C.S.H.B. 558 78(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


C.S.H.B. 558
By: Grusendorf
Public Education
Committee Report (Substituted)



BACKGROUND
 
Under current law, a person who is employed as a teacher by a school
district for the first time, or who has not been employed by the district
for two consecutive school years subsequent to August 28, 1967, is
required to be employed under a probationary contract. Teacher contract
laws do not allow a school district to hire a former teacher who has had a
lapse in service from that school district on a probationary contract, if
the teacher had attained term or continuing contract status in that
district before the lapse in service. This discourages school districts
from rehiring experienced teachers who are not currently teaching. Retired
educators or other teachers with a lapse in service are generally employed
under a term contract if they return to service. Probationary contracts
allow school districts a greater latitude over personnel policies without
the administration cost associated with a term contract. 


PURPOSE

The purpose of C.S.H.B. 558 is to provide school districts more
flexibility to hire an experienced teacher under a probationary contract
when the teacher retires and then returns to service. 


RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any
additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or
institution. 
 

ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 558 amends the Education Code to specify that a person previously
employed as a teacher by a district may be employed under a probationary
contract after at least a two-year lapse in district employment. 

This Act applies beginning with the 2003-2004 school year.


EFFECTIVE DATE

Upon passage, or, if the Act does not receive the necessary vote, the Act
takes effect September 1, 2003. 


COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE
C.S.H.B. 558 modifies the original version by specifying that a person
previously employed as a teacher by a district may be employed under a
probationary contract after at least a two-year lapse in district
employment.