Bill Text: TX HB374 | 2011-2012 | 82nd Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to a program to provide financial incentives to students who agree to teach bilingual education, English as a second language, or Spanish in certain public schools.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2011-02-16 - Referred to Higher Education [HB374 Detail]
Download: Texas-2011-HB374-Introduced.html
| 82R2006 KSD-D | ||
| By: Alonzo | H.B. No. 374 | |
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| relating to a program to provide financial incentives to students | ||
| who agree to teach bilingual education, English as a second | ||
| language, or Spanish in certain public schools. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Chapter 61, Education Code, is amended by adding | ||
| Subchapter GG to read as follows: | ||
| SUBCHAPTER GG. FINANCIAL INCENTIVE PROGRAM TO PREPARE TEACHERS IN | ||
| BILINGUAL EDUCATION, ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE, AND SPANISH | ||
| Sec. 61.9791. ESTABLISHMENT OF PROGRAM. The board shall | ||
| establish a program to provide financial incentives such as tuition | ||
| assistance or student loan repayment to: | ||
| (1) assist persons in obtaining certification to teach | ||
| bilingual education, English as a second language, or Spanish in a | ||
| public elementary or secondary school in this state; and | ||
| (2) facilitate the employment of those persons by a | ||
| public elementary or secondary school in this state that has a | ||
| shortage of teachers certified to teach in those fields. | ||
| Sec. 61.9792. ELIGIBILITY. To be eligible to receive | ||
| financial incentives under this subchapter, a person must: | ||
| (1) apply to the board in the form and manner | ||
| prescribed by board rule; | ||
| (2) have completed at least 60 semester credit hours | ||
| of course work toward an associate's degree at a public junior | ||
| college or a junior college accredited by a recognized accrediting | ||
| agency; | ||
| (3) be admitted into an educator preparation program | ||
| at an institution of higher education or at a private or independent | ||
| institution of higher education that prepares students for | ||
| certification to teach bilingual education, English as a second | ||
| language, or Spanish; | ||
| (4) enter into an agreement with the board as provided | ||
| by Section 61.9793; and | ||
| (5) satisfy any other criteria jointly prescribed by | ||
| the board and the State Board for Educator Certification. | ||
| Sec. 61.9793. AGREEMENT. To qualify for financial | ||
| incentives under this subchapter, a person must enter into a | ||
| written agreement with the board as provided by this section. The | ||
| agreement must require the person to: | ||
| (1) obtain, within the period prescribed by board | ||
| rule, certification to teach bilingual education, English as a | ||
| second language, or Spanish in a public elementary or secondary | ||
| school in this state; | ||
| (2) accept, during the first school year that begins | ||
| after the date the person becomes certified as provided by | ||
| Subdivision (1), an offer of full-time employment to teach | ||
| bilingual education, English as a second language, or Spanish in a | ||
| public elementary or secondary school in this state that has a | ||
| shortage of teachers certified to teach in one or more of those | ||
| fields; and | ||
| (3) teach bilingual education, English as a second | ||
| language, or Spanish at that school for at least two school years. | ||
| Sec. 61.9794. FINANCIAL INCENTIVES. The board shall award | ||
| financial incentives such as tuition assistance or student loan | ||
| repayment to each participant in the program to assist with the cost | ||
| of payment of mandatory tuition and fees for courses required to | ||
| obtain certification to teach bilingual education, English as a | ||
| second language, or Spanish. | ||
| Sec. 61.9795. REIMBURSEMENT; EXCEPTIONS. (a) A program | ||
| participant who fails to meet the requirements of Section 61.9793 | ||
| shall reimburse the board for the amount of any assistance received | ||
| by the participant under this subchapter. | ||
| (b) The board by rule shall establish exceptions to the | ||
| reimbursement requirement under this section for participants who | ||
| are unable to meet the requirements of Section 61.9793 as a result | ||
| of an unusual hardship. | ||
| Sec. 61.9796. GIFTS, GRANTS, AND DONATIONS. In addition to | ||
| money appropriated by the legislature, the board may solicit and | ||
| accept gifts, grants, and donations for the purposes of this | ||
| subchapter. | ||
| Sec. 61.9797. RULES. The board shall adopt rules necessary | ||
| for the administration of this subchapter, including a rule that | ||
| sets the maximum amount of financial assistance that a person may | ||
| receive under this subchapter in one year. | ||
| SECTION 2. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board | ||
| shall adopt rules for the administration of Subchapter GG, Chapter | ||
| 61, Education Code, as added by this Act, as soon as practicable | ||
| after this Act takes effect. For that purpose, the coordinating | ||
| board may adopt the initial rules in the manner provided by law for | ||
| emergency rules. | ||
| SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives | ||
| a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as | ||
| provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this | ||
| Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this | ||
| Act takes effect September 1, 2011. | ||
