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.