BILL ANALYSIS
Senate Research Center S.B. 1456
80R4483 KKA-D By: Uresti
AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT
Every year, there are over three million reports of suspected child abuse in this country, and of these, nearly one million of the reports are confirmed. Child abuse is a devastating problem that has far-reaching impact. Prevention is the key to this problem. The more people who are trained to identify the signs of child abuse and to prevent child abuse from occurring, the better equipped Texas becomes to tackle the problem. With teachers and other school personnel serving our children daily, teachers are doing a great job in the front lines against child abuse, but we must constantly equip them with all the latest tools and information necessary to combat this problem.
As proposed, S.B. 1456 requires prospective teachers to undergo child abuse awareness and prevention training as part of their certification program. Current teachers will undergo child abuse awareness and prevention training annually, and this training may be a part of the annual teacher orientation offered at the beginning of the school year. This bill also requires the Texas Education Agency to create a website that will provide information regarding the prevention of child abuse.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS
SECTION 1. Amends Section 21.044, Education Code, as follows:
Sec. 21.044. EDUCATOR PREPARATION. (a) Creates this subsection from existing text.
(b) Requires any minimum academic qualifications for a certificate specified under Subsection (a) that require a person to possess a bachelor's degree to also require that a person receive, as part of the curriculum for that degree, instruction in child abuse awareness and prevention.
SECTION 2. Amends Section 38.004, Education Code, by adding Subsections (a-1) and (c) and amending Subsection (b), as follows:
(a-1) Requires the Texas Education Agency (TEA) to maintain a list of links to websites on the TEA Internet website that provide information regarding the prevention of child abuse.
(b) Requires each school district to provide child abuse antivictimization programs in elementary and secondary schools and annual training in child abuse prevention for teachers employed by the district.
(c) Authorizes the training required by Subsection (b)(2) to be provided as part of a school district's annual teacher orientation.
SECTION 3. Makes application of Section 21.044(b), Education Code, as added by this Act, prospective to the 2007-2008 academic year.
SECTION 4. Makes application of Section 38.004(b), Education Code, as amended by this Act, prospective to the 2007-2008 school year.
SECTION 5. Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2007.