SRC-JRN S.B. 178 75(R) BILL ANALYSIS Senate Research CenterS.B. 178 By: Barrientos Finance 4-1-97 As Filed DIGEST Currently, the State of Texas faces a shortage of certified teachers due to a rising student enrollment, rapid turnover, and the growing number of teachers reaching retirement age. Educational aides may represent a ready pool of potential entrants into the teaching profession, but may be unable to pay college tuition costs to obtain a teaching certificate due to low salaries. S.B. 178 provides for the exemption of tuition and fees of low-income educational aides seeking a teaching certificate and who meet the requirements as set forth by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. PURPOSE As proposed, S.B. 178 provides for the exemption of tuition and fees of low-income educational aides seeking a teaching certificate and who meet the requirements as set forth by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY Rulemaking authority is granted to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board under SECTION 3 (Section 54.214(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 for the purposes of a teaching certificate while receiving an exemption from tuition and fees under Section 54.214, and who has at least two years of classroom working experience as an educational aide, from being required to perform a student teaching internship to receive a teaching certificate. SECTION 2. Amends Section 54.213, Education Code, to as follows: Sec. 54.213. FUNDING OF EXEMPTIONS. Requires savings to the foundation school fund occurring as a result of the Early High School Graduation Scholarship program not required for the funding of state tuition credits to be used first to provide tuition exemptions under Section 54.212. Requires any savings remaining after providing tuition exemptions under Section 54.212 to be used for exemptions under Section 54.214. Makes a conforming change. SECTION 3. Amends Chapter 54D, Education Code by adding Section 54.214, as follows: Sec. 54.214. EDUCATIONAL AIDES. Defines "coordinating board" as Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (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. Sets forth the requirements for eligibility exemptions under this section. Requires the board to certify a person's eligibility to receive an exemption under this section, and requires the board to make the determination of eligibility and give notice of determination to the applicant, the institution of higher education in which the applicant is enrolled, and the school district employing the applicant. Requires the board to adopt rules consistent with this section and to distribute a copy of the rules to each school district and institution of higher education in this state. SECTION 4. Provides that the changes in law made by Sections 2 and 3 of this Act take effect beginning with the fall semester in 1997. SECTION 5. Emergency clause. Effective date: upon passage.