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.