| 1 | 1 | | 89R3771 KJE-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Menéndez S.B. No. 192 |
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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 a grant program to reimburse public schools for certain |
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| 10 | 10 | | costs associated with hiring retired teachers. |
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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 I, Chapter 21, Education Code, is |
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| 13 | 13 | | amended by adding Section 21.416 to read as follows: |
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| 14 | 14 | | Sec. 21.416. EMPLOYED RETIREE TEACHER REIMBURSEMENT GRANT |
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| 15 | 15 | | PROGRAM. (a) From money appropriated or otherwise available, the |
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| 16 | 16 | | commissioner shall establish and administer a grant program to |
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| 17 | 17 | | reimburse a school district, an open-enrollment charter school, the |
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| 18 | 18 | | Windham School District, the Texas School for the Deaf, or the Texas |
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| 19 | 19 | | School for the Blind and Visually Impaired for the increased |
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| 20 | 20 | | contributions to the Teacher Retirement System associated with |
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| 21 | 21 | | hiring a teacher who retired before September 1, 2024. |
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| 22 | 22 | | (b) In appropriating money for grants awarded under this |
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| 23 | 23 | | section, the legislature may provide for, modify, or limit amounts |
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| 24 | 24 | | appropriated for that purpose in the General Appropriations Act, |
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| 25 | 25 | | including by: |
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| 26 | 26 | | (1) providing, notwithstanding Subsection (a), a date |
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| 27 | 27 | | or date range other than September 1, 2024, before which a teacher |
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| 28 | 28 | | must have retired for a school district, an open-enrollment charter |
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| 29 | 29 | | school, the Windham School District, the Texas School for the Deaf, |
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| 30 | 30 | | or the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired to be |
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| 31 | 31 | | eligible; or |
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| 32 | 32 | | (2) limiting eligibility to a district or school |
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| 33 | 33 | | described by Subdivision (1) that hires a retired teacher: |
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| 34 | 34 | | (A) who holds a certain certification; |
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| 35 | 35 | | (B) to teach a certain subject or grade; |
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| 36 | 36 | | (C) in a certain geographical area; or |
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| 37 | 37 | | (D) to provide instruction to certain students, |
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| 38 | 38 | | including to students with disabilities. |
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| 39 | 39 | | (c) If the total amount of money sought by eligible |
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| 40 | 40 | | districts or schools exceeds the amount of money appropriated or |
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| 41 | 41 | | otherwise available for the purpose, the commissioner shall |
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| 42 | 42 | | prioritize awarding grants to eligible districts or schools with |
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| 43 | 43 | | the most need, beginning with districts or schools that hire a |
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| 44 | 44 | | retired teacher to teach special education or bilingual education. |
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| 45 | 45 | | (d) A school district, an open-enrollment charter school, |
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| 46 | 46 | | the Windham School District, the Texas School for the Deaf, or the |
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| 47 | 47 | | Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired may use money |
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| 48 | 48 | | received under this section to make required payments under Section |
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| 49 | 49 | | 825.4092, Government Code. |
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| 50 | 50 | | SECTION 2. This Act applies beginning with the 2025-2026 |
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| 51 | 51 | | school year. |
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| 52 | 52 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 53 | 53 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 54 | 54 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 55 | 55 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 56 | 56 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |
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