By:  Ellis                                            S.R. No. 1201
                                  SENATE RESOLUTION
 1-1           BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the State of Texas, 77th
 1-2     Legislature, Regular Session, 2001, That Senate Rule 12.03 be
 1-3     suspended in part as provided by Senate Rule 12.08 to enable the
 1-4     conference committee appointed to resolve the differences on Senate
 1-5     Bill No. 1057, relating to the administration of the TEXAS grant
 1-6     program and to the dissemination of student financial aid
 1-7     information, to consider and take action on the following specific
 1-8     matter:
 1-9           Senate Rule 12.03(4) is suspended to permit the committee to
1-10     add text that is not included in either the House or Senate version
1-11     of the bill, SECTIONs 3 through 10 and Subsections (b) and (c),
1-12     SECTION 11, to read as follows:
1-13           SECTION 3.  Section 56.309, Education Code, is redesignated
1-14     as Subchapter O, Chapter 56, Education Code, and amended to read as
1-15     follows:
1-16         SUBCHAPTER O.  TEACH FOR TEXAS FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
1-17           Sec. 56.351.  DEFINITIONS.  In this subchapter:
1-18                 (1)  "Coordinating board" means the Texas Higher
1-19     Education Coordinating Board.
1-20                 (2)  "Eligible institution of higher education" means:
1-21                       (A)  an institution of higher education; or
1-22                       (B)  a private or independent institution of
1-23     higher education as defined by Section 61.003.
1-24           Sec. 56.352 [56.309].  PURPOSE OF [TEACH FOR TEXAS GRANT]
1-25     PROGRAM.  [(a)]  The purpose of this subchapter [the Teach for
 2-1     Texas grant program] is to attract to the teaching profession
 2-2     persons who have expressed interest in teaching and to support the
 2-3     certification of those persons as classroom teachers by providing a
 2-4     grant on the condition that the recipient serve as a classroom
 2-5     teacher in the public schools of this state for a specified period.
 2-6           Sec. 56.353.  ELIGIBILITY FOR GRANT; TEACHING AGREEMENT.  (a)
 2-7     [(b)] A Teach for Texas [tuition] grant is available only to a
 2-8     person who [receives a TEXAS grant under Section 56.304 or 56.305,]
 2-9     applies for a [Teach for Texas tuition] grant[,] and:
2-10                 (1)  is seeking educator certification;
2-11                 (2)  is enrolled in an eligible institution of higher
2-12     education in this state:
2-13                       (A)  as a junior or senior in a baccalaureate
2-14     degree program; or
2-15                       (B)  in the person's first academic year in an
2-16     educator certification program after receiving a baccalaureate
2-17     degree;
2-18                 (3)  makes satisfactory progress toward completion of
2-19     the person's educator certification program; and
2-20                 (4)  satisfies one of the following [if]:
2-21                       (A)  the person is seeking educator certification
2-22     [(1) the degree program is] in a teaching field certified by the
2-23     commissioner of education as experiencing a critical shortage of
2-24     teachers in this state in the year in which the person receives the
2-25     grant and agrees to teach full-time for five years at the
2-26     preschool, primary, or secondary level in a public school in this
 3-1     state in that teaching field [begins the degree program]; or
 3-2                       (B) [(2)]  the person agrees to teach full-time
 3-3     for five years at the preschool, primary, or secondary level in a
 3-4     public school in this state in a community, which is not required
 3-5     to be specifically designated at the time the person receives the
 3-6     grant, certified by the commissioner of education as experiencing a
 3-7     critical shortage of teachers in any year in which the person
 3-8     receives a grant under this subchapter [section] or in any
 3-9     subsequent year in which the person fulfills the teaching
3-10     obligation.
3-11           (b)  The coordinating board in awarding Teach for Texas
3-12     grants shall give priority to applicants who demonstrate financial
3-13     need.
