.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Subchapter I, Chapter 21, Education Code, is
amended by adding Section 21.4023 to read as follows:
Sec. 21.4023. CLASSROOM TEACHER AND LIBRARIAN SALARY
ALLOTMENT. (a) Every full-time classroom teacher and full-time
librarian is entitled to an annual salary allotment in the amount of
$5,000.
(b) A salary allotment a teacher or librarian receives under
this section:
(1) is not considered in determining whether the
district is paying the teacher or librarian the minimum monthly
salary under Section 21.402; and
(2) is in addition to the regular salary to which a
teacher or librarian is otherwise entitled under the district's
salary schedule.
(b-1) Notwithstanding Section 21.402, for the 2019-2020
school year, every full-time classroom teacher and full-time
librarian is entitled to a monthly salary that is at least equal to
the sum of:
(1) the monthly salary the teacher or librarian would
have received for the 2019-2020 school year under the district's
salary schedule for the 2018-2019 school year, if that schedule had
been in effect for the 2019-2020 school year, including any local
supplement and any money representing any other supplement the
teacher or librarian would have received in the 2019-2020 school
year; and
(2) $500.
(b-2) Subsection (b-1) and this subsection expire September
1, 2020.
(b-3) A full-time classroom teacher or full-time librarian
employed by a school district in the 2019-2020 school year is, as
long as the teacher or librarian is employed by the same district,
entitled to a salary that is at least equal to the salary the
teacher or librarian received for the 2019-2020 school year.
(c) A school district may provide a merit salary increase to
a full-time classroom teacher or full-time librarian in addition to
the salary allotment to which the teacher or librarian is entitled
under this section.
(d) A school district shall provide written notice to each
full-time classroom teacher and full-time librarian that the salary
allotment to which the teacher or librarian is entitled under this
section is provided by the state.
(e) The commissioner may adopt rules as necessary to
implement this section.
(f) This section applies to a person employed as a classroom
teacher or librarian of an open enrollment charter school.
SECTION 2. Subchapter E, Chapter 42, Education Code, is
amended by adding Section 42.25131 to read as follows:
Sec. 42.25131. ADDITIONAL STATE AID OR CREDIT AGAINST COST
OF ATTENDANCE CREDITS FOR CLASSROOM TEACHER AND LIBRARIAN SALARY
ALLOTMENT. (a) For each school year, a school district, including
a school district that is otherwise ineligible for state aid under
this chapter, is entitled to state aid in an amount equal to the
product of $5,000 multiplied by the number of full-time classroom
teachers and full-time librarians employed by the district.
(b) A school district shall use the amount received under
this section to provide the salary allotments for full-time
classroom teachers and full-time librarians required under Section
21.4023.
(c) A school district that is required to take action under
Chapter 41 to reduce its wealth per student to the equalized wealth
level is entitled to a credit, in the amount of state aid to which
the district is entitled under this section, against the total
amount required under Section 41.093 for the district to purchase
attendance credits.
(d) The commissioner may adopt rules to implement this
section.
SECTION 3. Section 822.201(b), Government Code, is amended
to read as follows:
(b) "Salary and wages" as used in Subsection (a) means:
(1) normal periodic payments of money for service the
right to which accrues on a regular basis in proportion to the
service performed;
(2) amounts by which the member's salary is reduced
under a salary reduction agreement authorized by Chapter 610;
(3) amounts that would otherwise qualify as salary and
wages under Subdivision (1) but are not received directly by the
member pursuant to a good faith, voluntary written salary reduction
agreement in order to finance payments to a deferred compensation
or tax sheltered annuity program specifically authorized by state
law or to finance benefit options under a cafeteria plan qualifying
under Section 125 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, if:
(A) the program or benefit options are made
available to all employees of the employer; and
(B) the benefit options in the cafeteria plan are
limited to one or more options that provide deferred compensation,
group health and disability insurance, group term life insurance,
dependent care assistance programs, or group legal services plans;
(4) performance pay awarded to an employee by a school
district as part of a total compensation plan approved by the board
of trustees of the district and meeting the requirements of
Subsection (e);
(5) the benefit replacement pay a person earns under
Subchapter H, Chapter 659, except as provided by Subsection (c);
(6) stipends paid to teachers in accordance with
Section 21.410, 21.411, 21.412, or 21.413, Education Code;
(7) amounts by which the member's salary is reduced or
that are deducted from the member's salary as authorized by
Subchapter J, Chapter 659;
(8) a merit salary increase made under Section 51.962,
Education Code;
(9) amounts received under the relevant parts of the
educator excellence awards program under Subchapter O, Chapter 21,
Education Code, or a mentoring program under Section 21.458,
Education Code, that authorize compensation for service;
(10) salary amounts designated as health care
supplementation by an employee under Subchapter D, Chapter 22,
Education Code; [and]
(11) to the extent required by Sections 3401(h) and
414(u)(12), Internal Revenue Code of 1986, differential wage
payments received by an individual from an employer on or after
January 1, 2009, while the individual is performing qualified
military service as defined by Section 414(u), Internal Revenue
Code of 1986; and
(12) a salary allotment paid to teachers and
librarians under Section 21.4023, Education Code.
SECTION 4. Section 825.405(b), Government Code, is amended
to read as follows:
(b) For purposes of this section,[:
[(1)] the statutory minimum salary:
(1) for certain school personnel under Section 21.402,
Education Code, is the salary provided by that section multiplied
by the cost of education adjustment applicable under Section
42.102, Education Code, to the district in which the member is
employed; [and]
(2) [the statutory minimum salary] for members who
would have been entitled to the minimum salary for certain school
personnel under former Section 16.056, Education Code, as that
section existed on January 1, 1995, is a minimum salary computed in
the same manner as the minimum salary for certain school personnel
under Section 21.402, Education Code, multiplied by the cost of
education adjustment applicable under Section 42.102, Education
Code, to the district in which the member is employed; and
(3) includes any classroom teacher or librarian salary
allotment provided under Section 21.4023, Education Code.
SECTION 5. This Act applies beginning with the 2019-2020
school year.
SECTION 6. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019.