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.