3-14           (c)  If the money available for grants in a period for which
3-15     grants are awarded exceeds the amount needed to provide grants to
3-16     all eligible applicants described by Subsection (b), the
3-17     coordinating board shall award grants from the remaining money to
3-18     additional eligible applicants.  The coordinating board shall
3-19     prescribe by rule the eligibility requirements for these applicants
3-20     based on the factors that the coordinating board considers
3-21     appropriate to further the purposes of this subchapter.
3-22           (d)  If the money available for grants in a period for which
3-23     grants are awarded is insufficient to provide grants to all
3-24     eligible applicants described by Subsection (b), the coordinating
3-25     board shall give the highest priority to applicants who demonstrate
3-26     the greatest financial need.
 4-1           (e)  A person may not receive a Teach for Texas tuition grant
 4-2     for more than three academic years or the equivalent.
 4-3           (f)  A person is not eligible to receive a Teach for Texas
 4-4     grant if the person has been convicted of a felony or an offense
 4-5     under Chapter 481, Health and Safety Code (Texas Controlled
 4-6     Substances Act), or under the law of another jurisdiction involving
 4-7     a controlled substance, as defined by Chapter 481, Health and
 4-8     Safety Code, unless the person has met the other applicable
 4-9     eligibility requirements under this subchapter and has:
4-10                 (1)  received a certificate of discharge by the Texas
4-11     Department of Criminal Justice or a correctional facility or
4-12     completed a period of probation ordered by a court, and at least
4-13     two years have elapsed from the date of the receipt or completion;
4-14     or
4-15                 (2)  been pardoned, had the record of the offense
4-16     expunged from the person's record, or otherwise has been released
4-17     from the resulting ineligibility to receive a grant under this
4-18     subchapter.
4-19           (g)  For the purpose of this section, a person makes
4-20     satisfactory academic progress toward completion of an educator
4-21     certification program if the person:
4-22                 (1)  completes at least 75 percent of the semester
4-23     credit hours attempted in the student's most recent academic year;
4-24     and
4-25                 (2)  earns an overall grade point average of at least
4-26     2.5 on a four-point scale or the equivalent on coursework
 5-1     previously attempted at institutions of higher education.
 5-2           Sec. 56.354.  AMOUNT OF GRANT; PAYMENT OF GRANT.  (a)  The
 5-3     amount of a Teach for Texas grant is equal to four times the
 5-4     current amount of a TEXAS grant under Subchapter M for a student
 5-5     enrolled in a general academic teaching institution [To receive a
 5-6     Teach for Texas tuition grant, a person must agree to teach
 5-7     full-time for five years at the preschool, primary, or secondary
 5-8     level in a public school in this state in the person's chosen
 5-9     critical field or in a community experiencing a critical teacher
5-10     shortage, as applicable].
5-11           (b) [(d)]  The coordinating board shall pay the amount of a
5-12     Teach for Texas [tuition] grant in installments, with a
5-13     substantially equal amount paid in each semester or term based on
5-14     the number of semesters in which a typical full-time student would
5-15     complete the recipient's educator certification program.  The
5-16     coordinating board may adjust the amount of a grant for a semester
5-17     or term, or award a supplemental grant, to ensure that a grant
5-18     recipient who completes the educator certification program receives
5-19     the total amount of the recipient's grant [under this section is
5-20     equal to two times the amount of a TEXAS grant authorized under
5-21     Section 56.307(b) for the same semester or term].
5-22           Sec. 56.355.  ELIGIBILITY FOR TEXAS GRANT NOT AFFECTED.  A
5-23     person may receive both a TEXAS grant under Subchapter M [Section
5-24     56.304 or 56.305] and a Teach for Texas grant under this subchapter
5-25     [section] for the same semester or term.
5-26           Sec. 56.356.  SATISFYING TEACHING OBLIGATION; REPAYMENT.
