By Delisi H.B. No. 725
76R3945 JSA-F
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to providing scholarships to classroom teachers pursuing
1-3 advanced degrees or additional teacher certification.
1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-5 SECTION 1. Chapter 21, Education Code, is amended by adding
1-6 Subchapter K to read as follows:
1-7 SUBCHAPTER K. TEXAS CLASSROOM TEACHERS
1-8 SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM
1-9 Sec. 21.471. PURPOSE OF SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM. The
1-10 scholarship program established by this subchapter is intended to
1-11 provide educational stipends to a classroom teacher seeking:
1-12 (1) an advanced degree in a field related to the
1-13 classroom teacher's certification as determined by the agency;
1-14 (2) additional certification in a teaching field
1-15 experiencing a critical teacher shortage as determined by the
1-16 commissioner; or
1-17 (3) national board certification by the National Board
1-18 for Professional Teaching Standards.
1-19 Sec. 21.472. ADMINISTRATION OF PROGRAM. (a) The program is
1-20 administered by the agency. The agency may adopt rules the agency
1-21 considers reasonable to administer this subchapter.
1-22 (b) The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board shall
1-23 provide the agency with information available to the coordinating
1-24 board that the agency requests to assist the agency in
2-1 administering the program.
2-2 (c) In addition to the qualifications and restrictions
2-3 provided by this subchapter, the agency by rule may adopt
2-4 additional qualifications and restrictions applicable to
2-5 scholarships awarded under this subchapter as the agency determines
2-6 appropriate to:
2-7 (1) direct the use of scholarships toward retaining
2-8 and developing teachers in teaching fields or school districts with
2-9 exceptional need; or
2-10 (2) make the most efficient use of the resources
2-11 available for scholarships to achieve the purposes of this
2-12 subchapter.
2-13 Sec. 21.473. RESTRICTION ON USE OF SCHOLARSHIP. A
2-14 scholarship awarded under this subchapter may not be applied to
2-15 expenses covered by a state or federal grant awarded for
2-16 educational purposes.
2-17 Sec. 21.474. ELIGIBILITY FOR ADVANCED DEGREE SCHOLARSHIP.
2-18 To be eligible for an advanced degree scholarship, a person must:
2-19 (1) be admitted into an advanced degree program that
2-20 is accredited by a recognized accrediting agency as defined by
2-21 Section 61.003;
2-22 (2) be a Texas resident as determined by the
2-23 coordinating board under Subchapter B, Chapter 54, if the person
2-24 attends a public institution of higher education in this state, or
2-25 be a legal resident of this state as determined by the agency if
2-26 the person attends any other institution of higher education;
2-27 (3) be employed by a public school district in this
3-1 state as a full-time classroom teacher; and
3-2 (4) enter into an agreement to teach as provided by
3-3 Section 21.480.
3-4 Sec. 21.475. CONDITIONS OF ADVANCED DEGREE SCHOLARSHIP.
3-5 (a) An advanced degree scholarship may not exceed $2,000 for each
3-6 academic year completed toward the degree. There is no minimum
3-7 number of semester credit hours required to be completed in an
3-8 academic period to retain eligibility. The total amount of
3-9 advanced degree scholarships a person receives may not exceed
3-10 $10,000.
3-11 (b) A person may not receive an advanced degree scholarship
3-12 for more than five academic years.
3-13 (c) A person forfeits the person's eligibility to receive an
3-14 advanced degree scholarship after a break of more than 12
3-15 consecutive months in the person's enrollment at an eligible
3-16 institution of higher education in connection with the degree
3-17 program.
3-18 Sec. 21.476. ELIGIBILITY FOR ADDITIONAL CERTIFICATION
3-19 SCHOLARSHIP. To be eligible for a scholarship to attend an
3-20 educator preparation program to enable the person to obtain
3-21 additional certification described by Section 21.471(2), a person
3-22 must:
3-23 (1) be admitted to an educator preparation program
3-24 approved by the State Board of Educator Certification;
3-25 (2) be actively seeking the additional certification
3-26 as required by agency rule;
3-27 (3) be a Texas resident as determined by the
4-1 coordinating board under Subchapter B, Chapter 54, if the person
4-2 attends a public institution of higher education in this state, or
4-3 be a legal resident of this state as determined by the agency if
4-4 the person attends any other institution of higher education;
4-5 (4) be employed by a public school district in this
4-6 state as a full-time classroom teacher; and
4-7 (5) enter into an agreement to teach as provided by
4-8 Section 21.480.
4-9 Sec. 21.477. CONDITIONS OF ADDITIONAL CERTIFICATION
4-10 SCHOLARSHIP. (a) An additional certification scholarship may not
4-11 exceed $2,000 for each academic year completed in the educator
4-12 preparation program. There is no minimum number of semester credit
4-13 hours required to be completed in an academic period to retain
4-14 eligibility. The total amount of additional certification
4-15 scholarships a person receives may not exceed $6,000.
4-16 (b) A person may not receive an additional certification
4-17 scholarship for more than three academic years.
4-18 (c) A person forfeits the person's eligibility to receive an
4-19 additional certification scholarship after a break of more than 12
4-20 consecutive months in the person's enrollment at an eligible
4-21 institution of higher education in connection with the educator
4-22 preparation program.
