Texas 2023 - 88th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB2478 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New	Differences
1	1	88R5149 KJE-D
2	2	By: Zaffirini S.B. No. 2478
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to a student mental health apprenticeship retention and
8	8	training (SMART) internship grant program.
9	9	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
10	10	SECTION 1. Chapter 61, Education Code, is amended by adding
11	11	Subchapter RR to read as follows:
12	12	SUBCHAPTER RR. STUDENT MENTAL HEALTH APPRENTICESHIP RETENTION AND
13	13	TRAINING (SMART) INTERNSHIP GRANT PROGRAM
14	14	Sec. 61.9991. DEFINITION. In this subchapter, "program"
15	15	means the student mental health apprenticeship retention and
16	16	training (SMART) internship grant program.
17	17	Sec. 61.9992. ESTABLISHMENT AND ADMINISTRATION OF PROGRAM.
18	18	The board shall establish and administer a student mental health
19	19	apprenticeship retention and training (SMART) internship grant
20	20	program to provide grants to:
21	21	(1) assist persons in obtaining certification or
22	22	licensure necessary for employment as certain school mental health
23	23	professionals; and
24	24	(2) facilitate the employment of those persons by a
25	25	public elementary or secondary school in this state.
26	26	Sec. 61.9993. INTERNSHIP GRANTS. To be eligible to receive
27	27	an internship grant under the program, a person must:
28	28	(1) apply to the board in the form and manner
29	29	prescribed by board rule;
30	30	(2) be enrolled at an institution of higher education
31	31	in a degree or certificate program leading to:
32	32	(A) certification as a school counselor under
33	33	Subchapter B, Chapter 21;
34	34	(B) a license in school psychology under Section
35	35	501.260, Occupations Code; or
36	36	(C) a social worker license under Chapter 505,
37	37	Occupations Code;
38	38	(3) be accepted into an internship program for school
39	39	counseling, school psychology, or social work, as applicable, at a
40	40	public primary or secondary school in this state at which at least
41	41	50 percent of enrolled students are educationally disadvantaged, as
42	42	defined by Section 5.001;
43	43	(4) enter into an agreement with the board as provided
44	44	by Section 61.9994; and
45	45	(5) satisfy any other criteria prescribed by the
46	46	board.
47	47	Sec. 61.9994. AGREEMENT FOR INTERNSHIP PARTICIPANTS. To
48	48	qualify for an internship grant under the program, a person must
49	49	enter into a written agreement with the board as provided by this
50	50	section. The agreement must require the person to:
51	51	(1) obtain, within the period prescribed by board
52	52	rule, certification or licensure described by Section 61.9993(2),
53	53	as applicable;
54	54	(2) accept, during the first school year that begins
55	55	after the date the person becomes certified or licensed as provided
56	56	by Subdivision (1), an offer of full-time employment in the
57	57	applicable profession in a public elementary or secondary school in
58	58	this state; and
59	59	(3) be employed in the applicable profession at a
60	60	public elementary or secondary school in this state for at least
61	61	three school years.
62	62	Sec. 61.9995. INTERNSHIP GRANT AWARDS. (a) The board shall
63	63	award an internship grant to each eligible person in an amount equal
64	64	to $25 per hour for each hour spent interning in an internship
65	65	program described by Section 61.9993(3), not to exceed a total of
66	66	$15,000.
67	67	(b) The board may award to a person receiving an internship
68	68	grant under the program an additional grant for student loan
69	69	repayment assistance if the board determines that extenuating
70	70	circumstances justify the assistance.
71	71	Sec. 61.9996. REIMBURSEMENT; EXCEPTIONS. (a) An
72	72	internship grant program participant who fails to meet the
73	73	requirements of Section 61.9994 shall reimburse the board for the
74	74	amount of any grants received by the participant under the program.
75	75	(b) The board by rule shall establish exceptions to the
76	76	reimbursement requirement under this section for participants who
77	77	are unable to meet the requirements of Section 61.9994 as a result
78	78	of an unusual hardship.
79	79	Sec. 61.9997. SUPERVISOR GRANTS. The board shall award a
80	80	grant to each person who supervises an internship grant program
81	81	participant in an internship program described by Section
82	82	61.9993(3) in an amount equal to $250 per participant supervised.
83	83	Sec. 61.9998. REPORT. Not later than September 1 of each
84	84	even-numbered year, the board shall submit to the legislature a
85	85	report on the program. The report must include an analysis of the
86	86	effectiveness of the program and any recommendations for
87	87	legislative or other action.
88	88	Sec. 61.9999. RULES. The board shall adopt rules necessary
89	89	for the administration of this subchapter.
90	90	SECTION 2. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board
91	91	shall adopt rules for the administration of Subchapter RR, Chapter
92	92	61, Education Code, as added by this Act, as soon as practicable
93	93	after this Act takes effect.
94	94	SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
95	95	a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
96	96	provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
97	97	Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
98	98	Act takes effect September 1, 2023.