By Zaffirini S.B. No. 724 76R4381 BDH-D A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to continuing education courses and programs for public 1-3 school educators. 1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-5 SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 21, Education Code, is 1-6 amended by adding Section 21.0541 to read as follows: 1-7 Sec. 21.0541. CONTRACTS FOR CONTINUING EDUCATION. (a) The 1-8 agency may contract with a public or private entity, including an 1-9 entity that receives funds from the National Endowment for the 1-10 Humanities under 20 U.S.C. Section 956, for the provision of 1-11 continuing education courses and programs that fulfill educators' 1-12 continuing education requirements. 1-13 (b) A continuing education course or program provided under 1-14 this section must: 1-15 (1) relate to the required curriculum prescribed by 1-16 Section 28.002; 1-17 (2) include at least 105 hours of classroom training; 1-18 (3) entitle an attending educator to credit for higher 1-19 education course work; and 1-20 (4) be taught by faculty members from institutions of 1-21 higher education in the state who are nationally recognized as 1-22 experts in the relevant subject. 1-23 (c) An entity seeking a contract with the agency under 1-24 Subsection (a) must demonstrate to the agency a history of 2-1 providing courses and programs that meet the requirements of this 2-2 section. 2-3 (d) An entity contracting with the agency under Subsection 2-4 (a) must enter into agreements with institutions of higher 2-5 education representing all geographic regions of the state to 2-6 sponsor and conduct the courses or programs. An agreement must 2-7 specify: 2-8 (1) the amount of credit for higher education course 2-9 work an educator will receive for completing a course or program; 2-10 (2) the tuition required for an educator to attend the 2-11 course or program; and 2-12 (3) the salary of instructors of the course or 2-13 program. 2-14 (e) The agency shall pay an entity under a contract under 2-15 Subsection (a) from funds appropriated for that purpose. The 2-16 entity shall use money received under the contract to: 2-17 (1) pay for the room, board, and tuition of an 2-18 educator attending a course or program under this section; and 2-19 (2) reimburse the institution of higher education 2-20 providing a course or program under this section for the salaries 2-21 of the instructors of the course or program. 2-22 (f) An educator seeking to attend a course or program 2-23 offered under this section must apply through the institution of 2-24 higher education sponsoring the course or program. An institution 2-25 providing a course or program under this section must give 2-26 preference to applications from educators with 10 or more years of 2-27 educator experience and may not admit more than 25 educators for 3-1 each course or program. 3-2 (g) The state auditor shall annually audit each contract 3-3 entered into under Subsection (a). 3-4 SECTION 2. Section 61.051, Education Code, is amended by 3-5 adding Subsection (s) to read as follows: 3-6 (s) The board shall adopt rules that require institutions of 3-7 higher education to give credit as higher education course work to 3-8 a continuing education course or program provided under Section 3-9 21.0541. 3-10 SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 1999. 3-11 SECTION 4. The importance of this legislation and the 3-12 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 3-13 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 3-14 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 3-15 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.