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          AN ACT
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        relating to the creation of a micro-credential certification  | 
      
      
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        program for public school educator continuing education. | 
      
      
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               BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | 
      
      
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               SECTION 1.  Section 21.054, Education Code, is amended by  | 
      
      
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        amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsection (i) to read as  | 
      
      
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        follows: | 
      
      
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               (a)  The board shall propose rules establishing a process for  | 
      
      
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        identifying continuing education courses and programs that fulfill  | 
      
      
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        educators' continuing education requirements, including  | 
      
      
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        opportunities for educators to receive micro-credentials in fields  | 
      
      
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        of study related to the educator's certification class as provided  | 
      
      
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        by Subsection (i). | 
      
      
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               (i)  The board shall propose rules establishing a program to  | 
      
      
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        issue micro-credentials in fields of study related to an educator's  | 
      
      
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        certification class.  The agency shall approve continuing education  | 
      
      
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        providers to offer micro-credential courses.  A micro-credential  | 
      
      
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        received by an educator shall be recorded on the agency's Educator  | 
      
      
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        Certification Online System (ECOS) and included as part of the  | 
      
      
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        educator's public certification records. | 
      
      
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               SECTION 2.  The Texas Education Agency is required to  | 
      
      
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        implement a provision of this Act only if the legislature  | 
      
      
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        appropriates money specifically for that purpose.  If the  | 
      
      
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        legislature does not appropriate money specifically for that  | 
      
      
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        purpose, the Texas Education Agency may, but is not required to,  | 
      
      
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        implement a provision of this Act using other appropriations  | 
      
      
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        available for that purpose. | 
      
      
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               SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives  | 
      
      
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        a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as  | 
      
      
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        provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this  | 
      
      
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        Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this  | 
      
      
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        Act takes effect September 1, 2019. | 
      
      
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        ______________________________ | 
        ______________________________ | 
      
      
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           President of the Senate | 
        Speaker of the House      | 
      
      
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               I certify that H.B. No. 2424 was passed by the House on April  | 
      
      
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        24, 2019, by the following vote:  Yeas 144, Nays 0, 1 present, not  | 
      
      
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        voting; and that the House concurred in Senate amendments to H.B.  | 
      
      
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        No. 2424 on May 23, 2019, by the following vote:  Yeas 142, Nays 0,  | 
      
      
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        1 present, not voting. | 
      
      
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        ______________________________ | 
      
      
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        Chief Clerk of the House    | 
      
      
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               I certify that H.B. No. 2424 was passed by the Senate, with  | 
      
      
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        amendments, on May 19, 2019, by the following vote:  Yeas 31, Nays  | 
      
      
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        0. | 
      
      
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        ______________________________ | 
      
      
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        Secretary of the Senate    | 
      
      
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        APPROVED: __________________ | 
      
      
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                        Date        | 
      
      
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                 __________________ | 
      
      
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                      Governor        |