By Olivo, et al. H.B. No. 1438
77R13088 CAS-F
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to minimum salaries for interpreters employed in public
1-3 schools to provide interpreting services to students who are deaf
1-4 or hard of hearing.
1-5 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-6 SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 22, Education Code, is
1-7 amended by adding Section 22.007 to read as follows:
1-8 Sec. 22.007. MINIMUM ANNUAL SALARY FOR INTERPRETERS. (a)
1-9 Except as otherwise provided by this section, a school district
1-10 shall pay each interpreter employed by the district to provide
1-11 interpreting services to district students who are deaf or hard of
1-12 hearing an annual salary equal to not less than the following
1-13 amount, as appropriate, based on the interpreter's level of
1-14 certification:
1-15 LEVEL OF CERTIFICATION MINIMUM ANNUAL SALARY
1-16 No certification $13,000
1-17 Level I $16,000
1-18 Level II $18,500
1-19 Level III $20,000
1-20 Level IV $21,500
1-21 Level V $23,000
1-22 (b) The minimum annual salary required under Subsection (a)
1-23 is based on employment of an interpreter under a 10-month contract
1-24 under which the interpreter provides the number of days of service
2-1 required to be provided by an educator under Section 21.401. A
2-2 school district shall pay an interpreter employed under a different
2-3 arrangement an adjusted salary that proportionately reflects the
2-4 different number of days of service provided by the interpreter.
2-5 (c) A school district may not pay an interpreter employed by
2-6 the district to provide interpreting services to district students
2-7 who are deaf or hard of hearing an annual salary in an amount that
2-8 is less than the amount of the annual salary that the district paid
2-9 during the 1999-2000 school year to an interpreter with the same
2-10 level of certification.
2-11 (d) Each time professional employees specified by Section
2-12 21.402 are provided a raise in minimum salary under that section, a
2-13 school district shall provide a proportionate raise to
2-14 interpreters.
2-15 (e) In this section, an interpreter's level of certification
2-16 is determined according to the level of the interpreter's
2-17 certification issued by the Board for Evaluation of Interpreters or
2-18 the Texas Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing or other
2-19 comparable certification approved by the commission.
2-20 SECTION 2. Subchapter E, Chapter 42, Education Code, is
2-21 amended by adding Section 42.2513 to read as follows:
2-22 Sec. 42.2513. TRANSITION AID FOR INTERPRETERS' SALARIES. (a)
2-23 From funds appropriated to the agency for purposes of this section,
2-24 for the 2001-2002 and 2002-2003 school years, a school district,
2-25 including a school district that is otherwise ineligible for state
2-26 aid under this chapter, is entitled to state aid in an amount, as
2-27 determined by the commissioner, necessary for the district to pay
3-1 the costs of interpreters' salaries as prescribed by Section
3-2 22.007.
3-3 (b) A determination by the commissioner under this section
3-4 is final and may not be appealed.
3-5 (c) The commissioner may adopt rules as necessary to
3-6 implement this section.
3-7 (d) This section expires September 1, 2003.
3-8 SECTION 3. Section 22.007, Education Code, as added by this
3-9 Act, applies beginning with the 2001-2002 school year.
3-10 SECTION 4. (a) Except as provided by Subsection (b), this
3-11 Act takes effect immediately if it receives a vote of two-thirds of
3-12 all the members elected to each house, as provided by Section 39,
3-13 Article III, Texas Constitution. If this Act does not receive the
3-14 vote necessary for immediate effect, this Act takes effect
3-15 September 1, 2001.
3-16 (b) Section 2 of this Act takes effect September 1, 2001.