Texas 2023 - 88th Regular

Texas House Bill HB4322 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New	Differences
1	1	88R14244 DIO-F
2	2	By: Dutton H.B. No. 4322
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to the establishment of a STEM and computer science
8	8	strategic advisory committee.
9	9	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
10	10	SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 28, Education Code, is
11	11	amended by adding Section 28.0181 to read as follows:
12	12	Sec. 28.0181. STEM AND COMPUTER SCIENCE STRATEGIC ADVISORY
13	13	COMMITTEE. (a) In this section:
14	14	(1) "Advisory committee" means the STEM and computer
15	15	science strategic advisory committee established under this
16	16	section.
17	17	(2) "STEM" means science, technology, engineering,
18	18	and mathematics.
19	19	(b) The agency shall establish the STEM and computer science
20	20	strategic advisory committee as a permanent advisory committee to
21	21	the agency to:
22	22	(1) develop and provide recommendations for
23	23	increasing STEM and computer science instruction and participation
24	24	in public schools; and
25	25	(2) facilitate stronger connections to workforce
26	26	development opportunities.
27	27	(c) The advisory committee is composed of at least 11
28	28	members. The members must include:
29	29	(1) two members appointed by the governor;
30	30	(2) two members appointed by the lieutenant governor;
31	31	(3) two members appointed by the speaker of the house
32	32	of representatives;
33	33	(4) one member appointed by the chair of the senate
34	34	committee with primary jurisdiction over primary and secondary
35	35	education;
36	36	(5) one member appointed by the chair of the senate
37	37	committee with primary jurisdiction over higher education;
38	38	(6) one member appointed by the chair of the house of
39	39	representatives committee with primary jurisdiction over primary
40	40	and secondary education;
41	41	(7) one member appointed by the chair of the house of
42	42	representatives committee with primary jurisdiction over higher
43	43	education;
44	44	(8) one member appointed by the chair of the State
45	45	Board of Education; and
46	46	(9) any other members added by the advisory committee
47	47	in a manner determined by the committee in the committee's
48	48	discretion.
49	49	(d) In appointing members to the advisory committee, the
50	50	governor, lieutenant governor, and speaker of the house of
51	51	representatives shall coordinate appointments to ensure that the
52	52	six individuals appointed to the advisory committee collectively by
53	53	those officers include:
54	54	(1) two educators who teach in a public school and are
55	55	certified in a subject related to STEM or computer science;
56	56	(2) one parent or person standing in parental relation
57	57	to a student enrolled in a public school;
58	58	(3) two individuals employed by an employer in the
59	59	STEM or computer science industry with at least one location in this
60	60	state; and
61	61	(4) one faculty member of an institution of higher
62	62	education.
63	63	(e) The governor shall designate a member of the advisory
64	64	committee as the presiding officer of the advisory committee to
65	65	serve in that capacity at the pleasure of the governor.
66	66	(f) The advisory committee may hold public meetings.
67	67	(g) Members of the advisory committee are not entitled to
68	68	compensation but are entitled to reimbursement for actual and
69	69	necessary expenses incurred in fulfilling committee duties.
70	70	(h) The agency shall appoint an agency employee to support
71	71	the advisory committee.
72	72	(i) Not later than January 1 of each odd-numbered year, the
73	73	advisory committee shall submit to the governor and the legislature
74	74	a report that includes recommended changes to state law, including
75	75	funding proposals and timelines for the implementation of the
76	76	recommended changes. The report shall include recommendations that
77	77	are intended to:
78	78	(1) increase the number of teachers certified in a
79	79	STEM-related field and teachers certified in computer science;
80	80	(2) increase the number of public high schools
81	81	offering STEM and computer science courses;
82	82	(3) increase the number of high school students
83	83	enrolled in STEM and computer science courses;
84	84	(4) encourage the enrollment of diverse student
85	85	populations in STEM and computer science courses; and
86	86	(5) expand STEM and computer science learning
87	87	opportunities, including computer programming, computer coding,
88	88	cybersecurity, and computational thinking, in public schools.
89	89	SECTION 2. Section 5, Chapter 1149 (H.B. 2984), Acts of the
90	90	86th Legislature, Regular Session, 2019, is repealed.
91	91	SECTION 3. As soon as practicable after the effective date
92	92	of this Act, the appropriate persons, as provided by Section
93	93	28.0181(c), Education Code, as added by this Act, shall appoint
94	94	members to the STEM and computer science strategic advisory
95	95	committee.
96	96	SECTION 4. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
97	97	a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
98	98	provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
99	99	Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
100	100	Act takes effect September 1, 2023.