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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the Texas Civil Rights History Teacher Stipend Program. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Chapter 21, Education Code, is amended by adding |
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Subchapter P to read as follows: |
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SUBCHAPTER P. TEXAS CIVIL RIGHTS HISTORY TEACHER STIPEND PROGRAM |
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Sec. 21.751. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter: |
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(1) "Board" means the Texas Higher Education |
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Coordinating Board. |
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(2) "General academic teaching institution" has the |
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meaning assigned by Section 61.003. |
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(3) "Program" means the Texas Civil Rights History |
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Teacher Stipend Program. |
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Sec. 21.752. ESTABLISHMENT OF PROGRAM; STIPEND. (a) In |
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accordance with this subchapter and Texas Higher Education |
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Coordinating Board rules adopted in consultation with the agency, |
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the board shall establish the Texas Civil Rights History Teacher |
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Stipend Program to award stipends to persons who: |
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(1) are experienced classroom teachers; |
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(2) are enrolled in social science or humanities |
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master's degree programs at general academic teaching |
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institutions; |
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(3) while in degree programs described by Subdivision |
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(2), perform academic research concerning a local aspect of civil |
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rights history in this state and develop a middle, junior high, or |
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high school curriculum based on that research; and |
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(4) agree to teach for a specified period in a public |
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middle, junior high, or high school in this state. |
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(b) The amount of a stipend under this subchapter for an |
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academic year is equal to the lesser of: |
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(1) the total amount of tuition that the general |
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academic teaching institution in which the stipend recipient is |
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enrolled charges the recipient for that academic year for semester |
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credit hours for which the recipient may, under Subsection (c), use |
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the stipend to pay tuition; or |
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(2) $10,000. |
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(c) A person may use a stipend under this subchapter only to |
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pay tuition for a semester credit hour that is required for |
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completion of the social science or humanities degree program in |
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which the student is enrolled. |
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Sec. 21.753. ELIGIBILITY. (a) To be eligible to receive a |
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stipend under this subchapter, a person must: |
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(1) at the time the initial stipend is paid, have been |
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employed as a classroom teacher in this state for at least five full |
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school years; |
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(2) be enrolled at a general academic teaching |
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institution in a master's degree program that is considered to be a |
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social science or humanities degree program under board rule; and |
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(3) enter into an agreement with the board as provided |
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by Section 21.756. |
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(b) If in any year the amount of money available for |
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stipends under this subchapter is insufficient to award a stipend |
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to each eligible applicant, the board shall establish criteria to |
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determine which eligible applicants will be granted stipends as the |
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board determines appropriate to further the purposes of this |
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subchapter, including criteria that: |
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(1) are related to the financial need of an applicant; |
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and |
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(2) serve to ensure geographic and ethnic diversity |
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among scholarship recipients. |
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Sec. 21.754. INFORMATION AND APPLICATIONS. (a) The board, |
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in consultation with the agency, shall develop an application for |
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the program. |
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(b) The agency shall distribute the applications and |
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information regarding the program. |
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Sec. 21.755. SELECTION OF PARTICIPANTS. (a) The board |
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shall select persons to participate in the program on the basis of |
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applications submitted to the board. |
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(b) Each application must be submitted: |
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(1) in the form and contain the information required |
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by board rule; and |
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(2) in a timely manner. |
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Sec. 21.756. AGREEMENT. (a) To qualify for a stipend under |
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this subchapter, a person must enter into a written agreement with |
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the board as provided by this section. The agreement must: |
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(1) specify the conditions the person must satisfy to |
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receive the stipend award; |
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(2) require the person to enroll at a general academic |
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teaching institution in a master's degree program that is |
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considered to be a social science or humanities degree program |
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under board rule; |
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(3) require the person, while enrolled in a degree |
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program described by Subdivision (2), to: |
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(A) perform academic research that satisfies |
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standards established by board rule on a local aspect of this |
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state's civil rights history; and |
