Texas 2023 - 88th Regular

Texas House Bill HB2168 Compare Versions

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1	1	88R8910 CXP-D
2	2	By: Guerra H.B. No. 2168
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 SS, 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	SS, Chapter 61.
79	79	SECTION 3. Chapter 61, Education Code, is amended by adding
80	80	Subchapter SS to read as follows:
81	81	SUBCHAPTER SS. FINANCIAL INCENTIVE PROGRAM TO PREPARE TEACHERS IN
82	82	BILINGUAL EDUCATION, ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE, AND SPANISH
83	83	Sec. 61.99991. ESTABLISHMENT AND ADMINISTRATION OF
84	84	PROGRAM. (a) The board shall establish a program to provide
85	85	financial incentives such as tuition assistance or student loan
86	86	repayment to:
87	87	(1) assist persons in obtaining certification to teach
88	88	bilingual education, English as a second language, or Spanish in a
89	89	public elementary or secondary school in this state; and
90	90	(2) facilitate the employment of those persons by a
91	91	public elementary or secondary school in this state that has a
92	92	shortage of teachers certified to teach in those fields.
93	93	(b) In administering the program, the board shall give
94	94	priority to awarding financial incentives to those eligible persons
95	95	who demonstrate the greatest financial need.
96	96	Sec. 61.99992. ELIGIBILITY. To be eligible to receive
97	97	financial incentives under this subchapter, a person must:
98	98	(1) apply to the board in the form and manner
99	99	prescribed by board rule;
100	100	(2) be admitted into an educator preparation program
101	101	at an institution of higher education or at a private or independent
102	102	institution of higher education that prepares students for
103	103	certification to teach bilingual education, English as a second
104	104	language, or Spanish;
105	105	(3) enter into an agreement with the board as provided
106	106	by Section 61.99993; and
107	107	(4) satisfy any other criteria jointly prescribed by
108	108	the board and the State Board for Educator Certification.
109	109	Sec. 61.99993. AGREEMENT. To qualify for financial
110	110	incentives under this subchapter, a person must enter into a
111	111	written agreement with the board as provided by this section. The
112	112	agreement must require the person to:
113	113	(1) obtain, within the period prescribed by board
114	114	rule, certification to teach bilingual education, English as a
115	115	second language, or Spanish in a public elementary or secondary
116	116	school in this state;
117	117	(2) accept, during the first school year that begins
118	118	after the date the person becomes certified as provided by
119	119	Subdivision (1), an offer of full-time employment to teach
120	120	bilingual education, English as a second language, or Spanish in a
121	121	public elementary or secondary school in this state that has a
122	122	shortage of teachers certified to teach in one or more of those
123	123	fields; and
124	124	(3) teach bilingual education, English as a second
125	125	language, or Spanish at that school for at least two school years.
126	126	Sec. 61.99994. FINANCIAL INCENTIVES. The board shall award
127	127	financial incentives such as tuition assistance or student loan
128	128	repayment to each participant in the program to assist with the cost
129	129	of payment of mandatory tuition and fees for courses required to
130	130	obtain certification to teach bilingual education, English as a
131	131	second language, or Spanish.
132	132	Sec. 61.99995. REIMBURSEMENT; EXCEPTIONS. (a) A program
133	133	participant who fails to meet the requirements of Section 61.99993
134	134	shall reimburse the board for the amount of any assistance received
135	135	by the participant under this subchapter.
136	136	(b) The board by rule shall establish exceptions to the
137	137	reimbursement requirement under this section for participants who
138	138	are unable to meet the requirements of Section 61.99993 as a result
139	139	of an unusual hardship.
140	140	Sec. 61.99996. GIFTS, GRANTS, AND DONATIONS. In addition
141	141	to money appropriated by the legislature, the board may solicit and
142	142	accept gifts, grants, and donations for the purposes of this
143	143	subchapter.
144	144	Sec. 61.99997. RULES. The board shall adopt rules
145	145	necessary for the administration of this subchapter, including a
146	146	rule that sets the maximum amount of financial assistance that a
147	147	person may receive under this subchapter in one year.
148	148	SECTION 4. The Texas Education Agency shall develop the
149	149	program of study for use in a school district's career and
150	150	technology education program to teach bilingual education, English
151	151	as a second language, or Spanish as required by Section 29.1831,
152	152	Education Code, as added by this Act, beginning not later than the
153	153	2024-2025 school year.
154	154	SECTION 5. Section 33.007(b), Education Code, as amended by
155	155	this Act, applies beginning with the 2024-2025 school year.
156	156	SECTION 6. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board
157	157	shall adopt rules for the administration of Subchapter SS, Chapter
158	158	61, Education Code, as added by this Act, as soon as practicable
159	159	after this Act takes effect.
160	160	SECTION 7. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
161	161	a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
162	162	provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
163	163	Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
164	164	Act takes effect September 1, 2023.