H.B. No. 4152

AN ACT

relating to certification of an educator in Texas who is certified in another state or country.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Section 21.052, Education Code, is amended by amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsections (e), (f), (g), and (h) to read as follows:

(a) The board may issue a certificate to an educator who applies for a certificate and:

(1) holds:

(A) a degree issued by an institution accredited by a regional accrediting agency or group that is recognized by a nationally recognized accreditation board; or

(B) a degree issued by an institution located in a foreign country, if the degree is equivalent to a degree described by Paragraph (A);

(2) holds an appropriate certificate or other credential issued by another state or country; and

(3) performs satisfactorily on:

(A) the examination prescribed under Section 21.048; or

(B) if the educator holds a certificate or other credential issued by another state or country, an examination similar to and at least as rigorous as that described by Paragraph (A) administered to the educator under the authority of that state.

(e) An educator who has submitted all documents required by the board for certification and who receives a certificate as provided by Subsection (a) must perform satisfactorily on the examination prescribed under Section 21.048 not later than the first anniversary of the date the board completes the review of the educator's credentials and informs the educator of the examination or examinations under Section 21.048 on which the educator must perform successfully to receive a standard certificate.

(f) The board shall post on the board's Internet website the procedures for obtaining a certificate under Subsection (a).

(g) The commissioner shall provide guidance to school districts that employ an educator certified as provided by Subsection (a) on procedures to classify the educator as a highly qualified teacher in a manner consistent with the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (20 U.S.C. Section 6301 et seq.).

(h) This subsection applies only to an applicant who holds a certificate or other credential issued by another state in mathematics, science, special education, or bilingual education, or another subject area that the commissioner determines has a shortage of teachers. In any state fiscal year, the board shall accept or reject, not later than the 14th day after the date the board receives the completed application, at least 90 percent of the applications the board receives for a certificate under this subsection, and shall accept or reject all completed applications the board receives under this subsection not later than the 30th day after the date the board receives the completed application. An applicant under this subsection must submit:

(1) a letter of good standing from the state in which the teacher is certified on a form determined by the board;

(2) information necessary to complete a national criminal history record information review; and

(3) an application fee as required by the board.

SECTION 2. 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, 2009.

______________________________ ______________________________

President of the Senate Speaker of the House

I certify that H.B. No. 4152 was passed by the House on April 30, 2009, by the following vote: Yeas 131, Nays 0, 1 present, not voting; and that the House concurred in Senate amendments to H.B. No. 4152 on May 29, 2009, by the following vote: Yeas 144, Nays 0, 1 present, not voting.

______________________________ Chief Clerk of the House

I certify that H.B. No. 4152 was passed by the Senate, with amendments, on May 26, 2009, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0.

______________________________ Secretary of the Senate APPROVED: __________________

Date

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Governor