1-1     By:  Hernandez (Senate Sponsor - Luna)                 H.B. No. 623

 1-2           (In the Senate - Received from the House May 8, 1997;

 1-3     May 9, 1997, read first time and referred to Committee on

 1-4     Education; May 15, 1997, reported favorably by the following vote:

 1-5     Yeas 9, Nays 0; May 15, 1997, sent to printer.)

 1-6                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-7                                   AN ACT

 1-8     relating to certification of public school educators.

 1-9           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

1-10           SECTION 1.  Subchapter B, Chapter 21, Education Code, is

1-11     amended by adding Section 21.056 to read as follows:

1-12           Sec. 21.056.  ADDITIONAL CERTIFICATION.  (a)  The board by

1-13     rule shall provide for a certified educator to qualify for

1-14     additional certification to teach at a grade level or in a subject

1-15     area not covered by the educator's certificate on satisfactory

1-16     completion of:

1-17                 (1)  any examination required to teach at that grade

1-18     level or in that subject area by this code or board rule; and

1-19                 (2)  a one-year internship under the supervision of an

1-20     experienced certified educator who teaches at that grade level or

1-21     in that subject area.

1-22           (b)  An educator who holds a secondary certificate is exempt

1-23     from the requirement imposed under Subsection (a)(2) if the

1-24     educator is seeking certification to teach in a secondary subject

1-25     area.

1-26           SECTION 2.  The importance of this legislation and the

1-27     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

1-28     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

1-29     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

1-30     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,

1-31     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its

1-32     passage, and it is so enacted.

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