By:  Shapiro                                                      S.B. No. 1394


A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to employment contract requirements for certain public 
school principals.
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:                        
	SECTION 1.  Subsection (a), Section 21.102, Education Code, 
is amended to read as follows:
	(a)  Except as provided by Section 21.202(b), a [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, shall be 
employed under a probationary contract.
	SECTION 2.  Section 21.202, Education Code, is amended to 
read as follows:   
	Sec. 21.202.  PROBATIONARY CONTRACT REQUIRED.  (a)  Except 
as provided by Subsection (b), before [Before] a teacher may be 
employed under a term contract, the teacher must be employed under a 
probationary contract for the period provided by Subchapter C.
	(b)  A school district may employ a person as a principal 
under a term contract if the person has experience as a public 
school principal, regardless of whether the person is being 
employed by the school district for the first time or whether a 
probationary contract would otherwise be required under Section 
21.102.
	SECTION 3.  This Act applies beginning with the 2003-2004 
school year.       
	SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives 
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as 
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this 
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this 
Act takes effect September 1, 2003.