By: Menéndez S.B. No. 657
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the establishment of the Texas Teacher Recruitment
Scholarship Program and the Texas Teacher Retention Incentive
Program.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Chapter 61, Education Code, is amended by adding
Subchapter QQ to read as follows:
SUBCHAPTER QQ. TEXAS TEACHER RECRUITMENT SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM
Sec. 61.9970. SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM; SCHOLARSHIP AMOUNT.
(a) The board shall establish and administer, in accordance with
this subchapter and board rules, the Texas Teacher Recruitment
Scholarship Program under which the board provides an annual
conditional scholarship to a student who meets the eligibility
criteria prescribed by Section 61.9972 and is nominated to received
a scholarship.
(b) The amount of a scholarship under this subchapter is the
lesser of:
(1) $40,000 to be disbursed at a rate of $10,000 per
academic year for four academic years; or
(2) the amount equivalent to tuition and fees for an
academic year for four academic years.
(c) If a student nominated to receive a scholarship under
this subchapter is awarded a baccalaureate degree prior to
receiving the scholarship in its entirety, any remaining
scholarship shall be used to repay any outstanding student loans.
Sec. 61.9971. REPAYMENT ASSISTANCE AUTHORIZED. The board
shall provide in accordance with this subchapter and board rules,
assistance in the repayment of student loans for certified teachers
who are entitled to assistance under Section 61.9970 (c).
Sec. 61.9972. ELIGIBILITY; NOMINATION AND SELECTION. (a)
To receive an initial scholarship under this subchapter, a student
must:
(1) be enrolled in a public or private institution of
higher education in this state;
(2) enroll in a university sponsored teacher
preparation program;
(3) be nominated to receive a scholarship by the
university in which the student is enrolled; and
(4) enter into an agreement with the board under
Section 61.9973.
(b) In each year, the number of new students awarded a
scholarship shall not exceed 2 percent of the current teacher
workforce as reported by the Texas Education Agency.
(c) For a student to continue to receive a scholarship
awarded under this subchapter, the student must maintain
satisfactory academic progress as determined by the institution in
which the student is enrolled.
Sec. 61.9973. AGREEMENT REQUIREMENTS. (a) To receive a
scholarship under this subchapter, a student must enter into an
agreement with the board as provided by this section. The agreement
must require the student to:
(1) complete a university sponsored teacher
preparation program;
(2) satisfactorily complete the requirements
necessary to obtain a teacher certification;
(3) graduate not later than five years after the date
the student first enrolls in a public or private institution of
higher education in this state;
(4) after graduation, enter into a contract with a
school district or open-enrollment charter school to serve as a
teacher for four years; and
(5) agree to repay the scholarship if the student:
(A) fails to maintain satisfactory academic
progress;
(B) withdraws from the scholarship program; or
(C) fails to fulfill a commitment described by
Subdivision (4).
(b) The board shall adopt rules to exempt a student from the
repayment of a scholarship under an agreement entered into under
this section if the student is unable to meet the obligations of the
agreement as a result of extraordinary circumstances.
Sec. 61.9974. RULES. (a) The board shall adopt rules as
necessary for the administration of this subchapter, including
rules regarding the eligibility criteria and the selection of
scholarship recipients.
Sec. 61.9975. LIMITATION ON SCHOLARSHIP. A person may not
receive a scholarship under this subchapter after earning a
cumulative total of 150 credit hours or after being awarded a
baccalaureate degree, whichever occurs first.
Sec. 61.9976. FUNDING. The board shall administer this
subchapter using available appropriations and gifts, grants, and
donations made for the purposes of this subchapter.
SECTION 2. Chapter 21, Education Code, is amended by adding
Subchapter R to read as follows:
SUBCHAPTER R. TEXAS TEACHER RETENTION INCENTIVE PROGRAM
Sec. 21.901. INITIAL ELIGIBILITY. A person is eligible for
this program if they are currently:
(1) a certified teacher employed by a school district
or open-enrollment charter school; and
(2) not eligible for designation under Section 48.112.
Sec. 21.902. CONTINUING ELIGIBILITY. After initially
qualifying for the incentive program under Section 21.901, a person
may continue to receive the award in subsequent years if:
(1) the individual is employed by the same school
district or open-enrollment charter school in which they were
nominated initially to receive the incentive;
(2) the individual continues to hold a teacher
certification in good standing with the Texas Education Agency; and
(3) the individual is not eligible for designation
under Section 48.112.
Sec. 21.903. AWARD. An eligible person is entitled to
receive an annual retention incentive of $10,000 for a period of
four years.
Sec. 21.904. NOMINATION. (a) A school district or
open-enrollment charter school shall determine which individuals
are eligible for nomination.
(b) an individual may not be nominated if:
(1) the have already been nominated at their current
or prior school district or open-enrollment charter school and the
current school district or open-enrollment charter school has
eligible individuals, under Section 21.901, who have not been
nominated; or
(2) they have received a scholarship under Chapter 61,
Subchapter QQ, and their current school district or open-enrollment
charter school has eligible individuals, under Section 21.901, who
have not been nominated.
(c) A school district or open-enrollment charter school
must nominate annually a number of teachers to receive the award
equal to 8 percent of the teacher workforce as reported by the Texas
Education Agency.
Sec. 21.905. AGREEMENT REQUIREMENTS. (a) To receive an
incentive under this subchapter, a teacher must enter into an
agreement with the agency as provided by this section. The
agreement must require the teacher to:
(1) be continuously employed by the same school
district or open-enrollment charter school for four years;
(2) hold a teacher certification in good standing with
the Texas Education Agency; and
(3) not receive a designation under Section 48.112;
(4) agree to repay the incentive if the teacher:
(A) withdraws from the scholarship program; or
(B) fails to fulfill a commitment described by
Subdivisions (1) and (2).
(b) The agency shall adopt rules to exempt a teacher from
the repayment of an incentive under an agreement entered into under
this section if the teacher is unable to meet the obligations of the
agreement as a result of extraordinary circumstances.
Sec. 21.906. FUNDING. The agency shall administer this
subchapter using available appropriations and gifts, grants, and
donations made for the purposes of this subchapter.
SECTION 3. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board
shall award scholarships under Subchapter QQ, Chapter 61, Education
Code, as added by this Act, beginning with the 2023-2024 academic
year. The coordinating board shall adopt the rules required by that
subchapter as soon as practicable after this Act takes effect.
SECTION 4. The Texas Education Agency shall award
incentives under Subchapter R, Chapter 21, Education Code, as added
by this Act, beginning with the 2023-2024 academic year. The agency
shall adopt the rules required by that subchapter as soon as
practicable after this Act takes effect.
SECTION 5. This Act does not make an appropriation. A
provision in this Act that creates a new governmental program,
creates a new entitlement, or imposes a new duty on a governmental
entity is not mandatory during a fiscal period for which the
legislature has not made a specific appropriation to implement the
provision.
SECTION 6. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house,
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
Act takes effect September 1, 2023.