By Lewis of Orange                                    H.B. No. 1329
         77R3546 KKA-D                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to the code of ethics for public school educators.
 1-3           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-4           SECTION 1.  Section 21.041(b), Education Code, is amended to
 1-5     read as follows:
 1-6           (b)  The board shall propose rules that:
 1-7                 (1)  provide for the regulation of educators and the
 1-8     general administration of this subchapter in a manner consistent
 1-9     with this subchapter;
1-10                 (2)  specify the classes of educator certificates to be
1-11     issued, including emergency certificates;
1-12                 (3)  specify the period for which each class of
1-13     educator certificate is valid;
1-14                 (4)  specify the requirements for the issuance and
1-15     renewal of an educator certificate;
1-16                 (5)  provide for the issuance of an educator
1-17     certificate to a person who holds a similar certificate issued by
1-18     another state or foreign country, subject to Section 21.052;
1-19                 (6)  provide for special or restricted certification of
1-20     educators, including certification of instructors of American Sign
1-21     Language;
1-22                 (7)  provide for disciplinary proceedings, including
1-23     the suspension or revocation of an educator certificate, as
1-24     provided by Chapter 2001, Government Code;
 2-1                 (8)  provide for the adoption and[,] amendment[, and
 2-2     enforcement] of an educator's code of ethics;
 2-3                 (9)  provide for continuing education requirements; and
 2-4                 (10)  provide for certification of persons performing
 2-5     appraisals under Subchapter H.
 2-6           SECTION 2.  The change in law made by this Act to Section
 2-7     21.041(b), Education Code, does not affect the authority of the
 2-8     State Board for Educator Certification to take enforcement action
 2-9     regarding a violation of the educator's code of ethics that
2-10     occurred before the effective date of this Act.  State Board for
2-11     Educator Certification enforcement of the educator's code of ethics
2-12     regarding an educator's conduct that occurred before the effective
2-13     date of this Act is governed by Section 21.041(b)(8), Education
2-14     Code, as it existed on the date that the conduct occurred, and that
2-15     law is continued in effect for that purpose.
2-16           SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
2-17     a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
2-18     provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this
2-19     Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
2-20     Act takes effect September 1, 2001.