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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to employment of persons with professional qualifications |
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as public school teachers. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 21.003, Education Code, is amended by |
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amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsection (a-2) to read as |
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follows: |
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(a) Except as provided by Subsection (a-2), a [A] person may |
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not be employed as a teacher, teacher intern or teacher trainee, |
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librarian, educational aide, administrator, educational |
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diagnostician, or school counselor by a school district unless the |
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person holds an appropriate certificate or permit issued as |
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provided by Subchapter B. |
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(a-2) Subject to the approval of the board of trustees, a |
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person with professional qualifications may be employed as a |
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teacher by a school district to teach introductory courses related |
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to the person's profession regardless of whether the person holds |
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an appropriate certificate or permit issued as provided by |
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Subchapter B. For purposes of this subsection, "person with |
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professional qualifications" means a person who engages in a |
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profession that requires the person to hold a license issued by the |
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appropriate state agency. |
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SECTION 2. Section 21.057(d), Education Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(d) For purposes of this section, "inappropriately |
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certified or uncertified teacher": |
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(1) includes: |
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(A) an individual serving on an emergency |
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certificate issued under Section 21.041(b)(2); or |
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(B) an individual who does not hold any |
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certificate or permit issued under this chapter and is not employed |
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as specified by Subdivision (2)(E) or (G); and |
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(2) does not include an individual: |
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(A) who is a certified teacher assigned to teach |
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a class or classes outside his or her area of certification, as |
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determined by rules proposed by the board in specifying the |
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certificate required for each assignment; |
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(B) serving on a certificate issued due to a |
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hearing impairment under Section 21.048; |
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(C) serving on a certificate issued pursuant to |
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enrollment in an approved alternative certification program under |
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Section 21.049; |
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(D) certified by another state or country and |
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serving on a certificate issued under Section 21.052; |
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(E) serving on a school district teaching permit |
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issued under Section 21.055; [or] |
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(F) employed under a waiver granted by the |
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commissioner pursuant to Section 7.056; or |
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(G) employed in accordance with Section |
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21.003(a-2). |
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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, 2015. |