By Gallegos S.B. No. 1178 75R6114 CAS-F A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to certification of a public school educator by the 1-3 National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. 1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-5 SECTION 1. Subchapter H, Chapter 21, Education Code, is 1-6 amended by adding Section 21.358 to read as follows: 1-7 Sec. 21.358. NATIONAL BOARD FOR PROFESSIONAL TEACHING 1-8 STANDARDS CERTIFICATION REIMBURSEMENT. An educator who 1-9 voluntarily applies for certification from and becomes certified by 1-10 the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards is entitled 1-11 to reimbursement from state funds appropriated for that purpose 1-12 for not more than $1,000 of the necessary costs the educator incurs 1-13 in achieving that certification. 1-14 SECTION 2. Section 22.003(a), Education Code, is amended to 1-15 read as follows: 1-16 (a) A state minimum personal leave program consisting of 1-17 five days per year personal leave with no limit on accumulation and 1-18 transferable among districts shall be provided for school district 1-19 employees. School districts may provide additional personal leave 1-20 beyond this minimum. The board of trustees of a school district 1-21 may adopt a policy governing an employee's use of personal leave 1-22 granted under this subsection. The board of trustees may not 1-23 restrict an educator's use of personal leave to prepare for 1-24 certification by the National Board for Professional Teaching 2-1 Standards. 2-2 SECTION 3. Section 21.358, Education Code, as added by this 2-3 Act, applies to reimbursement only for those expenses an educator 2-4 incurs on or after the effective date of this Act in achieving 2-5 certification by the National Board for Professional Teaching 2-6 Standards. 2-7 SECTION 4. The importance of this legislation and the 2-8 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 2-9 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 2-10 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 2-11 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended, 2-12 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its 2-13 passage, and it is so enacted.