1-1     By:  West                                             S.B. No. 1359

 1-2           (In the Senate - Filed March 13, 1997; March 18, 1997, read

 1-3     first time and referred to Committee on Education; April 11, 1997,

 1-4     reported adversely, with favorable Committee Substitute by the

 1-5     following vote:  Yeas 11, Nays 0; April 11, 1997, sent to printer.)

 1-6     COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 1359                    By:  West

 1-7                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-8                                   AN ACT

 1-9     relating to public school educators' requests for hearings

1-10     concerning certain proposed school district decisions.

1-11           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

1-12           SECTION 1.  Section 21.253, Education Code, is amended to

1-13     read as follows:

1-14           Sec. 21.253.  REQUEST FOR HEARING.  A teacher must file a

1-15     written request for a hearing under this subchapter with the

1-16     commissioner not later than the 15th day after the date the teacher

1-17     receives written notice of the proposed action.  The teacher must

1-18     provide the district with a copy of the request.  A copy of the

1-19     written notice of proposed action must be included with the written

1-20     request for appointment of an independent hearing examiner.  The

1-21     commissioner shall adopt rules for determining whether a teacher is

1-22     entitled to a hearing conducted under this subchapter.  A

1-23     jurisdictional determination by the commissioner is appealable.

1-24           SECTION 2.  The importance of this legislation and the

1-25     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

1-26     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

1-27     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

1-28     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,

1-29     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its

1-30     passage, and it is so enacted.

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