Texas 2021 - 87th Regular

Texas House Bill HB3298 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1		-	By: Allison, Guillen (Senate Sponsor - Paxton) H.B. No. 3298
2		-	(In the Senate - Received from the House May 14, 2021;
3		-	May 14, 2021, read first time and referred to Committee on
4		-	Education; May 24, 2021, reported favorably by the following vote:
5		-	Yeas 8, Nays 3; May 24, 2021, sent to printer.)
6		-	Click here to see the committee vote
	1	+	By: Allison, Guillen H.B. No. 3298
7	2
8	3
9	4		A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
10	5		AN ACT
11	6		relating to computer science and technology education, training,
12	7		and curriculum.
13	8		BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
14	9		SECTION 1. Subchapter J, Chapter 21, Education Code, is
15	10		amended by adding Section 21.466 to read as follows:
16	11		Sec. 21.466. COMPUTER SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY APPLICATIONS
17	12		PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT GRANT PROGRAM. (a) In this section,
18	13		"institution of higher education" has the meaning assigned by
19	14		Section 61.003.
20	15		(b) The commissioner shall establish a competitive
21	16		professional development grant program to encourage teachers to:
22	17		(1) obtain computer science certification; and
23	18		(2) continue professional development in coding,
24	19		computational thinking, cybersecurity, and computer science
25	20		education.
26	21		(c) From money appropriated for the purpose, the
27	22		commissioner shall make grants to eligible providers that offer:
28	23		(1) professional development for classroom teachers
29	24		to ensure teachers maintain a working knowledge of current computer
30	25		industry standard tools and resources; and
31	26		(2) training for computer science certification for
32	27		teachers in accordance with certification requirements adopted by
33	28		the State Board for Educator Certification.
34	29		(d) To be eligible to receive a grant under this section, a
35	30		provider must:
36	31		(1) be an institution of higher education, regional
37	32		education service center, or school district or partnership of
38	33		multiple school districts or a nonprofit entity approved by the
39	34		commissioner that has demonstrated experience in providing
40	35		professional development through a statewide network; and
41	36		(2) meet eligibility standards established by
42	37		commissioner rule.
43	38		(e) An eligible provider receiving a grant under this
44	39		section must:
45	40		(1) provide the training or professional development
46	41		described by Subsection (c) and establish professional development
47	42		hubs in each education service center region;
48	43		(2) serve high-need campuses;
49	44		(3) have established partnerships with institution of
50	45		higher education faculty with expertise in cybersecurity,
51	46		computing, and computer science education; and
52	47		(4) develop partnerships with computer industry
53	48		professionals.
54	49		(f) The commissioner may adopt rules as necessary to
55	50		implement this section.
56	51		SECTION 2. Subchapter A, Chapter 28, Education Code, is
57	52		amended by adding Section 28.0181 to read as follows:
58	53		Sec. 28.0181. COMPUTER SCIENCE STRATEGIC ADVISORY
59	54		COMMITTEE. (a) In this section, "advisory committee" means the
60	55		computer science strategic advisory committee established under
61	56		this section.
62	57		(b) The agency shall establish the computer science
63	58		strategic advisory committee as a permanent advisory committee to
64	59		the agency to develop and provide recommendations for increasing
65	60		computer science instruction and participation in public schools.
66	61		(c) The advisory committee is composed of at least 11
67	62		members. The members must include:
68	63		(1) two members appointed by the governor;
69	64		(2) two members appointed by the lieutenant governor;
70	65		(3) two members appointed by the speaker of the house
71	66		of representatives;
72	67		(4) one member appointed by the chair of the senate
73	68		committee with primary jurisdiction over primary and secondary
74	69		education;
75	70		(5) one member appointed by the chair of the senate
76	71		committee with primary jurisdiction over higher education;
77	72		(6) one member appointed by the chair of the house of
78	73		representatives committee with primary jurisdiction over primary
79	74		and secondary education;
80	75		(7) one member appointed by the chair of the house of
81	76		representatives committee with primary jurisdiction over higher
82	77		education;
83	78		(8) one member appointed by the chair of the State
84	79		Board of Education; and
85	80		(9) any other members added by the advisory committee
86	81		in a manner determined by the committee in the committee's
87	82		discretion.
88	83		(d) In appointing members to the advisory committee, the
89	84		governor, lieutenant governor, and speaker of the house of
90	85		representatives shall coordinate appointments to ensure that the
91	86		six individuals appointed to the advisory committee collectively by
92	87		those officers include:
93	88		(1) three educators who teach in a public school and
94	89		are certified in computer science;
95	90		(2) one parent or person standing in parental relation
96	91		to a student enrolled in a public school;
97	92		(3) one person employed in the technology industry;
98	93		and
99	94		(4) one faculty member of an institution of higher
100	95		education.
101	96		(e) The governor shall designate a member of the advisory
102	97		committee as the presiding officer of the advisory committee to
103	98		serve in that capacity at the pleasure of the governor.
104	99		(f) The advisory committee may hold public meetings.
105	100		(g) Members of the advisory committee are not entitled to
106	101		compensation but are entitled to reimbursement for actual and
107	102		necessary expenses incurred in fulfilling committee duties.
108	103		(h) The agency shall appoint an agency employee to support
109	104		the advisory committee.
110	105		(i) Not later than January 1 of each odd-numbered year, the
111	106		advisory committee shall submit to the governor and the legislature
112	107		a report that includes recommended changes to state law, including
113	108		funding proposals and timelines for the implementation of the
114	109		recommended changes. The report shall include recommendations that
115	110		are intended to:
116	111		(1) increase the number of certified computer science
117	112		teachers;
118	113		(2) increase the number of public high schools
119	114		offering computer science courses;
120	115		(3) increase the number of high school students
121	116		enrolled in computer science courses;
122	117		(4) encourage the enrollment of diverse student
123	118		populations in computer science courses; and
124	119		(5) expand computer science learning opportunities,
125	120		including computer programming, computer coding, cybersecurity,
126	121		and computational thinking, in public schools.
127	122		SECTION 3. Section 5, Chapter 1149 (H.B. 2984), Acts of the
128	123		86th Legislature, Regular Session, 2019, is repealed.
129	124		SECTION 4. Not later than December 31, 2021, the
130	125		commissioner of education shall establish the grant program
131	126		required under Section 21.466, Education Code, as added by this
132	127		Act.
133	128		SECTION 5. As soon as practicable after the effective date
134	129		of this Act, the appropriate persons, as provided by Section
135	130		28.0181(c), Education Code, as added by this Act, shall appoint
136	131		members to the computer science strategic advisory committee.
137	132		SECTION 6. Not later than December 31, 2022, the State Board
138	133		of Education shall review and revise, as needed, the essential
139	134		knowledge and skills of the technology applications curriculum as
140	135		required by Section 28.002(c-3), Education Code, as added by
141	136		Chapter 1149 (H.B. 2984), Acts of the 86th Legislature, Regular
142	137		Session, 2019.
143	138		SECTION 7. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
144	139		a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
145	140		provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
146	141		Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
147	142		Act takes effect September 1, 2021.
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