1-1 By: Bernsen S.B. No. 831 1-2 (In the Senate - Filed March 3, 1999; March 4, 1999, read 1-3 first time and referred to Committee on Education; May 7, 1999, 1-4 reported adversely, with favorable Committee Substitute by the 1-5 following vote: Yeas 7, Nays 0; May 7, 1999, sent to printer.) 1-6 COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 831 By: Zaffirini 1-7 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-8 AN ACT 1-9 relating to parental notification of the employment of an 1-10 inappropriately certified or uncertified teacher. 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 21.057 to read as follows: 1-14 Sec. 21.057. PARENTAL NOTIFICATION. (a) A school district 1-15 that assigns an inappropriately certified or uncertified teacher to 1-16 the same classroom for more than 30 consecutive instructional days 1-17 during the same school year shall provide written notice of the 1-18 assignment to a parent or guardian of each student in that 1-19 classroom. 1-20 (b) The superintendent of the school district shall provide 1-21 the notice required by Subsection (a) not later than the 30th 1-22 instructional day after the date of the assignment of the 1-23 inappropriately certified or uncertified teacher. 1-24 (c) The school district shall: 1-25 (1) make a good-faith effort to ensure that the notice 1-26 required by this section is provided in a bilingual form to any 1-27 parent or guardian whose primary language is not English; 1-28 (2) retain a copy of any notice provided under this 1-29 section; and 1-30 (3) make information relating to teacher certification 1-31 available to the public on request. 1-32 (d) For purposes of this section, "inappropriately certified 1-33 or uncertified teacher": 1-34 (1) includes: 1-35 (A) an individual serving on an emergency 1-36 certificate issued under Section 21.041(b)(2); or 1-37 (B) an individual who does not hold any 1-38 certificate or permit issued under this chapter and is not employed 1-39 as specified by Subdivision (2)(E); and 1-40 (2) does not include an individual: 1-41 (A) who is a certified teacher assigned to teach 1-42 a class or classes outside his or her area of certification, as 1-43 determined by rules proposed by the board in specifying the 1-44 certificate required for each assignment; 1-45 (B) serving on a certificate issued due to a 1-46 hearing impairment under Section 21.048; 1-47 (C) serving on a certificate issued pursuant to 1-48 enrollment in an approved alternative certification program under 1-49 Section 21.049; 1-50 (D) certified by another state or country and 1-51 serving on a certificate issued under Section 21.052; 1-52 (E) serving on a school district teaching permit 1-53 issued under Section 21.055; or 1-54 (F) employed under a waiver granted by the 1-55 commissioner pursuant to Section 7.056. 1-56 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect beginning with the 1-57 1999-2000 school year. 1-58 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the 1-59 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 1-60 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 1-61 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 1-62 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended, 1-63 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its 1-64 passage, and it is so enacted. 2-1 * * * * *