Texas 2021 - 87th Regular

Texas House Bill HB1744 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1	1		87R4680 KJE-D
2		-	By: Guerra~~, Moody, Bernal, et al.~~ H.B. No. 1744
	2	+	By: Guerra H.B. No. 1744
3	3
4	4
5	5		A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6		AN ACT
7	7		relating to measures to prepare students to teach bilingual
8	8		education, English as a second language, or Spanish.
9	9		BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
10	10		SECTION 1. Subchapter F, Chapter 29, Education Code, is
11	11		amended by adding Section 29.1831 to read as follows:
12	12		Sec. 29.1831. PROGRAM OF STUDY IN BILINGUAL EDUCATION,
13	13		ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE, AND SPANISH. (a) The agency shall
14	14		develop a program of study for use in career and technology
15	15		education programs that prepares and assists students in pursuing a
16	16		career teaching:
17	17		(1) bilingual education;
18	18		(2) English as a second language; or
19	19		(3) Spanish.
20	20		(b) The agency shall post on the agency's Internet website
21	21		information regarding:
22	22		(1) the program of study developed under this section;
23	23		and
24	24		(2) the financial incentive program to prepare
25	25		teachers to obtain certification to teach bilingual education,
26	26		English as a second language, or Spanish administered by the Texas
27	27		Higher Education Coordinating Board under Subchapter LL, Chapter
28	28		61.
29	29		SECTION 2. Section 33.007(b), Education Code, is amended to
30	30		read as follows:
31	31		(b) During the first school year a student is enrolled in a
32	32		high school or at the high school level in an open-enrollment
33	33		charter school, and again during each year of a student's
34	34		enrollment in high school or at the high school level, a school
35	35		counselor shall provide information about postsecondary education
36	36		to the student and the student's parent or guardian. The
37	37		information must include information regarding:
38	38		(1) the importance of postsecondary education;
39	39		(2) the advantages of earning an endorsement and a
40	40		performance acknowledgment and completing the distinguished level
41	41		of achievement under the foundation high school program under
42	42		Section 28.025;
43	43		(3) the disadvantages of taking courses to prepare for
44	44		a high school equivalency examination relative to the benefits of
45	45		taking courses leading to a high school diploma;
46	46		(4) financial aid eligibility;
47	47		(5) instruction on how to apply for federal financial
48	48		aid;
49	49		(6) the center for financial aid information
50	50		established under Section 61.0776;
51	51		(7) the automatic admission of certain students to
52	52		general academic teaching institutions as provided by Section
53	53		51.803;
54	54		(8) the eligibility and academic performance
55	55		requirements for the TEXAS Grant as provided by Subchapter M,
56	56		Chapter 56;
57	57		(9) the availability of programs in the district under
58	58		which a student may earn college credit, including advanced
59	59		placement programs, dual credit programs, joint high school and
60	60		college credit programs, and international baccalaureate programs;
61	61		(10) the availability of education and training
62	62		vouchers and tuition and fee waivers to attend an institution of
63	63		higher education as provided by Section 54.366 for a student who is
64	64		or was previously in the conservatorship of the Department of
65	65		Family and Protective Services; [and]
66	66		(11) the availability of college credit awarded by
67	67		institutions of higher education to veterans and military
68	68		servicemembers for military experience, education, and training
69	69		obtained during military service as described by the informational
70	70		materials developed under Section 302.0031(h), Labor Code; and
71	71		(12) the availability of programs that prepare
72	72		students for teaching bilingual education, English as a second
73	73		language, or Spanish, including:
74	74		(A) the program of study developed under Section
75	75		29.1831; and
76	76		(B) the financial incentive program administered
77	77		by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board under Subchapter
78	78		LL, Chapter 61.
79	79		SECTION 3. Chapter 61, Education Code, is amended by adding
80	80		Subchapter LL to read as follows:
81	81		SUBCHAPTER LL. FINANCIAL INCENTIVE PROGRAM TO PREPARE TEACHERS IN
82	82		BILINGUAL EDUCATION, ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE, AND SPANISH
83	83		Sec. 61.9851. ESTABLISHMENT AND ADMINISTRATION OF PROGRAM.
