By: Cain S.B. No. 1617
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
1-1 relating to educational technology.
1-2 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-3 SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 7, Education Code, is
1-4 amended by adding Section 7.006 to read as follows:
1-5 Sec. 7.006. TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY
1-6 COORDINATING COUNCIL. (a) The Telecommunications and Educational
1-7 Technology Coordinating Council is established to coordinate the
1-8 state's promotion and use of educational technology.
1-9 (b) The council is composed of representatives from each of
1-10 the following agencies, with one representative appointed by each
1-11 agency:
1-12 (1) the Texas Education Agency;
1-13 (2) the State Board for Educator Certification;
1-14 (3) the General Services Commission;
1-15 (4) the Department of Information Resources;
1-16 (5) the Texas State Library and Archives Commission;
1-17 (6) the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board; and
1-18 (7) the Telecommunications Infrastructure Fund Board.
1-19 (c) The council shall create a statewide master plan
1-20 designed to promote coordination of efforts and minimize
1-21 duplication of efforts in the state's deployment of educational
1-22 technology and in educational technology grants made to school
1-23 districts and other entities. The council shall monitor the
1-24 implementation of the plan and shall attempt to coordinate state
2-1 educational technology efforts so that funding and services
2-2 provided by the state are not duplicative and that unmet needs are
2-3 addressed.
2-4 (d) The council shall promote discussions regarding issues
2-5 such as the long-term ramifications of proposed educational
2-6 technology initiatives and the best methods of meeting the
2-7 educational needs of students with educational technology.
2-8 (e) The Department of Information Resources representative
2-9 shall serve as presiding officer of the council. The council shall
2-10 meet at the call of the presiding officer or as provided by
2-11 procedural rules of the council. Each agency represented on the
2-12 council may provide staff support to the council.
2-13 (f) Not later than January 1, 2001, the council shall submit
2-14 a report to the legislature on the implementation of the statewide
2-15 master plan with recommendations on statutory or other changes that
2-16 require legislative action to improve the statewide master plan.
2-17 SECTION 2. Subchapter C, Chapter 61, Education Code, is
2-18 amended by adding Section 61.0761 to read as follows:
2-19 Sec. 61.0761. TRAINING FOR USE OF EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGIES.
2-20 The board, the Texas Education Agency, the State Board for Educator
2-21 Certification, and institutions of higher education, under the
2-22 leadership of the board, shall cooperate to ensure that:
2-23 (1) teachers, librarians, and students in institutions
2-24 of higher education who are preparing for careers as teachers or
2-25 librarians are trained in the effective and efficient use of
2-26 educational technologies;
3-1 (2) training standards in teaching the use of
3-2 educational technologies are developed; and
3-3 (3) with the assistance of the Telecommunications and
3-4 Educational Technology Coordinating Council, adequate funding is
3-5 available to provide continuing education to teachers and
3-6 librarians, and education to students preparing for careers as
3-7 teachers or librarians, in the use of educational technologies.
3-8 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the
3-9 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
3-10 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
3-11 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
3-12 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
3-13 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
3-14 passage, and it is so enacted.