By Cain                                               S.B. No. 1617
         76R3964 JRD-D                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to educational technology.
 1-3           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-4           SECTION 1.  Subchapter A, Chapter 7, Education Code, is
 1-5     amended by adding Section 7.006 to read as follows:
 1-6           Sec. 7.006.  TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY
 1-7     COORDINATING COUNCIL.  (a)  The Telecommunications and Educational
 1-8     Technology Coordinating Council is established to coordinate the
 1-9     state's promotion and use of educational technology.
1-10           (b)  The council is composed of representatives from each of
1-11     the following agencies, with one representative appointed by each
1-12     agency:
1-13                 (1)  the Texas Education Agency;
1-14                 (2)  the State Board for Educator Certification;
1-15                 (3)  the General Services Commission;
1-16                 (4)  the Department of Information Resources;
1-17                 (5)  the Texas State Library and Archives Commission;
1-18     and
1-19                 (6)  the Telecommunications Infrastructure Fund Board.
1-20           (c)  The council shall create a statewide master plan
1-21     designed to promote coordination of efforts and minimize
1-22     duplication of efforts in the state's deployment of educational
1-23     technology and in educational technology grants made to school
1-24     districts and other entities. The council shall monitor the
 2-1     implementation of the plan and shall attempt to coordinate state
 2-2     educational technology efforts so that funding and services
 2-3     provided by the state are not duplicative and that unmet needs are
 2-4     addressed.
 2-5           (d)  The council shall promote discussions regarding issues
 2-6     such as the long-term ramifications of proposed educational
 2-7     technology initiatives and the best methods of meeting the
 2-8     educational needs of students with educational technology.
 2-9           (e)  The council shall select a presiding officer from among
2-10     its members.  The council shall meet at the call of the presiding
2-11     officer or as provided by procedural rules of the council.  Each
2-12     agency represented on the council may provide staff support to the
2-13     council.
2-14           SECTION 2.  Subchapter C, Chapter 61, Education Code, is
2-15     amended by adding Section 61.0761 to read as follows:
2-16           Sec. 61.0761.  TRAINING FOR USE OF EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGIES.
2-17     The board, the Texas Education Agency, the State Board for Educator
2-18     Certification, and institutions of higher education, under the
2-19     leadership of the board, shall cooperate to ensure that:
2-20                 (1)  teachers, librarians, and students in institutions
2-21     of higher education who are preparing for careers as teachers or
2-22     librarians are trained in the effective and efficient use of
2-23     educational technologies;
2-24                 (2)  training standards in teaching the use of
2-25     educational technologies are developed; and
2-26                 (3)  with the assistance of the Telecommunications and
2-27     Educational Technology Coordinating Council, adequate funding is
 3-1     available to provide continuing education to teachers and
 3-2     librarians, and education to students preparing for careers as
 3-3     teachers or librarians, in the use of educational technologies.
 3-4           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the
 3-5     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
 3-6     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
 3-7     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
 3-8     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
 3-9     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
3-10     passage, and it is so enacted.