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.