By:  Patterson, J.                                    S.B. No. 1428
       73R9169 ESH-D
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-1                                AN ACT
    1-2  relating to the State Department of Education and its employees.
    1-3        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-4        SECTION 1.  Section 11.62, Education Code, is amended to read
    1-5  as follows:
    1-6        Sec. 11.62.  Organization and Regulations.  (a)  The State
    1-7  Department of Education shall be organized into divisions and
    1-8  subdivisions established by the commissioner of education <subject
    1-9  to the approval of the State Board of Education>.
   1-10        (b)  Directors of the major divisions of the State Department
   1-11  of Education, and all of its other employees, shall be appointed by
   1-12  the commissioner of education <pursuant to general rules and
   1-13  regulations adopted by the State Board of Education>.
   1-14        (c)  The rules and regulations pertaining to personnel
   1-15  administration shall include a comprehensive classification plan,
   1-16  including an appropriate title for each position, a description of
   1-17  duties and responsibilities, and the minimum requirements of
   1-18  training, experience, and other qualifications essential for
   1-19  adequate performance of the work.  These rules and regulations
   1-20  shall likewise provide <tenure safeguards,> leave and retirement
   1-21  provisions<,> and establish hearing procedures.
   1-22        (d)  In each of the fiscal years ending August 31, 1994,
   1-23  August 31, 1995, August 31, 1996, and August 31, 1997, the
   1-24  commissioner of education shall reduce the number of full-time
    2-1  equivalent employees of the State Department of Education by a
    2-2  number equal to five percent of the number of the full-time
    2-3  equivalent employees on the last day of the preceding fiscal year.
    2-4  In this subsection, "full-time equivalent employee" has the meaning
    2-5  assigned by Chapter 412, Acts of the 70th Legislature, Regular
    2-6  Session, 1987 (Article 6252-16c, Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes).
    2-7  This subsection expires September 1, 1997.
    2-8        SECTION 2.  The importance of this legislation and the
    2-9  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
   2-10  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
   2-11  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
   2-12  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
   2-13  and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
   2-14  passage, and it is so enacted.