 6-1     (a)  A person who receives a Teach for Texas grant [(e)  The
 6-2     person] must begin fulfilling the teaching obligation of the
 6-3     person's grant [this section] not later than the 18th month after
 6-4     the person completes the  educator certification program for which
 6-5     the person received the grant [degree program and any related
 6-6     courses required for teacher certification], unless the
 6-7     coordinating board grants the person additional time to begin
 6-8     fulfilling the teaching obligation.
 6-9           (b)  The person must complete the teaching obligation not
6-10     later than the sixth year after the date the person begins to
6-11     fulfill the teaching obligation.  The coordinating board shall
6-12     grant a person additional time to complete the teaching obligation
6-13     for good cause.
6-14           (c) [(f)]  The coordinating board shall cancel a person's
6-15     teaching obligation if the board determines that the person:
6-16                 (1)  has become permanently disabled so that the person
6-17     is not able to teach; or
6-18                 (2)  has died.
6-19           (d) [(g)]  The coordinating board shall require a person who
6-20     receives a Teach for Texas grant [under this section] to sign a
6-21     promissory note acknowledging the conditional nature of the grant
6-22     and promising to repay the outstanding amount of the grant plus
6-23     applicable interest and reasonable collection costs if the person
6-24     does not satisfy the applicable conditions.  The board shall
6-25     determine the terms of the promissory note.
6-26           (e) [(h)]  The amount required to be repaid by a person who
 7-1     fails to complete the teaching obligation of the person's grant
 7-2     shall be determined in proportion to the portion of the total
 7-3     teaching obligation that the person has not satisfied.
 7-4           (f) [(i)]  A person receiving a Teach for Texas [tuition]
 7-5     grant is considered to have failed to satisfy the conditions of the
 7-6     grant, and the grant automatically becomes a loan, if the person
 7-7     fails to remain enrolled in or to make steady progress in the
 7-8     person's educator certification program and, if applicable, the
 7-9     person's baccalaureate degree program for which the grant was made
7-10     without good cause as determined by the coordinating board or if
7-11     the person fails to become certified as a teacher not later than
7-12     the 18th month after the date the person completes the educator
7-13     certification program [receives a degree].
7-14           Sec. 56.357.  TEACH FOR TEXAS ALTERNATIVE CERTIFICATION
7-15     ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.  (a)  The coordinating board shall establish a
7-16     program under which the coordinating board awards grants to assist
7-17     persons seeking educator certification through alternative educator
7-18     certification programs as provided by this section.
7-19           (b)  To be eligible for a grant under the program, a person
7-20     must apply for a grant and:
7-21                 (1)  have received a baccalaureate degree from an
7-22     eligible institution of higher education or an accredited
7-23     out-of-state institution of higher education; and
7-24                 (2)  enroll in an alternative educator certification
7-25     program described by Section 21.049 and satisfy either of the
7-26     following conditions:
 8-1                       (A)  be seeking educator certification in a
 8-2     teaching field certified by the commissioner of education as
 8-3     experiencing a critical shortage of teachers in this state in the
 8-4     year in which the person receives the grant and agree to teach for
 8-5     five years in a public school in this state in that teaching field;
 8-6     or
 8-7                       (B)  agree to teach for five years in a public
 8-8     school in this state in a community, which is not required to be
 8-9     specifically designated at the time the person receives the grant,
8-10     certified by the commissioner of education as experiencing a
8-11     critical shortage of teachers in any year in which the person
8-12     receives a grant under this section or in any subsequent year in
8-13     which the person fulfills the teaching obligation.
8-14           (c)  A person is not eligible to receive a grant under the
8-15     program if the person has been convicted of a felony or an offense
8-16     under Chapter 481, Health and Safety Code (Texas Controlled
8-17     Substances Act), or under the law of another jurisdiction involving
8-18     a controlled substance, as defined by Chapter 481, Health and
8-19     Safety Code, unless the person has met the other applicable
8-20     eligibility requirements under this section and has:
8-21                 (1)  received a certificate of discharge by the Texas
8-22     Department of Criminal Justice or a correctional facility or
8-23     completed a period of probation ordered by a court, and at least
8-24     two years have elapsed from the date of the receipt or completion;
8-25     or
8-26                 (2)  been pardoned, had the record of the offense
 9-1     expunged from the person's record, or otherwise has been released
 9-2     from the resulting ineligibility to receive a grant under the
 9-3     program.
