SRC-JBJ H.B. 618 76(R) BILL ANALYSIS Senate Research Center H.B. 618 By: Dukes (Bernsen) Education 5/13/1999 Engrossed DIGEST Currently, a school district is not required to report the certification status of teachers in the district. H.B. 618 provides that, if a superintendent anticipates that a course will, or if in fact allows a course to, be taught by an inappropriately certified or uncertified person for 30 or more consecutive instructional days, the superintendent must at that time notify in writing the parents of each student enrolled in the course. PURPOSE As proposed, H.B. 618 requires a superintendent to provide parents notice on whether teachers are appropriately certified by the state. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY This bill does not grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Chapter 21B, Education Code, by adding Section 21.057, as follows: Sec. 21.057. NOTICE TO PARENT OF CERTIFICATION STATUS. Defines "inappropriately certified or uncertified person" and "parent." Requires a superintendent to notify in writing the parents of each student enrolled in the course, if a superintendent anticipates that a course will or if in fact allows a course to be taught by an inappropriately certified or uncertified person for 30 or more consecutive instructional days. Requires the superintendent to make a good faith effort to provide the notice in English and the parent's primary language, if the primary language of the parent receiving notice under this section is a language other than English. Requires the superintendent providing notice under this section to retain copies of the notice on file for public inspection. SECTION 2. Provides that this Act applies beginning with the 1999-2000 school year. SECTION 3. Emergency clause. Effective date: upon passage.