| 1 | 1 | | 89R9901 CMO-D |
|---|
| 2 | 2 | | By: Perez of El Paso H.B. No. 2850 |
|---|
| 3 | 3 | | |
|---|
| 4 | 4 | | |
|---|
| 5 | 5 | | |
|---|
| 6 | 6 | | |
|---|
| 7 | 7 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
|---|
| 8 | 8 | | AN ACT |
|---|
| 9 | 9 | | relating to financial incentives for public school teachers who |
|---|
| 10 | 10 | | commit to teach a dual credit course. |
|---|
| 11 | 11 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|---|
| 12 | 12 | | SECTION 1. Chapter 61, Education Code, is amended by adding |
|---|
| 13 | 13 | | Subchapter QQ to read as follows: |
|---|
| 14 | 14 | | SUBCHAPTER QQ. FINANCIAL INCENTIVE PROGRAM FOR DUAL CREDIT COURSE |
|---|
| 15 | 15 | | TEACHERS |
|---|
| 16 | 16 | | Sec. 61.9981. ESTABLISHMENT AND ADMINISTRATION OF PROGRAM. |
|---|
| 17 | 17 | | The board shall establish a program to provide tuition assistance |
|---|
| 18 | 18 | | to assist teachers in obtaining a master's degree required to teach |
|---|
| 19 | 19 | | a dual credit course. |
|---|
| 20 | 20 | | Sec. 61.9982. ELIGIBILITY. To be eligible to receive |
|---|
| 21 | 21 | | tuition assistance under this subchapter, a person must: |
|---|
| 22 | 22 | | (1) apply to the board in the form and manner |
|---|
| 23 | 23 | | prescribed by board rule; |
|---|
| 24 | 24 | | (2) be enrolled in a master's degree program at an |
|---|
| 25 | 25 | | institution of higher education; |
|---|
| 26 | 26 | | (3) hold a certificate issued under Subchapter B, |
|---|
| 27 | 27 | | Chapter 21; |
|---|
| 28 | 28 | | (4) enter into an agreement with the board as provided |
|---|
| 29 | 29 | | by Section 61.9983; and |
|---|
| 30 | 30 | | (5) at the time of application for tuition assistance: |
|---|
| 31 | 31 | | (A) have been employed full time for at least one |
|---|
| 32 | 32 | | year by a public school in this state; and |
|---|
| 33 | 33 | | (B) currently be employed full time by a public |
|---|
| 34 | 34 | | school in this state. |
|---|
| 35 | 35 | | Sec. 61.9983. AGREEMENT. To qualify for tuition assistance |
|---|
| 36 | 36 | | under this subchapter, a person must enter into a written agreement |
|---|
| 37 | 37 | | with the board as provided by this section. The agreement must |
|---|
| 38 | 38 | | require the person to: |
|---|
| 39 | 39 | | (1) obtain, within the period prescribed by board |
|---|
| 40 | 40 | | rule, a master's degree required to teach a dual credit course; and |
|---|
| 41 | 41 | | (2) teach a dual credit course in a public school in |
|---|
| 42 | 42 | | this state for the next five school years. |
|---|
| 43 | 43 | | Sec. 61.9984. TUITION ASSISTANCE. (a) The board by rule |
|---|
| 44 | 44 | | shall establish the amount of tuition assistance that may be |
|---|
| 45 | 45 | | awarded to each participant in the program. |
|---|
| 46 | 46 | | (b) The board shall deliver any tuition assistance awarded |
|---|
| 47 | 47 | | under this subchapter directly to an institution of higher |
|---|
| 48 | 48 | | education on the participant's behalf. |
|---|
| 49 | 49 | | Sec. 61.9985. REIMBURSEMENT; EXCEPTIONS. (a) A program |
|---|
| 50 | 50 | | participant who fails to meet the requirements of Section 61.9983 |
|---|
| 51 | 51 | | shall reimburse the board for the amount of any tuition assistance |
|---|
| 52 | 52 | | received by the participant under this subchapter. |
|---|
| 53 | 53 | | (b) The board shall grant a participant, in the event of a |
|---|
| 54 | 54 | | hardship or for other good cause shown, a one-year grace period to |
|---|
| 55 | 55 | | meet the requirements of Section 61.9983 before requiring the |
|---|
| 56 | 56 | | participant to reimburse the board under Subsection (a). |
|---|
| 57 | 57 | | Sec. 61.9986. GIFTS, GRANTS, AND DONATIONS. In addition to |
|---|
| 58 | 58 | | using money appropriated by the legislature for this purpose, the |
|---|
| 59 | 59 | | board may solicit and accept gifts, grants, and donations for the |
|---|
| 60 | 60 | | purposes of this subchapter. |
|---|
| 61 | 61 | | Sec. 61.9987. RULES. The board shall adopt rules necessary |
|---|
| 62 | 62 | | for the administration of this subchapter, including a rule that |
|---|
| 63 | 63 | | sets the maximum amount of tuition assistance a person may receive |
|---|
| 64 | 64 | | under this subchapter. |
|---|
| 65 | 65 | | SECTION 2. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board |
|---|
| 66 | 66 | | shall adopt rules for the administration of Subchapter QQ, Chapter |
|---|
| 67 | 67 | | 61, Education Code, as added by this Act, as soon as practicable |
|---|
| 68 | 68 | | after this Act takes effect. |
|---|
| 69 | 69 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
|---|
| 70 | 70 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
|---|
| 71 | 71 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
|---|
| 72 | 72 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
|---|
| 73 | 73 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |
|---|