 9-4           (d)  In selecting applicants to receive grants under the
 9-5     program, the coordinating board shall consider:
 9-6                 (1)  the financial resources of an applicant;
 9-7                 (2)  the efficient use of the money available for
 9-8     grants;
 9-9                 (3)  the opportunity of applicants from all regions of
9-10     this state to receive grants; and
9-11                 (4)  any other factor the coordinating board considers
9-12     appropriate to further the purposes of this subchapter.
9-13           (e)  The amount of a grant under the program is equal to two
9-14     times the current amount of a TEXAS grant under Subchapter M for a
9-15     student enrolled in a general academic teaching institution.  The
9-16     coordinating board may pay the amount of the grant in installments
9-17     during the period in which the person is enrolled in the person's
9-18     alternative educator certification program.
9-19           (f)  The person must begin fulfilling the person's teaching
9-20     obligation not later than the 18th month after the person completes
9-21     the alternative educator certification program, unless the
9-22     coordinating board for good cause grants the person additional time
9-23     to begin fulfilling the teaching obligation.  The person must
9-24     complete the teaching obligation not later than the sixth year
9-25     after the date the person begins to fulfill the teaching
9-26     obligation.  The coordinating board shall grant a person additional
 10-1    time to complete the teaching obligation for good cause.
 10-2          (g)  The coordinating board shall cancel a person's teaching
 10-3    obligation if the coordinating board determines that the person:
 10-4                (1)  has become permanently disabled so that the person
 10-5    is not able to teach; or
 10-6                (2)  has died.
 10-7          (h)  The coordinating board shall require a person who
 10-8    receives a grant to sign a promissory note acknowledging the
 10-9    conditional nature of the grant and promising to repay the amount
10-10    of the grant plus applicable interest and reasonable collection
10-11    costs if the person does not satisfy the applicable conditions of
10-12    the grant.  The coordinating board shall determine the terms of the
10-13    promissory note.
10-14          (i)  The amount required to be repaid by a person who fails
10-15    to complete the teaching obligation of the person's grant shall be
10-16    determined in proportion to the portion of the teaching obligation
10-17    that the person has not satisfied.
10-18          (j)  A person receiving a grant is considered to have failed
10-19    to satisfy the conditions of the grant, and the grant automatically
10-20    becomes a loan, if the person, without good cause as determined by
10-21    the coordinating board, fails to:
10-22                (1)  remain enrolled in or to make steady progress in
10-23    the alternative educator certification program for which the grant
10-24    was made or, with the approval of the coordinating board, in
10-25    another alternative educator certification program; or
10-26                (2)  become certified as a classroom teacher not later
 11-1    than the 18th month after the date the person completes the
 11-2    alternative educator certification program.
 11-3          Sec. 56.358.  FUNDING; ALLOCATION OF FUNDING.  (a)  The
 11-4    coordinating board may solicit and accept gifts and grants from any
 11-5    public or private source for the purposes of this subchapter.
 11-6          (b)  The legislature may appropriate money for the purposes
 11-7    of this subchapter.
