Texas 2023 - 88th Regular

Texas House Bill HB621 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New	Differences
1	1	H.B. No. 621
2	2
3	3
4	4	AN ACT
5	5	relating to creating a temporary certification to teach career and
6	6	technology education for certain military service members and first
7	7	responders.
8	8	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
9	9	SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 21, Education Code, is
10	10	amended by adding Section 21.0444 to read as follows:
11	11	Sec. 21.0444. TEMPORARY CERTIFICATION FOR CERTAIN MILITARY
12	12	SERVICE MEMBERS AND FIRST RESPONDERS. (a) In this section, "first
13	13	responder" means a person elected, employed, or appointed as:
14	14	(1) a peace officer as defined by Article 2.12, Code of
15	15	Criminal Procedure;
16	16	(2) fire protection personnel as defined by Section
17	17	419.021, Government Code; or
18	18	(3) emergency medical services personnel as defined by
19	19	Section 773.003, Health and Safety Code.
20	20	(b) This section applies to a person seeking certification
21	21	to teach career and technology education who:
22	22	(1) has served in the armed forces of the United States
23	23	and was honorably discharged, retired, or released from active
24	24	duty; or
25	25	(2) has served as a first responder and, while in good
26	26	standing and not because of pending or final disciplinary actions
27	27	or a documented performance problem, retired, resigned, or
28	28	separated from employment as a first responder.
29	29	(c) The board shall propose rules under this subchapter
30	30	providing for the issuance of a temporary certificate to teach
31	31	career and technology education to a person described by Subsection
32	32	(b) who meets all other eligibility requirements for standard
33	33	certification to teach career and technology education, except that
34	34	the person may substitute for a requirement that the person hold:
35	35	(1) an associate degree from an accredited institution
36	36	of higher education, 48 months of active duty military service or
37	37	service as a first responder; or
38	38	(2) a bachelor's degree:
39	39	(A) the military service or service as a first
40	40	responder described by Subdivision (1); and
41	41	(B) 60 semester credit hours completed at a
42	42	public or private institution of higher education with a minimum
43	43	grade point average of at least 2.50 on a four-point scale.
44	44	(d) Rules proposed by the board for a temporary certificate
45	45	issued under this section must provide that the certificate is:
46	46	(1) valid for no more than three years;
47	47	(2) limited to a one-time issuance; and
48	48	(3) not subject to renewal.
49	49	(e) A person issued a temporary certificate under this
50	50	section may be issued a standard certificate if the person
51	51	completes all eligibility requirements required for that
52	52	certification.
53	53	(f) A school district shall require a new employee who holds
54	54	a temporary certificate issued under this section to obtain at
55	55	least 20 hours of classroom management training, unless the new
56	56	employee has documented experience as an instructor or trainer
57	57	during the employee's required 48 months of active duty military
58	58	service or service as a first responder.
59	59	SECTION 2. Section 21.458, Education Code, is amended by
60	60	amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsection (a-2) to read as
61	61	follows:
62	62	(a) Except as provided by Subsection (a-2), each [Each]
63	63	school district may assign a mentor teacher to each classroom
64	64	teacher who has less than two years of teaching experience in the
65	65	subject or grade level to which the teacher is assigned. A teacher
66	66	assigned as a mentor must:
67	67	(1) to the extent practicable, teach in the same
68	68	school;
69	69	(2) to the extent practicable, teach the same subject
70	70	or grade level, as applicable; and
71	71	(3) meet the qualifications prescribed by
72	72	commissioner rules adopted under Subsection (b).
73	73	(a-2) A school district shall assign a mentor teacher to a
74	74	classroom teacher who has been issued a temporary certificate to
75	75	teach career and technology education under Section 21.0444 for at
76	76	least two school years.
77	77	SECTION 3. As soon as practicable after the effective date
78	78	of this Act, the State Board for Educator Certification shall
79	79	propose rules relating to temporary certificates to teach career
80	80	and technology education for certain military service members and
81	81	first responders as required by Section 21.0444, Education Code, as
82	82	added by this Act.
83	83	SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023.
84	84	______________________________ ______________________________
85	85	President of the Senate Speaker of the House
86	86	I certify that H.B. No. 621 was passed by the House on May 2,
87	87	2023, by the following vote: Yeas 107, Nays 34, 2 present, not
88	88	voting; that the House refused to concur in Senate amendments to
89	89	H.B. No. 621 on May 23, 2023, and requested the appointment of a
90	90	conference committee to consider the differences between the two
91	91	houses; and that the House adopted the conference committee report
92	92	on H.B. No. 621 on May 28, 2023, by the following vote: Yeas 113,
93	93	Nays 25, 2 present, not voting.
94	94	______________________________
95	95	Chief Clerk of the House
96	96	I certify that H.B. No. 621 was passed by the Senate, with
97	97	amendments, on May 16, 2023, by the following vote: Yeas 23, Nays
98	98	8; at the request of the House, the Senate appointed a conference
99	99	committee to consider the differences between the two houses; and
100	100	that the Senate adopted the conference committee report on H.B. No.
101	101	621 on May 28, 2023, by the following vote: Yeas 23, Nays 8.
102	102	______________________________
103	103	Secretary of the Senate
104	104	APPROVED: __________________
105	105	Date
106	106	__________________
107	107	Governor