By Lucio S.B. No. 1285
76R9251 ESH-D
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to the creation of a select committee to review issues
1-3 related to the employment and compensation of professional
1-4 employees of public schools.
1-5 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-6 SECTION 1. Subchapter I, Chapter 21, Education Code, is
1-7 amended by adding Section 21.410 to read as follows:
1-8 Sec. 21.410. SELECT COMMITTEE ON EMPLOYMENT AND COMPENSATION
1-9 OF PROFESSIONAL EMPLOYEES OF PUBLIC SCHOOLS. (a) The Select
1-10 Committee on the Employment and Compensation of Professional
1-11 Employees of Public Schools is composed of:
1-12 (1) the chair of the Senate Education Committee;
1-13 (2) the chair of the House Public Education Committee;
1-14 (3) two members of the senate, appointed by the
1-15 lieutenant governor;
1-16 (4) two members of the house of representatives,
1-17 appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives; and
1-18 (5) the following members jointly appointed by the
1-19 lieutenant governor and the speaker of the house of
1-20 representatives:
1-21 (A) one classroom teacher in a public elementary
1-22 school;
1-23 (B) one classroom teacher in a public middle
1-24 school or junior high school;
2-1 (C) one classroom teacher in a public high
2-2 school;
2-3 (D) one principal of a public school;
2-4 (E) one superintendent of a school district; and
2-5 (F) two representatives of businesses and
2-6 communities, each of whom has one or more children attending public
2-7 school.
2-8 (b) The chairs of the Senate Education Committee and the
2-9 House Public Education Committee serve as co-chairs of the
2-10 committee. The select committee shall hold meetings at the call
2-11 of the co-chairs.
2-12 (c) The select committee shall conduct a detailed,
2-13 comprehensive review of issues related to the employment and
2-14 compensation of professional employees by public schools,
2-15 including issues related to recruitment, compensation, different
2-16 rates of compensation for public school teachers depending on the
2-17 subject or grade level taught, employment benefits, performance
2-18 appraisals, retirement benefits, and other issues the committee
2-19 considers appropriate.
2-20 (d) The commissioner of education, the commissioner of
2-21 higher education, and the executive directors of the Teacher
2-22 Retirement System of Texas and the State Board for Educator
2-23 Certification shall each ensure that the select committee has
2-24 access to any agency records or personnel the committee requests.
2-25 (e) Not later than December 1, 2000, the select committee
2-26 shall issue a report stating the findings of the committee's review
2-27 under Subsection (c), including any recommendations for statutory
3-1 changes. The report must be approved by a majority of the members
3-2 of the committee. Any member who dissents from a finding or
3-3 recommendation may attach a statement to the report.
3-4 (f) The staffs of the Senate Education Committee and House
3-5 Public Education Committee shall serve as staff for the select
3-6 committee.
3-7 (g) The Texas Education Agency, State Board for Educator
3-8 Certification, Teacher Retirement System of Texas, Texas Higher
3-9 Education Coordinating Board, Legislative Budget Board,
3-10 comptroller, state auditor, and other state agencies, officers, and
3-11 employees shall cooperate with the select committee in performing
3-12 the committee's duties under this section.
3-13 (h) A member of the select committee is not entitled to
3-14 compensation for service on the committee. A member is entitled to
3-15 reimbursement for actual and necessary expenses incurred in
3-16 performing the member's duties related to the committee. Each
3-17 legislative member of the committee is entitled to reimbursement
3-18 from the appropriate fund of the house in which the member serves.
3-19 Each public member of the committee is entitled to reimbursement
3-20 from funds appropriated to or made available for purposes of the
3-21 committee.
3-22 (i) The select committee may coordinate its review with any
3-23 other legislative study.
3-24 (j) The select committee is abolished December 31, 2000.
3-25 This section expires September 1, 2001.
3-26 SECTION 2. Sections 21.401-21.403, Education Code, are
3-27 repealed.
4-1 SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately, except that
4-2 Section 2 of this Act takes effect September 1, 2001.
4-3 SECTION 4. The importance of this legislation and the
4-4 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
4-5 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
4-6 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
4-7 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
4-8 and that this Act take effect and be in force according to its
4-9 terms, and it is so enacted.