BILL ANALYSIS

S.B. 1757

By: Creighton

Higher Education

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

The 83rd Texas Legislature established the math and science scholars loan repayment program to address the critical shortage of certified mathematics and science teachers in Texas public schools. It has been noted that in the years since, only a fraction of applicants for this loan repayment assistance have met all the applicable requirements, including the requirement to have at least a 3.5 GPA. S.B. 1757 seeks to revise the eligibility requirements to lower the requisite minimum GPA and provide greater flexibility in establishing the number of years of service as a public school teacher necessary to receive the repayment assistance.

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 rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board in SECTION 1 of this bill.

ANALYSIS

S.B. 1757 amends the Education Code to revise the eligibility requirements to receive loan repayment assistance under the math and science scholars loan repayment program by:

·         lowering from 3.5 to 3.0 the minimum cumulative grade point average on a four-point scale or the equivalent;

·         removing the requirement for the person to agree to complete four additional consecutive years of teaching in any public school in Texas beginning with the school year immediately following the last of the four consecutive years of employment as a full‑time classroom teacher in a Title I school required of a recipient of the repayment assistance; and

·         requiring the person to agree to complete instead an additional number of consecutive school years teaching in any Texas public school as prescribed by rule of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.

The bill prohibits those rules from requiring a person to complete more than four additional consecutive school years of teaching.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2019.