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.