 11-8          SECTION 4.  The heading to Subchapter M, Chapter 56,
 11-9    Education Code, as added by Chapter 1590, Acts of the 76th
11-10    Legislature, Regular Session, 1999, is amended to read as follows:
11-11        SUBCHAPTER M.  TOWARD EXCELLENCE, ACCESS, & SUCCESS (TEXAS)
11-12             GRANT PROGRAM [AND TEACH FOR TEXAS GRANT PROGRAM]
11-13          SECTION 5.  Subsection (b), Section 56.308, Education Code,
11-14    is amended to read as follows:
11-15          (b)  Each school district shall:
11-16                (1)  notify its middle school students, junior high
11-17    school students, and high school students, those students' teachers
11-18    and counselors, and those students' parents of the TEXAS grant and
11-19    Teach for Texas grant programs [established under this subchapter],
11-20    the eligibility requirements of each program, the need for students
11-21    to make informed curriculum choices to be prepared for success
11-22    beyond high school, and sources of information on higher education
11-23    admissions and financial aid in a manner that assists the district
11-24    in implementing a strategy adopted by the district under Section
11-25    11.252(a)(4); and
11-26                (2)  ensure that each student's official transcript or
 12-1    diploma indicates whether the student has completed or is on
 12-2    schedule to complete:
 12-3                      (A)  the recommended or advanced high school
 12-4    curriculum required for grant eligibility under Section 28.002 or
 12-5    28.025; or
 12-6                      (B)  for a school district covered by Section
 12-7    56.304(f)(1), the required portion of the recommended or advanced
 12-8    high school curriculum in the manner described by Section
 12-9    56.304(f)(2).
12-10          SECTION 6.  Section 56.311, Education Code, is amended to
12-11    read as follows:
12-12          Sec. 56.311.  LEGISLATIVE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE.  (a)  The
12-13    Legislative Oversight Committee on the TEXAS grant program and
12-14    Teach for Texas grant program [programs established by this
12-15    subchapter] is composed of six members as follows:
12-16                (1)  three members of the senate appointed by the
12-17    lieutenant governor; and
12-18                (2)  three members of the house of representatives
12-19    appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives.
12-20          (b)  The committee shall:
12-21                (1)  meet at least twice a year with the coordinating
12-22    board; and
12-23                (2)  receive information regarding rules relating to
12-24    the TEXAS grant program and Teach for Texas grant program [programs
12-25    established by this subchapter] that have been adopted by the
12-26    coordinating board or proposed for adoption by the coordinating
 13-1    board.
 13-2          (c)  The committee may request reports and other information
 13-3    from the coordinating board relating to the operation of the TEXAS
 13-4    grant program and Teach for Texas grant program [programs under
 13-5    this subchapter] by the coordinating board.
 13-6          (d)  The committee shall review the specific recommendations
 13-7    for legislation related to this subchapter that are proposed by the
 13-8    coordinating board.
 13-9          (e)  The committee shall monitor the operation of the TEXAS
13-10    grant program and Teach for Texas grant program [programs
13-11    established under this subchapter], with emphasis on the manner of
13-12    the award of grants, the number of grants awarded, and the
13-13    educational progress made by persons who have received grants under
13-14    those programs [this subchapter].
13-15          (f)  The committee shall file a report with the governor,
13-16    lieutenant governor, and speaker of the house of representatives
13-17    not later than December 31 of each even-numbered year.
13-18          (g)  The report shall include identification of any problems
13-19    in the TEXAS grant program and Teach for Texas grant program
13-20    [programs operated under this subchapter] with recommended
13-21    solutions for the coordinating board and for legislative action.
