By:  Gutierrez                                                    H.B. No. 2723



A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to alternative teaching certification of persons holding 
certain advanced academic degrees.
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:                        
	SECTION 1.  Subchapter B, Chapter 21, Education Code, is 
amended by adding Section 21.0491 to read as follows:
	Sec. 21.0491.  ALTERNATIVE CERTIFICATION OF PERSONS HOLDING 
CERTAIN ADVANCED ACADEMIC DEGREES.  (a) Notwithstanding any other 
provision of this subchapter, the board may issue a teaching 
certificate to a person who holds a master's, doctoral, or other 
advanced academic degree received with an academic major or 
interdisciplinary academic major, including reading, other than 
education, that is related to one or more subjects of the middle 
school, junior high school, or high school curriculum as prescribed 
under Section 28.002.
	(b)  The board may not issue a certificate under Subsection 
(a) to teach a subject of the middle school, junior high school, or 
high school curriculum as prescribed under Section 28.002 that is 
not related to the major in which the person received an advanced 
academic degree.  A certificate issued under this section may not 
permit a person to teach any subject of the elementary school 
curriculum as prescribed under Section 28.002.
	(c)  The board may not require a person who is eligible for a 
teaching certificate under this section to perform satisfactorily 
on an examination prescribed under Section 21.048.
	SECTION 2.  Section 21.048(a), Education Code, is amended to 
read as follows:
	(a)  Except as provided by Section 21.0491, the [The] board 
shall propose rules prescribing comprehensive examinations for 
each class of certificate issued by the board.
	SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2003.