Bill Text: TX HB4560 | 2019-2020 | 86th Legislature | Introduced


Bill Title: Relating to the salary, wages, and reimbursement paid to public school employees and state assistance for school employees uniform group health coverage; making an appropriation.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2019-03-26 - Referred to Public Education [HB4560 Detail]

Download: Texas-2019-HB4560-Introduced.html
  86R13096 MEW-D
 
  By: Turner of Tarrant H.B. No. 4560
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to the salary, wages, and reimbursement paid to public
  school employees and state assistance for school employees uniform
  group health coverage; making an appropriation.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 21.402, Education Code, is amended by
  adding Subsections (c-2), (c-3), and (d) and amending Subsection
  (g) to read as follows:
         (c-2)  Notwithstanding Subsection (a), for the 2019-2020
  school year, a classroom teacher, full-time librarian, full-time
  school counselor certified under Subchapter B, or full-time school
  nurse is entitled to a monthly salary that is at least equal to the
  sum of:
               (1)  the monthly salary the employee would have
  received for the 2019-2020 school year under the district's salary
  schedule for the 2018-2019 school year, if that schedule had been in
  effect for the 2019-2020 school year, including any local
  supplement and any money representing a career ladder supplement
  the employee would have received in the 2019-2020 school year; and
               (2)  $300.
         (c-3)  Subsection (c-2) and this subsection expire September
  1, 2020.
         (d)  A classroom teacher, full-time librarian, full-time
  school counselor certified under Subchapter B, or full-time school
  nurse employed by a school district in the 2019-2020 school year is,
  as long as the employee is employed by the same district, entitled
  to a salary that is at least equal to the salary the employee
  received for the 2019-2020 school year.
         (g)  The commissioner may adopt rules to govern the
  application of this section, including rules that:
               (1)  require the payment of a minimum salary under this
  section to a person employed in more than one capacity for which a
  minimum salary is provided and whose combined employment in those
  capacities constitutes full-time employment; and
               (2)  specify the credentials a person must hold to be
  considered a [speech pathologist or] school nurse under this
  section.
         SECTION 2.  Subchapter I, Chapter 21, Education Code, is
  amended by adding Section 21.416 to read as follows:
         Sec. 21.416.  CLASSROOM SUPPLY REIMBURSEMENT.  (a)  For the
  2019-2020 and 2020-2021 school years, a school district shall
  provide a reimbursement to each classroom teacher employed by the
  district of up to $500 for the cost of classroom supplies purchased
  by the teacher with the teacher's personal money for the benefit of
  students.
         (b)  A classroom teacher may be reimbursed under the
  classroom supply reimbursement program established under Section
  21.414 for the cost of purchases eligible for reimbursement under
  that section for which the teacher is not reimbursed under
  Subsection (a).
         (c)  This section expires September 1, 2021.
         SECTION 3.  Section 22.107(a), Education Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         (a)  A school district shall pay each full-time district
  employee, other than an administrator or an employee subject to the
  minimum salary schedule under Section 21.402, an amount at least
  equal to $3,500 [$500].
         SECTION 4.  Section 42.2513(a), Education Code, is amended
  to read as follows:
         (a)  A school district, including a school district that is
  otherwise ineligible for state aid under this chapter, is entitled
  to state aid in an amount equal to the sum of:
               (1)  the product of $3,500 [$500] multiplied by the
  number of full-time district employees, other than administrators
  or employees subject to the minimum salary schedule under Section
  21.402; [and]
               (2)  the product of $3,000 multiplied by the number of
  classroom teachers, full-time librarians, full-time school
  counselors certified under Subchapter B, Chapter 21, and full-time
  school nurses employed by the district; and
               (3)  the product of $250 multiplied by the number of
  part-time district employees, other than administrators.
         SECTION 5.  Section 42.260(c), Education Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         (c)  Notwithstanding any other provision of this code, a
  school district or participating charter school may use the sum of
  the following amounts of funds only to pay contributions under a
  group health coverage plan for district or school employees:
               (1)   the amount determined by multiplying the amount
  of $2,100 [$900] or the amount specified in the General
  Appropriations Act for that year for purposes of the state
  contribution under Section 1579.251, Insurance Code, by the number
  of district or school employees who participate in a group health
  coverage plan provided by or through the district or school; and
               (2)  the difference between the amount necessary for
  the district or school to comply with Section 1581.052, Insurance
  Code, for the school year and the amount the district or school is
  required to use to provide health coverage under Section 1581.051,
  Insurance Code, for that year.
         SECTION 6.  Section 1579.251, Insurance Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         Sec. 1579.251.  STATE ASSISTANCE. (a) The state shall
  assist employees of participating school districts and charter
  schools in the purchase of group health coverage under this chapter
  by providing for each covered employee the amount of $2,100 [$900]
  each state fiscal year or a greater amount as provided by the
  General Appropriations Act.  The state contribution shall be
  distributed through the school finance formulas under Chapters 41
  and 42, Education Code, and used by school districts and charter
  schools as provided by Section  42.260, Education Code.
         (b)  The state shall assist employees of participating
  regional education service centers and educational districts
  described by Section 1579.002(5)(B) in the purchase of group health
  coverage under this chapter by providing to the employing service
  center or educational district, for each covered employee, the
  amount of $2,100 [$900] each state fiscal year or a greater amount
  as provided by the General Appropriations Act.
         SECTION 7.  (a)  In addition to other amounts appropriated to
  the Teacher Retirement System of Texas for the state fiscal
  biennium beginning September 1, 2019, the amount of $1.57 billion
  is appropriated from the economic stabilization fund to the Teacher
  Retirement System of Texas for the state fiscal biennium ending
  August 31, 2021, and may be used by the retirement system during
  that state fiscal biennium to increase school districts'
  recruitment and retention of school teachers and provide support to
  participants in the Texas Public School Employees Group Insurance
  Program authorized by Chapter 1575, Insurance Code.
         (b)  The Teacher Retirement System of Texas may use the money
  transferred under Subsection (a) of this section to:
               (1)  decrease the premiums and deductibles that would
  otherwise be paid during the 2020 and 2021 plan years by
  participants in the Texas Public School Employees Group Insurance
  Program authorized by Chapter 1575, Insurance Code; and
               (2)  reduce costs for an enrolled adult child with a
  mental disability or a physical incapacity during the 2020 and 2021
  plan years.
         (c)  The Teacher Retirement System of Texas shall determine
  the most efficient allocation of the money transferred under
  Subsection (a) of this section to achieve the maximum benefit for
  participants in the program.
         (d)  This section takes effect only if this Act is approved
  by a vote of two-thirds of the members present in each house of the
  legislature, as provided by Section 49-g(m), Article III, Texas
  Constitution.
         SECTION 8.  Section 21.402(c-1), Education Code, is
  repealed.
         SECTION 9.  This Act applies beginning with the 2019-2020
  school year.
         SECTION 10.  Except as otherwise provided by this Act, this
  Act takes effect September 1, 2019.
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