13-22          SECTION 7.  Subsection (a), Section 11.252, Education Code,
13-23    is amended to read as follows:
13-24          (a)  Each school district shall have a district improvement
13-25    plan that is developed, evaluated, and revised annually, in
13-26    accordance with district policy, by the superintendent with the
 14-1    assistance of the district-level committee established under
 14-2    Section 11.251.  The purpose of the district improvement plan is to
 14-3    guide district and campus staff in the improvement of student
 14-4    performance for all student groups in order to attain state
 14-5    standards in respect to the academic excellence indicators adopted
 14-6    under Section 39.051.  The district improvement plan must include
 14-7    provisions for:
 14-8                (1)  a comprehensive needs assessment addressing
 14-9    district student performance on the academic excellence indicators,
14-10    and other appropriate measures of performance, that are
14-11    disaggregated by all student groups served by the district,
14-12    including categories of ethnicity, socioeconomic status, sex, and
14-13    populations served by special programs, including students in
14-14    special education programs under Subchapter A, Chapter 29;
14-15                (2)  measurable district performance objectives for all
14-16    appropriate academic excellence indicators for all student
14-17    populations, including students in special education programs under
14-18    Subchapter A, Chapter 29, and other measures of student performance
14-19    that may be identified through the comprehensive needs assessment;
14-20                (3)  strategies for improvement of student performance
14-21    that include:
14-22                      (A)  instructional methods for addressing the
14-23    needs of student groups not achieving their full potential;
14-24                      (B)  methods for addressing the needs of students
14-25    for special programs, such as suicide prevention, conflict
14-26    resolution, violence prevention, or dyslexia treatment programs;
 15-1                      (C)  dropout reduction;
 15-2                      (D)  integration of technology in instructional
 15-3    and administrative programs;
 15-4                      (E)  discipline management;
 15-5                      (F)  staff development for professional staff of
 15-6    the district;
 15-7                      (G)  career education to assist students in
 15-8    developing the knowledge, skills, and competencies necessary for a
 15-9    broad range of career opportunities; and
15-10                      (H)  accelerated education;
15-11                (4)  strategies for providing to middle school, junior
15-12    high school, and high school students, those students' teachers and
15-13    counselors, and those students' parents information about:
15-14                      (A)  higher education admissions and financial
15-15    aid opportunities;
15-16                      (B)  the TEXAS grant program and the Teach for
15-17    Texas grant program established under [Subchapter M,] Chapter 56;
15-18                      (C)  the need for students to make informed
15-19    curriculum choices to be prepared for success beyond high school;
15-20    and
15-21                      (D)  sources of information on higher education
15-22    admissions and financial aid;
15-23                (5)  resources needed to implement identified
15-24    strategies;
15-25                (6)  staff responsible for ensuring the accomplishment
15-26    of each strategy;
 16-1                (7)  timelines for ongoing monitoring of the
 16-2    implementation of each improvement strategy; and
 16-3                (8)  formative evaluation criteria for determining
 16-4    periodically whether strategies are resulting in intended
 16-5    improvement of student performance.
 16-6          SECTION 8.  Subchapter M, Chapter 61, Education Code, is
 16-7    amended by amending Section 61.702 and adding Section 61.7021 to
 16-8    read as follows:
 16-9          Sec. 61.702.  ELIGIBILITY FOR CLASSROOM TEACHER REPAYMENT
16-10    ASSISTANCE.  (a)  To be eligible to receive repayment assistance
16-11    for classroom teachers, a person must apply to the board and must
16-12    [have]:
16-13                (1)  have completed at least one year of employment as
16-14    [and be employed as] a full-time classroom teacher at the
16-15    preschool, primary, or secondary level in a public school in [the
16-16    elementary or secondary schools of] this state in an area or field
16-17    of acute teacher shortage as designated by the commissioner of
16-18    education [State Board of Education]; and
16-19                (2)  be employed as a full-time classroom teacher at
16-20    the preschool, primary, or secondary level in a public school in
16-21    this state in an area or field described by Subdivision (1).
16-22          (b)  A person is not eligible for repayment assistance for
16-23    classroom teachers under this subchapter if the person has received
16-24    a Teach for Texas grant or other financial assistance under
16-25    Subchapter O, Chapter 56, or under former Section 56.309.
16-26          (c)  The board shall give priority in granting repayment
 17-1    assistance for classroom teachers to a person who received
 17-2    repayment assistance for classroom teachers for the preceding
 17-3    school year.  The priority terminates if the person does not apply
 17-4    for or is not eligible for that assistance.  In extraordinary
 17-5    circumstances, the board may allow a person to maintain the
 17-6    priority after one or more years in which the person is unable to
 17-7    teach as a classroom teacher.