84	84		(a) The board shall establish a program to provide financial
85	85		incentives such as tuition assistance or student loan repayment to:
86	86		(1) assist persons in obtaining certification to teach
87	87		bilingual education, English as a second language, or Spanish in a
88	88		public elementary or secondary school in this state; and
89	89		(2) facilitate the employment of those persons by a
90	90		public elementary or secondary school in this state that has a
91	91		shortage of teachers certified to teach in those fields.
92	92		(b) In administering the program, the board shall give
93	93		priority to awarding financial incentives to those eligible persons
94	94		who demonstrate the greatest financial need.
95	95		Sec. 61.9852. ELIGIBILITY. To be eligible to receive
96	96		financial incentives under this subchapter, a person must:
97	97		(1) apply to the board in the form and manner
98	98		prescribed by board rule;
99	99		(2) be admitted into an educator preparation program
100	100		at an institution of higher education or at a private or independent
101	101		institution of higher education that prepares students for
102	102		certification to teach bilingual education, English as a second
103	103		language, or Spanish;
104	104		(3) enter into an agreement with the board as provided
105	105		by Section 61.9853; and
106	106		(4) satisfy any other criteria jointly prescribed by
107	107		the board and the State Board for Educator Certification.
108	108		Sec. 61.9853. AGREEMENT. To qualify for financial
109	109		incentives under this subchapter, a person must enter into a
110	110		written agreement with the board as provided by this section. The
111	111		agreement must require the person to:
112	112		(1) obtain, within the period prescribed by board
113	113		rule, certification to teach bilingual education, English as a
114	114		second language, or Spanish in a public elementary or secondary
115	115		school in this state;
116	116		(2) accept, during the first school year that begins
117	117		after the date the person becomes certified as provided by
118	118		Subdivision (1), an offer of full-time employment to teach
119	119		bilingual education, English as a second language, or Spanish in a
120	120		public elementary or secondary school in this state that has a
121	121		shortage of teachers certified to teach in one or more of those
122	122		fields; and
123	123		(3) teach bilingual education, English as a second
124	124		language, or Spanish at that school for at least two school years.
125	125		Sec. 61.9854. FINANCIAL INCENTIVES. The board shall award
126	126		financial incentives such as tuition assistance or student loan
127	127		repayment to each participant in the program to assist with the cost
128	128		of payment of mandatory tuition and fees for courses required to
129	129		obtain certification to teach bilingual education, English as a
130	130		second language, or Spanish.
131	131		Sec. 61.9855. REIMBURSEMENT; EXCEPTIONS. (a) A program
132	132		participant who fails to meet the requirements of Section 61.9853
133	133		shall reimburse the board for the amount of any assistance received
134	134		by the participant under this subchapter.
135	135		(b) The board by rule shall establish exceptions to the
136	136		reimbursement requirement under this section for participants who
137	137		are unable to meet the requirements of Section 61.9853 as a result
138	138		of an unusual hardship.
139	139		Sec. 61.9856. GIFTS, GRANTS, AND DONATIONS. In addition to
140	140		money appropriated by the legislature, the board may solicit and
141	141		accept gifts, grants, and donations for the purposes of this
142	142		subchapter.
143	143		Sec. 61.9857. RULES. The board shall adopt rules necessary
144	144		for the administration of this subchapter, including a rule that
145	145		sets the maximum amount of financial assistance that a person may
146	146		receive under this subchapter in one year.
147	147		SECTION 4. The Texas Education Agency shall develop the
148	148		program of study for use in a school district's career and
149	149		technology education program to teach bilingual education, English
150	150		as a second language, or Spanish as required by Section 29.1831,
151	151		Education Code, as added by this Act, beginning not later than the
152	152		2022-2023 school year.
153	153		SECTION 5. Section 33.007(b), Education Code, as amended by
154	154		this Act, applies beginning with the 2022-2023 school year.
155	155		SECTION 6. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board
156	156		shall adopt rules for the administration of Subchapter LL, Chapter
157	157		61, Education Code, as added by this Act, as soon as practicable
158	158		after this Act takes effect.
159	159		SECTION 7. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
160	160		a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
161	161		provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
162	162		Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
163	163		Act takes effect September 1, 2021.