| 1 | 1 | | By: Hughes S.B. No. 588 |
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| 2 | 2 | | (In the Senate - Filed January 24, 2023; February 17, 2023, |
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| 3 | 3 | | read first time and referred to Committee on Education; |
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| 4 | 4 | | April 24, 2023, reported adversely, with favorable Committee |
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| 5 | 5 | | Substitute by the following vote: Yeas 11, Nays 0, one present not |
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| 6 | 6 | | voting; April 24, 2023, sent to printer.) |
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| 7 | 7 | | Click here to see the committee vote |
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| 8 | 8 | | COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 588 By: Bettencourt |
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| 9 | 9 | | |
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| 10 | 10 | | |
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| 11 | 11 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 12 | 12 | | AN ACT |
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| 13 | 13 | | relating to creating a temporary educator certification for certain |
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| 14 | 14 | | military service members and first responders. |
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| 15 | 15 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 16 | 16 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 21, Education Code, is |
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| 17 | 17 | | amended by adding Section 21.0444 to read as follows: |
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| 18 | 18 | | Sec. 21.0444. TEMPORARY CERTIFICATION FOR CERTAIN MILITARY |
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| 19 | 19 | | SERVICE MEMBERS AND FIRST RESPONDERS. (a) In this section, "first |
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| 20 | 20 | | responder" means a person elected, employed, or appointed as: |
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| 21 | 21 | | (1) a peace officer as defined by Article 2.12, Code of |
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| 22 | 22 | | Criminal Procedure; |
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| 23 | 23 | | (2) fire protection personnel as defined by Section |
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| 24 | 24 | | 419.021, Government Code; or |
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| 25 | 25 | | (3) emergency medical services personnel as defined by |
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| 26 | 26 | | Section 773.003, Health and Safety Code. |
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| 27 | 27 | | (b) This section applies to a person seeking certification |
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| 28 | 28 | | who: |
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| 29 | 29 | | (1) has served in the armed forces of the United States |
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| 30 | 30 | | and was honorably discharged, retired, or released from active |
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| 31 | 31 | | duty; or |
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| 32 | 32 | | (2) has served as a first responder and, while in good |
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| 33 | 33 | | standing and not because of pending or final disciplinary actions |
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| 34 | 34 | | or a documented performance problem, retired, resigned, or |
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| 35 | 35 | | separated from employment as a first responder. |
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| 36 | 36 | | (c) The board shall propose rules under this subchapter |
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| 37 | 37 | | providing for the issuance of a temporary certificate to a person |
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| 38 | 38 | | described by Subsection (b) who meets all other eligibility |
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| 39 | 39 | | requirements for standard certification, except that the person may |
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| 40 | 40 | | substitute for a requirement that the person hold: |
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| 41 | 41 | | (1) an associate degree from an accredited institution |
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| 42 | 42 | | of higher education, 48 months of active duty military service or |
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| 43 | 43 | | service as a first responder; or |
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| 44 | 44 | | (2) a bachelor's degree: |
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| 45 | 45 | | (A) the military service or service as a first |
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| 46 | 46 | | responder described by Subdivision (1); and |
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| 47 | 47 | | (B) 60 semester credit hours completed at a |
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| 48 | 48 | | public or private institution of higher education with a minimum |
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| 49 | 49 | | grade point average of at least 2.50 on a four-point scale. |
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| 50 | 50 | | (d) Rules proposed by the board for a temporary certificate |
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| 51 | 51 | | issued under this section must provide that the certificate is: |
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| 52 | 52 | | (1) valid for no more three years; |
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| 53 | 53 | | (2) limited to a one-time issuance; and |
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| 54 | 54 | | (3) not subject to renewal. |
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| 55 | 55 | | (e) A person issued a temporary certificate under this |
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| 56 | 56 | | section may be issued a standard certificate if the person |
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| 57 | 57 | | completes all eligibility requirements required for that |
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| 58 | 58 | | certification. |
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| 59 | 59 | | (f) A school district shall require a new employee who holds |
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| 60 | 60 | | a temporary certificate issued under this section to obtain at |
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| 61 | 61 | | least 20 hours of classroom management training, unless the new |
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| 62 | 62 | | employee has documented experience as an instructor or trainer |
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| 63 | 63 | | during the employee's required 48 months of active duty military |
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| 64 | 64 | | service or service as a first responder. |
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| 65 | 65 | | SECTION 2. Section 21.458, Education Code, is amended by |
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| 66 | 66 | | amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsection (a-2) to read as |
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| 67 | 67 | | follows: |
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| 68 | 68 | | (a) Except as provided by Subsection (a-2), each [Each] |
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| 69 | 69 | | school district may assign a mentor teacher to each classroom |
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| 70 | 70 | | teacher who has less than two years of teaching experience in the |
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| 71 | 71 | | subject or grade level to which the teacher is assigned. A teacher |
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| 72 | 72 | | assigned as a mentor must: |
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| 73 | 73 | | (1) to the extent practicable, teach in the same |
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| 74 | 74 | | school; |
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| 75 | 75 | | (2) to the extent practicable, teach the same subject |
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| 76 | 76 | | or grade level, as applicable; and |
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| 77 | 77 | | (3) meet the qualifications prescribed by |
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| 78 | 78 | | commissioner rules adopted under Subsection (b). |
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| 79 | 79 | | (a-2) A school district shall assign a mentor teacher to a |
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| 80 | 80 | | classroom teacher who has been issued a temporary certificate under |
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| 81 | 81 | | Section 21.0444 for at least two school years. |
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| 82 | 82 | | SECTION 3. As soon as practicable after the effective date |
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| 83 | 83 | | of this Act, the State Board for Educator Certification shall |
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| 84 | 84 | | propose rules relating to temporary educator certificates for |
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| 85 | 85 | | certain military service members and first responders as required |
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| 86 | 86 | | by Section 21.0444, Education Code, as added by this Act. |
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| 87 | 87 | | SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |
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| 88 | 88 | | * * * * * |
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