HBA-LCA  H.B. 1786 76(R)BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 1786
By: Dutton
Public Education
3/11/1999
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Current law requires that school districts pay a minimum monthly salary to
classroom teachers and librarians, but not to full-time school nurses.
H.B. 1786 includes school nurses in the minimum monthly salary schedule for
classroom teachers and librarians.  

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that rulemaking
authority previously delegated to the commissioner of education is modified
in SECTION 3 (Section 21.403, Education Code) of this bill.  

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends the heading to Section 21.402, Education Code, as
follows: 

Sec. 21.402. New Title:  MINIMUM SALARY SCHEDULE. Deletes "For Classroom
Teachers and Full-Time Librarians" from existing title. 

SECTION 2.  Amends Section 21.402(a), Education Code, as follows:  

(a)  Provides that a school district must pay a full-time registered nurse
a minimum monthly salary determined by a specified formula.  Makes
conforming changes. 

SECTION 3.  Amends Sections 21.403(a) and (c), Education Code, as follows:

(a)  Provides that a registered nurse advances one step on the minimum
salary schedule for each year of experience as a registered nurse.  Makes
conforming changes. 

(c) Requires the commissioner of education (commissioner) to adopt rules
determining the experience for which a registered nurse is to be given
credit for placement on the minimum salary schedule.  Requires the district
to credit the registered nurse for non-consecutive years of experience.
Makes conforming changes. 

SECTION 4.  Amends Section 30.102(b), Education Code, as follows:  

(b)  Provides that a full-time registered nurse employed by the Texas Youth
Commission (commission) is entitled to receive the monthly salary rate
specified by Section 21.402. Authorizes the commission to pay a full-time
registered nurse, from funds appropriated to the commission, a salary
greater than the minimum specified by Section 21.402 but no greater than
the rate of pay for a similar position in the public schools in an adjacent
school district.  Makes conforming changes. 

SECTION 5.  (a) Provides that this Act applies beginning with the 1999-2000
school year.  

           (b) Provides that a district, in placing a registered nurse on
the minimum salary 
                             schedule, must grant credit regardless of when
the experience was gained. 

 SECTION 6.  Emergency clause.
  Effective date: upon passage.