By:  Zaffirini                                         S.B. No. 724
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
                                       AN ACT
 1-1     relating to continuing education courses and programs for public
 1-2     school educators.
 1-3           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-4           SECTION 1.  Subchapter B, Chapter 21, Education Code, is
 1-5     amended by adding Section 21.0541 to read as follows:
 1-6           Sec. 21.0541.  CONTRACTS FOR CONTINUING EDUCATION.  (a)  A
 1-7     regional education service center may contract with a public or
 1-8     private entity, including an entity that receives funds from the
 1-9     National Endowment for the Humanities under 20 U.S.C. Section 956,
1-10     for the provision of continuing education courses and programs that
1-11     fulfill educators' continuing education requirements.
1-12           (b)  A continuing education course or program provided under
1-13     this section must:
1-14                 (1)  relate to the required curriculum prescribed by
1-15     Section 28.002;
1-16                 (2)  include at least 105 hours of classroom training;
1-17                 (3)  entitle an attending educator to credit for higher
1-18     education course work; and
1-19                 (4)  be taught by faculty members from institutions of
1-20     higher education in the state who are nationally recognized as
1-21     experts in the relevant subject.
1-22           (c)  An entity seeking a contract with the agency under
1-23     Subsection (a)  must demonstrate to the agency a history of
1-24     providing courses and programs that meet the requirements of this
 2-1     section.
 2-2           SECTION 2.  Section 61.051, Education Code, is amended by
 2-3     adding Subsection (s) to read as follows:
 2-4           (s)  The board shall adopt rules that require institutions of
 2-5     higher education to give credit as higher education course work to
 2-6     a continuing education course or program provided under Section
 2-7     21.0541.
 2-8           SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1999.
 2-9           SECTION 4.  The importance of this legislation and the
2-10     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
2-11     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
2-12     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
2-13     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.