By Wilson                                       H.B. No. 2694

      75R9000 CAS-D                           

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to the residency of certain public school teachers.

 1-3           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 1-4           SECTION 1.  Subchapter I, Chapter 21, Education Code, is

 1-5     amended by adding Section 21.410 to read as follows:

 1-6           Sec. 21.410.  RESIDENCY OF TEACHERS.  (a)  This section

 1-7     applies only to a school district that has an enrollment of at

 1-8     least 190,000 students on the date enrollment is determined for the

 1-9     school year.

1-10           (b)  Except to the extent permitted under Subsection (c),

1-11     notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, a school

1-12     district may not continue the employment of a teacher unless the

1-13     teacher resides in the boundaries of the school district.

1-14           (c)  A person who does not reside in the boundaries of a

1-15     school district on the date employment as a teacher with the

1-16     district begins must reside in the district not later than the

1-17     120th day after that date.

1-18           SECTION 2.  (a)  Notwithstanding Section 21.410, Education

1-19     Code, as added by this Act, a school district to which that section

1-20     applies may not continue the employment of a teacher employed by

1-21     the district on the effective date of this Act unless the teacher

1-22     resides in the boundaries of the district not later than January 1,

1-23     1998.

1-24           (b)  Section 21.410, Education Code, as added by this Act,

 2-1     may not affect the rights of a teacher under a contract with a

 2-2     school district.

 2-3           SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997.

 2-4           SECTION 4.  The importance of this legislation and the

 2-5     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

 2-6     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

 2-7     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

 2-8     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.