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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to a program to provide financial incentives to students |
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who agree to teach bilingual education, English as a second |
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language, or Spanish in certain public schools. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Chapter 61, Education Code, is amended by adding |
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Subchapter LL to read as follows: |
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SUBCHAPTER LL. FINANCIAL INCENTIVE PROGRAM TO PREPARE TEACHERS IN |
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BILINGUAL EDUCATION, ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE, AND SPANISH |
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Sec. 61.9851. ESTABLISHMENT AND ADMINISTRATION OF PROGRAM. |
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(a) The board shall establish a program to provide financial |
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incentives such as tuition assistance or student loan repayment to: |
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(1) assist persons in obtaining certification to teach |
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bilingual education, English as a second language, or Spanish in a |
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public elementary or secondary school in this state; and |
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(2) facilitate the employment of those persons by a |
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public elementary or secondary school in this state that has a |
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shortage of teachers certified to teach in those fields. |
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(b) In administering the program, the board shall give |
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priority to awarding financial incentives to those eligible persons |
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who demonstrate the greatest financial need. |
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Sec. 61.9852. ELIGIBILITY. To be eligible to receive |
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financial incentives under this subchapter, a person must: |
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(1) apply to the board in the form and manner |
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prescribed by board rule; |
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(2) have completed at least 60 semester credit hours |
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of course work toward an associate's degree at a public junior |
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college or a junior college accredited by a recognized accrediting |
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agency; |
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(3) be admitted into an educator preparation program |
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at an institution of higher education or at a private or independent |
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institution of higher education that prepares students for |
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certification to teach bilingual education, English as a second |
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language, or Spanish; |
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(4) enter into an agreement with the board as provided |
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by Section 61.9853; and |
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(5) satisfy any other criteria jointly prescribed by |
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the board and the State Board for Educator Certification. |
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Sec. 61.9853. AGREEMENT. To qualify for financial |
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incentives under this subchapter, a person must enter into a |
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written agreement with the board as provided by this section. The |
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agreement must require the person to: |
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(1) obtain, within the period prescribed by board |
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rule, certification to teach bilingual education, English as a |
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second language, or Spanish in a public elementary or secondary |
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school in this state; |
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(2) accept, during the first school year that begins |
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after the date the person becomes certified as provided by |
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Subdivision (1), an offer of full-time employment to teach |
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bilingual education, English as a second language, or Spanish in a |
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public elementary or secondary school in this state that has a |
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shortage of teachers certified to teach in one or more of those |
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fields; and |
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(3) teach bilingual education, English as a second |
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language, or Spanish at that school for at least two school years. |
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Sec. 61.9854. FINANCIAL INCENTIVES. The board shall award |
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financial incentives such as tuition assistance or student loan |
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repayment to each participant in the program to assist with the cost |
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of payment of mandatory tuition and fees for courses required to |
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obtain certification to teach bilingual education, English as a |
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second language, or Spanish. |
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Sec. 61.9855. REIMBURSEMENT; EXCEPTIONS. (a) A program |
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participant who fails to meet the requirements of Section 61.9853 |
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shall reimburse the board for the amount of any assistance received |
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by the participant under this subchapter. |
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(b) The board by rule shall establish exceptions to the |
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reimbursement requirement under this section for participants who |
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are unable to meet the requirements of Section 61.9853 as a result |
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of an unusual hardship. |
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Sec. 61.9856. GIFTS, GRANTS, AND DONATIONS. In addition to |
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money appropriated by the legislature, the board may solicit and |
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accept gifts, grants, and donations for the purposes of this |
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subchapter. |
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Sec. 61.9857. RULES. The board shall adopt rules necessary |
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for the administration of this subchapter, including a rule that |
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sets the maximum amount of financial assistance that a person may |
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receive under this subchapter in one year. |
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SECTION 2. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board |
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shall adopt rules for the administration of Subchapter LL, Chapter |
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61, Education Code, as added by this Act, as soon as practicable |
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after this Act takes effect. For that purpose, the coordinating |
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board may adopt the initial rules in the manner provided by law for |
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emergency rules. |
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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. |