| 1 | 1 | | 89R13669 BCH-F |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: West S.B. No. 1852 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | |
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| 6 | 6 | | |
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| 7 | 7 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 8 | 8 | | AN ACT |
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| 9 | 9 | | relating to the accreditation of automotive technology courses |
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| 10 | 10 | | offered by public schools. |
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| 11 | 11 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 12 | 12 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter F, Chapter 29, Education Code, is |
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| 13 | 13 | | amended by adding Section 29.195 to read as follows: |
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| 14 | 14 | | Sec. 29.195. ACCREDITATION OF AUTOMOTIVE TECHNOLOGY COURSE |
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| 15 | 15 | | REQUIRED. (a) In this section, "institute" means the National |
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| 16 | 16 | | Institute for Automotive Service Excellence. |
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| 17 | 17 | | (b) A school district or open-enrollment charter school |
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| 18 | 18 | | that offers to students a course related to automotive technology |
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| 19 | 19 | | shall ensure that the course is accredited by the institute. |
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| 20 | 20 | | (c) A school district or open-enrollment charter school |
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| 21 | 21 | | shall: |
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| 22 | 22 | | (1) submit through the agency an application for |
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| 23 | 23 | | institute accreditation; and |
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| 24 | 24 | | (2) comply with all applicable procedural guidelines |
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| 25 | 25 | | established by the agency or the institute. |
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| 26 | 26 | | (d) From funds appropriated or otherwise available, the |
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| 27 | 27 | | agency shall support school districts and open-enrollment charter |
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| 28 | 28 | | schools to attain institute accreditation by paying the costs of |
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| 29 | 29 | | required training, equipment upgrades, and application fees. |
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| 30 | 30 | | (e) A school district or open-enrollment charter school may |
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| 31 | 31 | | not spend money appropriated to the district or school for a course |
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| 32 | 32 | | related to automotive technology for a state fiscal year until the |
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| 33 | 33 | | district or school submits to the agency a report certifying the |
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| 34 | 34 | | district's or school's compliance with this section during the |
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| 35 | 35 | | preceding state fiscal year. |
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| 36 | 36 | | (e-1) Notwithstanding Subsection (e), a school district or |
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| 37 | 37 | | open-enrollment charter school that has not received institution |
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| 38 | 38 | | accreditation for a course related to automotive technology may |
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| 39 | 39 | | request an extension not to exceed one year from the agency. The |
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| 40 | 40 | | agency may grant one additional extension not to exceed one year to |
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| 41 | 41 | | a school district or open-enrollment charter school that |
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| 42 | 42 | | demonstrates a good faith effort to attain institute accreditation. |
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| 43 | 43 | | This subsection expires September 1, 2028. |
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| 44 | 44 | | (f) The agency shall prepare and submit an annual written |
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| 45 | 45 | | report to the governor, lieutenant governor, speaker of the house |
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| 46 | 46 | | of representatives, and standing committees with primary |
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| 47 | 47 | | jurisdiction over education that includes information on the |
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| 48 | 48 | | progress of implementing this section. |
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| 49 | 49 | | (g) The commissioner shall adopt rules necessary to |
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| 50 | 50 | | implement this section. |
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| 51 | 51 | | SECTION 2. Not later than December 1, 2025, the |
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| 52 | 52 | | commissioner of education, in consultation with the State Board of |
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| 53 | 53 | | Education, shall adopt rules to implement Section 29.195, Education |
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| 54 | 54 | | Code, as added by this Act. |
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| 55 | 55 | | SECTION 3. This Act applies beginning with the 2026-2027 |
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| 56 | 56 | | school year. |
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| 57 | 57 | | SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |
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