4-23 Sec. 21.478. ELIGIBILITY FOR NATIONAL BOARD CERTIFICATION
4-24 SCHOLARSHIP. To be eligible for a scholarship to assist a person
4-25 seeking national board certification by the National Board for
4-26 Professional Teaching Standards, a person must:
4-27 (1) be actively working toward national board
5-1 certification as required by agency rule;
5-2 (2) be a legal resident of this state;
5-3 (3) be employed by a public school district in this
5-4 state as a full-time classroom teacher; and
5-5 (4) enter into an agreement to teach as provided by
5-6 Section 21.480.
5-7 Sec. 21.479. CONDITIONS OF NATIONAL BOARD CERTIFICATION
5-8 SCHOLARSHIP. (a) A national board certification scholarship may
5-9 not exceed $2,000 for each school year in which the person actively
5-10 works toward the certification. If a person receives a national
5-11 board certification scholarship for two years, the agency shall
5-12 award the person an additional scholarship to cover the fees
5-13 charged in connection with national board certification, not to
5-14 exceed a total amount of $2,000. The total amount of national
5-15 board certification scholarships a person receives may not exceed
5-16 $6,000.
5-17 (b) A person may not receive a national board certification
5-18 scholarship for more than two school years, and may not receive a
5-19 second scholarship for a school year after the school year
5-20 immediately following the first school year for which the person
5-21 receives a scholarship.
5-22 Sec. 21.480. TEACHING AGREEMENT. (a) A person who receives
5-23 a scholarship under this subchapter must enter into an agreement
5-24 with the agency at the time the scholarship is accepted to continue
5-25 as a full-time classroom teacher at the primary, middle, or
5-26 secondary level in a public school district in this state within
5-27 the period specified by the agreement, if any. The agreement must
6-1 require the person to serve as a full-time classroom teacher for
6-2 one full school year for each $2,000 the person receives.
6-3 (b) As part of the agreement, the person must sign a
6-4 promissory note acknowledging the conditional nature of the
6-5 scholarship and promising to repay the amount of the scholarship
6-6 plus applicable interest and reasonable collection costs if the
6-7 person does not complete the teaching obligation as provided by the
6-8 agreement. The agency shall determine the terms of the promissory
6-9 note. To the extent practicable, the terms must be the same as
6-10 those applicable to state or federally guaranteed student loans
6-11 made at the same time.
6-12 (c) The amount required to be repaid by a person who fails
6-13 to complete the teaching obligation shall be determined in
6-14 proportion to the portion of the teaching obligation that the
6-15 person has satisfied.
6-16 (d) An agreement to teach entered into by a person under
6-17 this section does not obligate a school district to employ or
6-18 continue the employment of the person as a classroom teacher.
6-19 Sec. 21.481. PAYMENT OF EDUCATOR CERTIFICATION FEES. A
6-20 person who completes a graduate degree or educator preparation
6-21 program for which the person received a scholarship under this
6-22 subchapter is entitled to reimbursement by the agency of the fees
6-23 charged for:
6-24 (1) additional certification of the person in a
6-25 teaching field experiencing a critical teacher shortage as
6-26 determined by the agency; or
6-27 (2) certification in one or more teaching fields
7-1 related to the graduate degree or educator preparation program in
7-2 addition to a certification previously held.
7-3 Sec. 21.482. FUNDING. (a) This subchapter is funded by
7-4 amounts appropriated for the program from the state lottery account
7-5 or from other available sources, including gifts, grants, and
7-6 donations accepted for that purpose.
7-7 (b) The agency may solicit and accept gifts, grants, and
7-8 donations for the purposes of this subchapter.
7-9 SECTION 2. Section 466.355(b), Government Code, is amended
7-10 to read as follows:
7-11 (b) Money in the state lottery account may be used only for
7-12 the following purposes and shall be distributed as follows:
7-13 (1) the payment of prizes to the holders of winning
7-14 tickets;
7-15 (2) the payment of costs incurred in the operation and
7-16 administration of the lottery, including any fees received by a
7-17 lottery operator, provided that the costs incurred in a fiscal
7-18 biennium may not exceed an amount equal to 12 percent of the gross
7-19 revenue accruing from the sale of tickets in that biennium;
7-20 (3) the establishment of a pooled bond fund, lottery
7-21 prize reserve fund, unclaimed prize fund, and prize payment
7-22 account; [and]
7-23 (4) the transfer to the Texas Education Agency of any
7-24 amount appropriated for the current state fiscal year for the Texas
7-25 Classroom Teachers Scholarship Program under Subchapter K, Chapter
7-26 21, Education Code; and
7-27 (5) the balance, after creation of a reserve
8-1 sufficient to pay the amounts needed or estimated to be needed
8-2 under Subdivisions (1) through (4) [(3)], to be transferred to the
8-3 foundation school fund, on or before the 15th day of each month.
8-4 SECTION 3. The Texas Education Agency shall adopt rules and
8-5 begin awarding scholarships under Subchapter K, Chapter 21,
8-6 Education Code, as added by this Act, as soon as practicable after
8-7 the effective date of this Act.
8-8 SECTION 4. The importance of this legislation and the
8-9 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
8-10 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
8-11 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
8-12 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
8-13 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
8-14 passage, and it is so enacted.