1-1     By:  Zaffirini                                         S.B. No. 724
 1-2           (In the Senate - Filed February 26, 1999; March 1, 1999, read
 1-3     first time and referred to Committee on Education; April 19, 1999,
 1-4     reported adversely, with favorable Committee Substitute by the
 1-5     following vote:  Yeas 8, Nays 0; April 19, 1999, sent to printer.)
 1-6     COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 724                By:  Zaffirini
 1-7                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-8                                   AN ACT
 1-9     relating to continuing education courses and programs for public
1-10     school educators.
1-11           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-12           SECTION 1.  Subchapter B, Chapter 21, Education Code, is
1-13     amended by adding Section 21.0541 to read as follows:
1-14           Sec. 21.0541.  CONTRACTS FOR CONTINUING EDUCATION.  (a)  A
1-15     regional education service center may contract with a public or
1-16     private entity, including an entity that receives funds from the
1-17     National Endowment for the Humanities under 20 U.S.C. Section 956,
1-18     for the provision of continuing education courses and programs that
1-19     fulfill educators' continuing education requirements.
1-20           (b)  A continuing education course or program provided under
1-21     this section must:
1-22                 (1)  relate to the required curriculum prescribed by
1-23     Section 28.002;
1-24                 (2)  include at least 105 hours of classroom training;
1-25                 (3)  entitle an attending educator to credit for higher
1-26     education course work; and
1-27                 (4)  be taught by faculty members from institutions of
1-28     higher education in the state who are nationally recognized as
1-29     experts in the relevant subject.
1-30           (c)  An entity seeking a contract with the agency under
1-31     Subsection (a)  must demonstrate to the agency a history of
1-32     providing courses and programs that meet the requirements of this
1-33     section.
1-34           SECTION 2.  Section 61.051, Education Code, is amended by
1-35     adding Subsection (s) to read as follows:
1-36           (s)  The board shall adopt rules that require institutions of
1-37     higher education to give credit as higher education course work to
1-38     a continuing education course or program provided under Section
1-39     21.0541.
1-40           SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1999.
1-41           SECTION 4.  The importance of this legislation and the
1-42     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
1-43     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
1-44     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
1-45     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.
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