By Davila                                       H.B. No. 3126

      75R8759 CAS-D                           

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to providing grants for training programs for certain

 1-3     teachers.

 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 1-5           SECTION 1.  Subchapter A, Chapter 21, Education Code, is

 1-6     amended by adding Section 21.005 to read as follows:

 1-7           Sec. 21.005.  GRANTS FOR TEACHER TRAINING PROGRAMS.  (a)  The

 1-8     agency may award a grant for a program to train teachers to teach

 1-9     in bilingual education programs under Subchapter B, Chapter 29, or

1-10     to teach a subject for which there is a critical shortage of

1-11     teachers.  An eligible program may be developed jointly by:

1-12                 (1)  one or more school districts and an accredited

1-13     educator preparation program; or

1-14                 (2)  one or more school districts, an accredited

1-15     educator preparation program, and a community college.

1-16           (b)  Funds awarded under this section may be used only to

1-17     provide scholarships to students who seek a bachelor's degree and

1-18     teacher certification necessary for teaching in a bilingual

1-19     education program or a subject for which, as determined under rules

1-20     adopted by the commissioner, there is a critical shortage of

1-21     teachers.

1-22           (c)  To receive a grant under this section, the entities

1-23     developing the program must submit an application to the

1-24     commissioner.  The application must include the information

 2-1     required by the commissioner and be submitted by the date specified

 2-2     by the commissioner.

 2-3           (d)  The agency shall award grants under this section on a

 2-4     competitive basis.  In awarding a grant, the agency shall give

 2-5     preference to an application submitted by a school district or

 2-6     group of school districts that has a critical shortage of teachers

 2-7     for a bilingual education program or a particular subject.  A

 2-8     school district that has received an exception from the agency

 2-9     under Section 29.054 is considered to have a critical shortage of

2-10     teachers for a bilingual education program.

2-11           (e)  The entities developing a program that receives a grant

2-12     under this section shall select the recipients of scholarships

2-13     under the program.  To be eligible for a scholarship under the

2-14     program on the basis of a critical shortage of teachers for a

2-15     bilingual education program, a person must be fluent in English and

2-16     in another language that is offered in the bilingual education

2-17     program of a school district participating in the grant program.

2-18     The entities shall:

2-19                 (1)  give first priority to paraprofessional employees

2-20     of a school district participating in the program; and

2-21                 (2)  give second priority to a student transferring to

2-22     the educator preparation program from a community college

2-23     participating in the program.

2-24           (f)  A student who receives a scholarship under this section

2-25     must commit to at least two years of service in the school district

2-26     participating in the program under which the student received a

2-27     scholarship.

 3-1           SECTION 2.  The importance of this legislation and the

 3-2     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

 3-3     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

 3-4     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

 3-5     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,

 3-6     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its

 3-7     passage, and it is so enacted.