1-1     By:  Rangel, et al. (Senate Sponsor - Barrientos)      H.B. No. 571

 1-2           (In the Senate - Received from the House May 2, 1997;

 1-3     May 5, 1997, read first time and referred to Committee on Finance;

 1-4     May 16, 1997, reported favorably by the following vote:  Yeas 11,

 1-5     Nays 0; May 16, 1997, sent to printer.)

 1-6                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-7                                   AN ACT

 1-8     relating to exempting certain educational aides from tuition and

 1-9     fees charged by institutions of higher education.

1-10           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

1-11           SECTION 1.  Section 21.050, Education Code, is amended by

1-12     adding Subsection (c) to read as follows:

1-13           (c)  A person who receives a bachelor's degree required for a

1-14     teaching certificate on the basis of higher education coursework

1-15     completed while receiving an exemption from tuition and fees under

1-16     Section 54.214 and who has at least two school years of classroom

1-17     working experience as an educational aide may not be required to

1-18     perform any internship consisting of student teaching to receive a

1-19     teaching certificate.

1-20           SECTION 2.  Section 54.213, Education Code, is amended to

1-21     read as follows:

1-22           Sec. 54.213.  FUNDING OF EXEMPTIONS.  (a)  An institution of

1-23     higher education may fund tuition exemptions under Section 54.212

1-24     or 54.214 from local funds or from funds appropriated to the

1-25     institution.  An institution of higher education is not required to

1-26     provide tuition exemptions beyond those funded through

1-27     appropriations specifically designated for this purpose.

1-28           (b)  Savings to the foundation school fund that occur as a

1-29     result of the Early High School Graduation Scholarship program

1-30     created in Subchapter K, Chapter 56,  and that are not required for

1-31     the funding of state tuition credits under that program shall be

1-32     used first to provide tuition exemptions under Section 54.212.  Any

1-33     of those savings remaining after providing tuition exemptions under

1-34     Section 54.212 shall be used to provide tuition exemptions under

1-35     Section 54.214.  The Texas Education Agency shall also accept and

1-36     make available to provide tuition exemptions under Section 54.214

1-37     gifts, grants, and donations made to the agency for that purpose.

1-38     Payment of funds under this subsection shall be made in the manner

1-39     provided by Section 56.207 for tuition credits under Subchapter K,

1-40     Chapter 56.

1-41           SECTION 3.  Subchapter D, Chapter 54, Education Code, is

1-42     amended by adding Section 54.214 to read as follows:

1-43           Sec. 54.214.  EDUCATIONAL AIDES.  (a)  In this section,

1-44     "coordinating board" means the Texas Higher Education Coordinating

1-45     Board.

1-46           (b)  The governing board of an institution of higher

1-47     education shall exempt an eligible educational aide from the

1-48     payment of tuition and fees, other than class or laboratory fees.

1-49           (c)  To be eligible for an exemption under this section, a

1-50     person must:

1-51                 (1)  be a resident of this state;

1-52                 (2)  be certified as an educational aide by the State

1-53     Board for Educator Certification;

1-54                 (3)  have at least two school years of experience as a

1-55     certified educational aide working directly with students in a

1-56     school district;

1-57                 (4)  be employed as a certified educational aide

1-58     working directly with students in a school district during the

1-59     entire term or semester for which the person receives the

1-60     exemption;

1-61                 (5)  establish financial need as determined by

1-62     coordinating board rule;

1-63                 (6)  be enrolled in classes necessary for certification

1-64     as a teacher at the institution of higher education granting the

 2-1     exemption;

 2-2                 (7)  maintain an acceptable grade point average as

 2-3     determined by coordinating board rule; and

 2-4                 (8)  comply with any other requirements adopted by the

 2-5     coordinating board under this section.

 2-6           (d)  The coordinating board must certify a person's

 2-7     eligibility to receive an exemption under this section.  As soon as

 2-8     practicable after receiving an application for  certification, the

 2-9     coordinating board shall make the determination of eligibility and

2-10     give notice of its determination to the applicant, the institution

2-11     of higher education at which the applicant is enrolled, and the

2-12     school district employing the person as an educational aide.

2-13           (e)  The coordinating board shall adopt rules consistent with

2-14     this section as necessary to implement this section.  The

2-15     coordinating board shall distribute a copy of the rules adopted

2-16     under this section to each school district and institution of

2-17     higher education in this state.

2-18           SECTION 4.  The changes in law made by Sections 2 and 3 of

2-19     this Act take effect beginning with the fall semester in 1997.

2-20           SECTION 5.  The importance of this legislation and the

2-21     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

2-22     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

2-23     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

2-24     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,

2-25     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its

2-26     passage, and it is so enacted.

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