By Tillery H.B. No. 1501 76R5161 CAS-F A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to providing grants for training programs for certain 1-3 teachers. 1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-5 SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 21, Education Code, is 1-6 amended by adding Section 21.005 to read as follows: 1-7 Sec. 21.005. GRANTS FOR TEACHER TRAINING PROGRAMS. (a) The 1-8 agency may award a grant for a program to train teachers to teach 1-9 in bilingual education programs under Subchapter B, Chapter 29, or 1-10 to teach a subject for which there is a critical shortage of 1-11 teachers. An eligible program may be developed jointly by: 1-12 (1) one or more school districts and an accredited 1-13 educator preparation program; or 1-14 (2) one or more school districts, an accredited 1-15 educator preparation program, and a community college. 1-16 (b) Funds awarded under this section may be used only to 1-17 provide scholarships to students who seek a bachelor's degree and 1-18 the teacher certification or endorsement necessary for teaching in 1-19 a bilingual education program or a subject for which, as determined 1-20 under rules adopted by the commissioner, there is a critical 1-21 shortage of teachers. 1-22 (c) To receive a grant under this section, the entities 1-23 developing the program must submit an application to the 1-24 commissioner. The application must include the information 2-1 required by the commissioner and be submitted by the date specified 2-2 by the commissioner. 2-3 (d) The agency shall award grants under this section on a 2-4 competitive basis. In awarding a grant, the agency shall give 2-5 preference to an application submitted by a school district or 2-6 group of school districts that has a critical shortage of teachers 2-7 for a bilingual education program or a particular subject. A 2-8 school district that has received an exception from the agency 2-9 under Section 29.054 is considered to have a critical shortage of 2-10 teachers for a bilingual education program. 2-11 (e) The entities developing a program that receives a grant 2-12 under this section shall select the recipients of scholarships 2-13 under the program. To be eligible for a scholarship under the 2-14 program on the basis of a critical shortage of teachers for a 2-15 bilingual education program, a person must be fluent in English and 2-16 in another language that is offered in the bilingual education 2-17 program of a school district participating in the grant program. 2-18 The entities shall: 2-19 (1) give first priority to paraprofessional employees 2-20 of a school district participating in the program; and 2-21 (2) give second priority to a student transferring to 2-22 the educator preparation program from a community college 2-23 participating in the program. 2-24 (f) A student who receives a scholarship under this section 2-25 must commit to at least two years of service in the school district 2-26 participating in the program under which the student received a 2-27 scholarship. 3-1 SECTION 2. The importance of this legislation and the 3-2 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 3-3 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 3-4 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 3-5 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended, 3-6 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its 3-7 passage, and it is so enacted.