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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to financial incentives for public school teachers who |
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commit to teach a dual credit course. |
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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 QQ to read as follows: |
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SUBCHAPTER QQ. FINANCIAL INCENTIVE PROGRAM FOR DUAL CREDIT COURSE |
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TEACHERS |
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Sec. 61.9981. ESTABLISHMENT AND ADMINISTRATION OF PROGRAM. |
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The board shall establish a program to provide tuition assistance |
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to assist teachers in obtaining a master's degree required to teach |
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a dual credit course. |
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Sec. 61.9982. ELIGIBILITY. To be eligible to receive |
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tuition assistance 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) be enrolled in a master's degree program at an |
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institution of higher education; |
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(3) hold a certificate issued under Subchapter B, |
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Chapter 21; |
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(4) enter into an agreement with the board as provided |
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by Section 61.9983; and |
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(5) at the time of application for tuition assistance: |
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(A) have been employed full time for at least one |
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year by a public school in this state; and |
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(B) currently be employed full time by a public |
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school in this state. |
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Sec. 61.9983. AGREEMENT. To qualify for tuition assistance |
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under this subchapter, a person must enter into a written agreement |
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with the board as provided by this section. The agreement must |
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require the person to: |
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(1) obtain, within the period prescribed by board |
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rule, a master's degree required to teach a dual credit course; and |
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(2) teach a dual credit course in a public school in |
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this state for the next five school years. |
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Sec. 61.9984. TUITION ASSISTANCE. (a) The board by rule |
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shall establish the amount of tuition assistance that may be |
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awarded to each participant in the program. |
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(b) The board shall deliver any tuition assistance awarded |
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under this subchapter directly to an institution of higher |
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education on the participant's behalf. |
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Sec. 61.9985. REIMBURSEMENT; EXCEPTIONS. (a) A program |
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participant who fails to meet the requirements of Section 61.9983 |
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shall reimburse the board for the amount of any tuition assistance |
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received by the participant under this subchapter. |
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(b) The board shall grant a participant, in the event of a |
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hardship or for other good cause shown, a one-year grace period to |
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meet the requirements of Section 61.9983 before requiring the |
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participant to reimburse the board under Subsection (a). |
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Sec. 61.9986. GIFTS, GRANTS, AND DONATIONS. In addition to |
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using money appropriated by the legislature for this purpose, the |
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board may solicit and accept gifts, grants, and donations for the |
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purposes of this subchapter. |
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Sec. 61.9987. 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 tuition assistance a person may receive |
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under this subchapter. |
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SECTION 2. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board |
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shall adopt rules for the administration of Subchapter QQ, 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. |
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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, 2025. |