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(B) adapt the research into a format that |
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satisfies State Board of Education rules for inclusion in the |
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public middle, junior high, or high school social studies |
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curriculum required under Section 28.002; |
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(4) require the person to be employed full-time as a |
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classroom teacher in a public middle, junior high, or high school in |
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this state during: |
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(A) the first school year after the person has |
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successfully completed a master's degree program described by |
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Subdivision (2); and |
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(B) the school year following the school year |
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described by Paragraph (A); |
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(5) provide that any stipend award the person receives |
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under this subchapter constitutes an interest-free loan until the |
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person: |
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(A) subject to Section 21.758, satisfies the |
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requirements of the agreement under this section; or |
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(B) is excused from the repayment obligation in |
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accordance with law; and |
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(6) require the person to sign a promissory note |
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acknowledging the conditional nature of the stipend award received |
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and promising to repay any unforgiven amount of that award and |
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reasonable collection costs if the person does not satisfy the |
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applicable conditions and is not excused from the repayment |
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obligation in accordance with law. |
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(b) To satisfy the teaching obligation prescribed by an |
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agreement under this section, a person must teach a subject in the |
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social studies curriculum for not less than four hours each school |
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day. |
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(c) The board shall determine the terms of the promissory |
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note required by Subsection (a)(6). To the extent practicable, the |
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terms must be the same as those applicable to state or federally |
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guaranteed student loans made at the same time. |
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Sec. 21.757. EXCEPTIONS TO TEACHING AND REPAYMENT |
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OBLIGATION. (a) A person is not considered to be in violation of |
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the teaching obligation in the agreement described by Section |
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21.756 during any period in which the participant: |
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(1) is pursuing a full-time course of study related to |
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the field of teaching at an institution of higher education |
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approved by the State Board for Educator Certification; |
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(2) is serving on active duty as a member of the armed |
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forces of the United States; |
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(3) is temporarily totally disabled for a period not |
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to exceed 36 months as established by affidavit of a qualified |
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physician; |
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(4) is unable to secure employment for a period not to |
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exceed 12 months because of care required by a disabled spouse; |
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(5) is seeking and unable to find full-time employment |
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as a teacher in a public middle, junior high, or high school for a |
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single period not to exceed 27 months; or |
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(6) satisfies the provisions of any additional |
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teaching exception adopted by the board. |
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(b) A person is excused from the repayment obligation in a |
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promissory note described by Section 21.756(a)(6) if: |
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(1) the participant becomes permanently totally |
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disabled as established by affidavit of a qualified physician; or |
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(2) the board waives repayment for some or all of the |
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amount owed in the case of extreme hardship to the person. |
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Sec. 21.758. FORGIVENESS OF REPAYMENT OBLIGATION. The |
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board shall forgive repayment of one-third of the total amount of a |
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person's stipend awards under this subchapter for: |
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(1) completing the agreement's academic requirements |
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under Sections 21.756(a)(3)(A) and (B); and |
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(2) teaching for a school year in accordance with the |
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agreement's requirement under Section 21.756(a)(4)(A) or (B) and |
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Section 21.756(b). |
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Sec. 21.759. GRANTS, GIFTS, AND DONATIONS. In addition to |
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money appropriated by the legislature, the board may solicit and |
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accept grants, gifts, and donations from any public or private |
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source for the purposes of this subchapter. |
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Sec. 21.760. RULES. (a) The board, in consultation with |
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the agency, shall adopt rules to administer this subchapter. |
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(b) The State Board of Education shall adopt rules |
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establishing requirements for the format of research adapted to |
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enable inclusion into the public middle, junior high, or high |
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school social studies curriculum. |
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SECTION 2. Not later than December 31, 2009, the Texas |
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Higher Education Coordinating Board, the State Board of Education, |
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and the Texas Education Agency shall adopt rules for the Texas Civil |
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Rights History Teacher Stipend Program under Subchapter P, Chapter |
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21, Education Code, as added by this Act. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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Act takes effect September 1, 2009. |