79R1569 CAS-D

By:  Villarreal                                                   H.B. No. 406



A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to teacher certification in early childhood education.               
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:                        
	SECTION 1.  Section 21.050, Education Code, is amended by 
amending Subsection (b) and adding Subsection (d) to read as 
follows:
	(b)  The board may not require more than 18 semester credit 
hours of education courses at the baccalaureate level for the 
granting of a teaching certificate.  The board shall provide for a 
minimum number of semester credit hours of internship to be 
included in the hours needed for certification.  The board may 
propose rules requiring additional credit hours for certification 
in bilingual education, English as a second language[, early 
childhood education], or special education.
	(d)  The board shall propose rules requiring that any 
certification in early childhood education, or in primary school 
education combined with early childhood education, include a 
minimum number of semester credit hours of education courses and 
internships emphasizing early childhood development.  The rules 
must allow comparable work experience with a child-care facility or 
federal Head Start program to satisfy the internship requirement 
under this subsection.  In this subsection, "child-care facility" 
has the meaning assigned by Section 42.002, Human Resources Code.
	SECTION 2.  The State Board for Educator Certification shall 
propose the rules required by Section 21.050(d), Education Code, as 
added by this Act, not later than December 1, 2005.  A rule proposed 
by the State Board for Educator Certification under Section 
21.050(d), Education Code, as added by this Act, applies only to 
early childhood education certification requirements for a person 
who enrolls in an educator preparation program on or after the date 
the proposed rule takes effect as a rule of the board.  Early 
childhood education certification requirements for a person who 
enrolls in an educator preparation program before the date the 
proposed rule takes effect as a rule of the board are governed by 
the applicable State Board for Educator Certification rule in 
effect for that person immediately before the proposed rule takes 
effect as a rule of the board.
	SECTION 3.  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, 2005.