Texas 2025 - 89th Regular

Texas House Bill HB5175 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	89R14629 ANG-F
2	2	By: Bernal H.B. No. 5175
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7	7	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
8	8	AN ACT
9	9	relating to the employment of classroom teachers in public schools
10	10	and the waiver or payment of certain educator examination and
11	11	certification fees.
12	12	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
13	13	SECTION 1. Section 12A.004(a), Education Code, is amended
14	14	to read as follows:
15	15	(a) A local innovation plan may not provide for the
16	16	exemption of a district designated as a district of innovation from
17	17	the following provisions of this title:
18	18	(1) a state or federal requirement applicable to an
19	19	open-enrollment charter school operating under Subchapter D,
20	20	Chapter 12;
21	21	(2) Subchapters A, C, D, and E, Chapter 11, except that
22	22	a district may be exempt from Sections 11.1511(b)(5) and (14) and
23	23	Section 11.162;
24	24	(3) the employment of uncertified classroom teachers
25	25	under Section 21.0032;
26	26	(4) state curriculum and graduation requirements
27	27	adopted under Chapter 28; and
28	28	(5) [(4)] academic and financial accountability and
29	29	sanctions under Chapters 39 and 39A.
30	30	SECTION 2. Section 21.001, Education Code, is amended by
31	31	adding Subdivision (3-b) to read as follows:
32	32	(3-b) "Teacher of record" means a person employed by a
33	33	school district who teaches the majority of the instructional day
34	34	in an academic instructional setting and is responsible for
35	35	evaluating student achievement and assigning grades.
36	36	SECTION 3. Subchapter A, Chapter 21, Education Code, is
37	37	amended by adding Section 21.0032 to read as follows:
38	38	Sec. 21.0032. EMPLOYMENT OF UNCERTIFIED CLASSROOM
39	39	TEACHERS. (a) A school district may not employ as a classroom
40	40	teacher for a course in the foundation curriculum under Section
41	41	28.002 a person who does not hold an appropriate certificate or
42	42	permit issued by the State Board for Educator Certification under
43	43	Subchapter B.
44	44	(b) Notwithstanding Subsection (a), for the 2026-2027
45	45	school year, a school district may employ as a teacher of record for
46	46	a course other than a reading language arts or mathematics course in
47	47	a grade level above grade five a person who does not hold an
48	48	appropriate certificate or permit issued by the State Board for
49	49	Educator Certification under Subchapter B.
50	50	(c) From money appropriated or otherwise available for the
51	51	purpose, the agency shall provide to each school district a
52	52	one-time payment of $1,000 for each classroom teacher employed by
53	53	the district who:
54	54	(1) was hired for the 2022-2023 or 2023-2024 school
55	55	year as a first-year teacher;
56	56	(2) was uncertified on January 1, 2025;
57	57	(3) earned a standard certificate under Subchapter B
58	58	by the end of the 2025-2026 school year; and
59	59	(4) was continuously employed by the district since
60	60	the school year described by Subdivision (1).
61	61	(d) This subsection and Subsections (b) and (c) expire
62	62	September 1, 2027.
63	63	SECTION 4. Subchapter A, Chapter 21, Education Code, is
64	64	amended by adding Section 21.010 to read as follows:
65	65	Sec. 21.010. TEACHER POSITION DATA COLLECTION. The agency
66	66	shall collect data from school districts and open-enrollment
67	67	charter schools for the recruitment and retention of classroom
68	68	teachers, including the classification, grade level, subject area,
69	69	duration, and other relevant information regarding vacant teaching
70	70	positions in a district or school. The data may be collected using
71	71	the Public Education Information Management System (PEIMS) or
72	72	another reporting mechanism specified by the agency.
73	73	SECTION 5. Subchapter B, Chapter 21, Education Code, is
74	74	amended by adding Section 21.0411 to read as follows:
75	75	Sec. 21.0411. WAIVER OR PAYMENT OF CERTAIN EXAMINATION AND
76	76	CERTIFICATION FEES. (a) Notwithstanding a rule adopted under
77	77	Section 21.041(c), the board shall, for a person applying for a
78	78	certification in special education, bilingual education, or
79	79	another area specified by the General Appropriations Act, waive:
80	80	(1) a certification examination fee imposed by the
81	81	board for the first administration of the examination to the
82	82	person; and
83	83	(2) a fee associated with the application for
84	84	certification by the person.
85	85	(b) The board shall pay to a vendor that administers a
86	86	certification examination described by Subsection (a) a fee
87	87	assessed by that vendor for the examination of a person applying for
88	88	a certification described by Subsection (a) for the first
89	89	administration of the examination to the person.
90	90	SECTION 6. (a) Except as provided by Subsection (b) of this
91	91	section, this Act applies beginning with the 2025-2026 school year.
92	92	(b) Section 21.0032, Education Code, as added by this Act,
93	93	applies beginning with the 2026-2027 school year.
94	94	SECTION 7. 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, 2025.