 17-8          Sec. 61.7021.  ELIGIBILITY FOR BORDER INSTITUTION FACULTY
 17-9    REPAYMENT ASSISTANCE.  To be eligible to receive repayment
17-10    assistance for border institution faculty, a person must apply to
17-11    the board and must:
17-12                (1)  have [or]
17-13                [(2)]  received a doctoral degree not earlier than
17-14    September 1, 1994, from a public or private institution of higher
17-15    education accredited as required by the board; and
17-16                (2)  be employed as a full-time faculty member with
17-17    instructional duties in an institution of higher education located
17-18    in a county that borders the United Mexican States.
17-19          SECTION 9.  Section 61.705, Education Code, is amended by
17-20    amending Subsection (c) and adding Subsections (d) and (e) to read
17-21    as follows:
17-22          (c)  The minimum amount of repayment assistance that may be
17-23    awarded in one year to a person who qualifies for the assistance
17-24    under Section 61.702 is the lesser of:
17-25                (1)  $1,000; or
17-26                (2)  the amount of principal and accrued interest that
 18-1    is due on eligible loans in that year.
 18-2          (d)  A person may not receive repayment assistance for
 18-3    classroom teachers under this subchapter in a total amount that
 18-4    exceeds $5,000, and may not receive that repayment assistance for
 18-5    more than five years.
 18-6          (e)  The minimum amount of repayment assistance that may be
 18-7    awarded [received] in one year to [by] a person who qualifies for
 18-8    the assistance under [described by] Section 61.7021 [61.702(2)] is
 18-9    50 percent of the amount of principal and accrued interest that is
18-10    due on eligible loans that year.
18-11          SECTION 10.  Subsection (a), Section 61.708, Education Code,
18-12    is amended to read as follows:
18-13          (a)  The board shall adopt rules necessary for the
18-14    administration of this subchapter, including[:]
18-15                [(1)  a rule that sets a minimum or maximum amount of
18-16    repayment assistance that may be received in one year by a person
18-17    described by Section 61.702(1); and]
18-18                [(2)]  a rule that sets a maximum amount of repayment
18-19    assistance that may be received in one year by a person who
18-20    qualifies for the assistance under Section 61.7021 [described by
18-21    Section 61.702(2)].
18-22          SECTION 11.  (a)  The change in law made by this Act relating
18-23    to the eligibility of a person to receive a TEXAS grant applies
18-24    beginning with students who demonstrate eligibility to receive a
18-25    grant for the 2001-2002 academic year.
18-26          (b)  The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board shall
 19-1    implement the changes made by this Act to the Teach for Texas grant
 19-2    program and to the classroom teacher loan repayment assistance
 19-3    program under Subchapter M, Chapter 61, Education Code, as soon as
 19-4    practicable after the effective date of this Act, but not later
 19-5    than the 2002-2003 academic year.
 19-6          (c)  The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board shall
 19-7    adopt initial rules for awarding grants and shall award grants
 19-8    under the Teach for Texas alternative certification assistance
 19-9    program established under Section 56.357, Education Code, as added
19-10    by this Act, as soon as practicable.
19-11          Explanation:  These additions are necessary to provide
19-12    appropriate financial aid and other incentives for persons to
19-13    complete the educational requirements for educator certification,
19-14    by revising the Teach for Texas grant program and applying the
19-15    program to alternative educator certification programs, by revising
19-16    the classroom teacher loan repayment assistance program, and by
19-17    making appropriate conforming changes to the law.
19-18                                 ______________________________________
19-19                                         President of the Senate
19-20                                      I hereby certify that the above
19-21                                 Resolution was adopted by the Senate
19-22                                 on May 25, 2001, by the following
19-23                                 vote:  Yeas 30, Nays 0, one present
19-24                                 not voting.
19-25                                 ______________________________________
19-26                                         Secretary of the Senate