BILL ANALYSIS

 

 

Senate Research Center

H.B. 1934

85R9797PAM-F

By: Minjarez et al. (Campbell)

 

Education

 

5/17/2017

 

Committee Report (Amended)

 

 

 

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

 

 Military spouses who are teachers need additional flexibility when seeking educator certification in Texas because of the hardship that continuous military-directed moves can pose on the spouse's career. H.B. 1934 seeks to provide this flexibility by requiring the State Board for Educator Certification to establish procedures to expedite the processing of an application from an out-of-state educator who is the spouse of an active duty military member.

 

H.B. 1934 amends current law relating to temporary certification of an educator from outside the state who is the spouse of an active duty military service member.

 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

 

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.

 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

 

SECTION 1. Amends Section 21.052, Education Code, by adding Subsections (b-1) and (d-1) and amending Subsection (c), as follows:

 

(b-1) Requires the State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC) to propose rules to establish procedures to expedite the processing of an application for a certificate under this section submitted by an educator who is the spouse of a person who is serving on active duty as a member of the armed forces of the United States, including rules for providing the appropriate documentation to establish the educator's status as a spouse of a person who is serving on active duty as a member of the armed forces of the United States.

 

(c) Authorizes SBEC, subject to Subsections (d) (relating to the expiration date of a temporary certificate) and (d-1), rather than Subsection (d), to specify the term of a temporary certificate issued under this subsection.

 

(d-1) Prohibits a temporary certificate issued under Subsection (c) to an educator who is the spouse of a person who is serving on active duty as a member of the armed forces of the United States from expiring before the third anniversary of the date on which the board completes the review of the educator's credentials and informs the educator of the examination or examinations under Section 21.048 (Certification Examinations) on which the educator must perform satisfactorily to receive a standard certificate.

 

SECTION 2. Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2017.

 

SUMMARY OF COMMITTEE CHANGES

 

Adds the following appropriately numbered SECTION to the bill and renumbers existing SECTIONS of the bill accordingly:

 

SECTION___. Provides that SBEC is required to implement this Act only if the legislature appropriates money specifically for that purpose. Authorizes, but does not require, SBEC, if the legislature does not appropriate money specifically for that purpose, to implement this Act using other appropriations available for the purpose.