BILL ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 2929

By: Lozano

Public Education

Committee Report (Substituted)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Last session, the legislature passed S.B. 1267, which was sponsored by Representative Lozano and was intended to streamline the mandatory continuing professional education (CPE) for educators in order to restore time and authority to educators to self-select professional development. Specifically, S.B. 1267 reinstated a cap on the percentage of mandatory CPE topics that classroom teachers, principals, and counselors are required to complete in order to renew their certificates. However, an unintended consequence of the legislation is that classroom teachers are denied the ability to count more than 25 percent of CPE hours in certain topics toward the total number of hours required for purposes of certificate renewal. Additionally, a number of counselors view the cap as unnecessary given that they considered the required CPE topics for counselors to be central to their primary role as school counselors. C.S.H.B. 2929 seeks to address these issues by requiring training that is completed by classroom teachers in excess of 25 percent of the total amount of CPE hours required to be counted toward the teacher's overall training requirements and changing the cap on required CPE hours for a school counselor.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 2929 amends the Education Code to require training in specified topics of instruction attended by a classroom teacher in excess of 25 percent of training required of the teacher every five years to be counted toward the teacher's overall training requirements. The bill changes the amount of training in specified topics of instruction that continuing education requirements must require of a school counselor every five years from not more than 25 percent to at least 25 percent.

C.S.H.B. 2929 reenacts and amends Section 21.054(d), Education Code, as amended by Chapters 1045 (S.B. 1267) and 973 (S.B. 2066), Acts of the 87th Legislature, Regular Session, 2021, to conform to changes made by Chapter 1045 (S.B. 1267) and changes made by the bill.

C.S.H.B. 2929 applies beginning with the 2023-2024 school year.  

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2023.

COMPARISON OF INTRODUCED AND SUBSTITUTE

C.S.H.B. 2929 differs from the introduced only in minor or nonsubstantive ways by conforming to certain drafting conventions.