SRC-JFA H.B. 571 75(R) BILL ANALYSIS Senate Research Center H.B. 571 By: Rangel (Barrientos) Finance 5-2-97 Engrossed DIGEST Currently, Texas faces a shortage of certified teachers due to rising student enrollment, rapid turnover, and the growing numbers of teachers reaching retirement age. Educational aides who work in the classroom on a daily basis, many of whom want to become certified teachers, represent a ready pool of potential entrants into the teaching profession. Most teacher aides earn low salaries and find it difficult to pay for tuition in a college program leading to a teaching certificate. This bill would provide tuition exemptions to low-income educational aides who seek a teaching certificate and meet certain requirements. PURPOSE As proposed, H.B. 571 provides tuition exemptions to low-income education aides who seek a teaching certificate and meet certain requirements. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY Rulemaking authority is granted to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board in SECTION 3 (Sections 54.214(c)(5), (7) and (8), and (e), Education Code) of this bill. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Section 21.050, Education Code, by adding Subsection (c), to prohibit a person who receives a bachelor's degree required for a teaching certificate on the basis of higher education course work completed while receiving an exemption from tuition and fees under Section 54.214 and who has at least two school years of classroom working experience as an educational aide from being required to perform any internship consisting of student teaching to receive a teaching certificate. SECTION 2. Amends Section 54.213, Education Code, to authorize an institution of higher education to fund tuition exemptions under Section 54.214, among other sections, from local funds or from funds appropriated to the institution. Requires savings to the foundation school fund that occur as a result of the Early High School Graduation Scholarship program created in Subchapter K, Chapter 56, and that are not required for the funding of state tuition credits under that program to be used first to provide tuition exemptions under Section 52.212. Requires any of those savings remaining after providing tuition exemptions under Section 54.212 to be used to provide tuition exemptions under Section 54.214. Requires the Texas Education Agency (agency) to also accept and make available to provide tuition exemptions under Section 54.214 gifts, grants, and donations made to the agency for that purpose. SECTION 3. Amends Chapter 54D, Education Code, by adding Section 54.214, as follows: Sec. 54.214. EDUCATIONAL AIDES. Defines "coordinating board." Requires the governing board of an institution of higher education to exempt an eligible educational aide from the payment of tuition and fees, other than class or laboratory fees. Requires a person, to be eligible for an exemption under this section, to meet certain conditions. Requires the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (coordinating board) to certify a person's eligibility to receive an exemption under this section. Requires the coordinating board to make the determination of eligibility and give notice of its determination to the applicant, the institution of higher education at which the applicant is enrolled, and the school district employing the person as an educational aide. Requires the coordinating board to adopt rules consistent with this section as necessary to implement this section. Requires the coordinating board to distribute a copy of the rules adopted under this section to each school district and institution of higher education in this state. SECTION 4. Provides that the changes in Section 54.213, Education Code, as amended by this Act, and Section 54.214, Education Code, as added by this Act, take effect beginning with the fall semester in 1997. SECTION 5 Emergency clause. Effective date: upon passage.