BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 3217

By: Ashby

Public Education

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Concerns have been raised regarding limitations relating to academic majors and credit for specified practical experience in the current certification requirements for certain prospective teachers. H.B. 3217 seeks to address these concerns by removing a certain specification that excludes education as a permitted major, by including credit hours for field-based experience as an alternative to internship credit hours, and by removing a cap on required education courses.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

H.B. 3217 amends the Education Code to remove the specification that the academic major or interdisciplinary academic major of a bachelor's degree that satisfies State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC) rules requiring a bachelor's degree for certain teaching certificates is a major other than education. The bill removes the prohibition against the SBEC requiring more than 18 semester credit hours of education courses at the baccalaureate level for the granting of a teaching certificate. The bill changes the requirement for the SBEC to provide for a minimum number of semester credit hours of internship to be included in the hours needed for certification to require the SBEC to provide for a minimum number of semester credit hours of field-based experience or internship.

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2019.