Bill Text: TX HB621 | 2023-2024 | 88th Legislature | Enrolled
Bill Title: Relating to creating a temporary certification to teach career and technology education for certain military service members and first responders.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 2-0)
Status: (Passed) 2023-06-13 - Effective on 9/1/23 [HB621 Detail]
Download: Texas-2023-HB621-Enrolled.html
H.B. No. 621 |
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relating to creating a temporary certification to teach career and | ||
technology education for certain military service members and first | ||
responders. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 21, Education Code, is | ||
amended by adding Section 21.0444 to read as follows: | ||
Sec. 21.0444. TEMPORARY CERTIFICATION FOR CERTAIN MILITARY | ||
SERVICE MEMBERS AND FIRST RESPONDERS. (a) In this section, "first | ||
responder" means a person elected, employed, or appointed as: | ||
(1) a peace officer as defined by Article 2.12, Code of | ||
Criminal Procedure; | ||
(2) fire protection personnel as defined by Section | ||
419.021, Government Code; or | ||
(3) emergency medical services personnel as defined by | ||
Section 773.003, Health and Safety Code. | ||
(b) This section applies to a person seeking certification | ||
to teach career and technology education who: | ||
(1) has served in the armed forces of the United States | ||
and was honorably discharged, retired, or released from active | ||
duty; or | ||
(2) has served as a first responder and, while in good | ||
standing and not because of pending or final disciplinary actions | ||
or a documented performance problem, retired, resigned, or | ||
separated from employment as a first responder. | ||
(c) The board shall propose rules under this subchapter | ||
providing for the issuance of a temporary certificate to teach | ||
career and technology education to a person described by Subsection | ||
(b) who meets all other eligibility requirements for standard | ||
certification to teach career and technology education, except that | ||
the person may substitute for a requirement that the person hold: | ||
(1) an associate degree from an accredited institution | ||
of higher education, 48 months of active duty military service or | ||
service as a first responder; or | ||
(2) a bachelor's degree: | ||
(A) the military service or service as a first | ||
responder described by Subdivision (1); and | ||
(B) 60 semester credit hours completed at a | ||
public or private institution of higher education with a minimum | ||
grade point average of at least 2.50 on a four-point scale. | ||
(d) Rules proposed by the board for a temporary certificate | ||
issued under this section must provide that the certificate is: | ||
(1) valid for no more than three years; | ||
(2) limited to a one-time issuance; and | ||
(3) not subject to renewal. | ||
(e) A person issued a temporary certificate under this | ||
section may be issued a standard certificate if the person | ||
completes all eligibility requirements required for that | ||
certification. | ||
(f) A school district shall require a new employee who holds | ||
a temporary certificate issued under this section to obtain at | ||
least 20 hours of classroom management training, unless the new | ||
employee has documented experience as an instructor or trainer | ||
during the employee's required 48 months of active duty military | ||
service or service as a first responder. | ||
SECTION 2. Section 21.458, Education Code, is amended by | ||
amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsection (a-2) to read as | ||
follows: | ||
(a) Except as provided by Subsection (a-2), each [ |
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school district may assign a mentor teacher to each classroom | ||
teacher who has less than two years of teaching experience in the | ||
subject or grade level to which the teacher is assigned. A teacher | ||
assigned as a mentor must: | ||
(1) to the extent practicable, teach in the same | ||
school; | ||
(2) to the extent practicable, teach the same subject | ||
or grade level, as applicable; and | ||
(3) meet the qualifications prescribed by | ||
commissioner rules adopted under Subsection (b). | ||
(a-2) A school district shall assign a mentor teacher to a | ||
classroom teacher who has been issued a temporary certificate to | ||
teach career and technology education under Section 21.0444 for at | ||
least two school years. | ||
SECTION 3. As soon as practicable after the effective date | ||
of this Act, the State Board for Educator Certification shall | ||
propose rules relating to temporary certificates to teach career | ||
and technology education for certain military service members and | ||
first responders as required by Section 21.0444, Education Code, as | ||
added by this Act. | ||
SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. | ||
______________________________ | ______________________________ | |
President of the Senate | Speaker of the House | |
I certify that H.B. No. 621 was passed by the House on May 2, | ||
2023, by the following vote: Yeas 107, Nays 34, 2 present, not | ||
voting; that the House refused to concur in Senate amendments to | ||
H.B. No. 621 on May 23, 2023, and requested the appointment of a | ||
conference committee to consider the differences between the two | ||
houses; and that the House adopted the conference committee report | ||
on H.B. No. 621 on May 28, 2023, by the following vote: Yeas 113, | ||
Nays 25, 2 present, not voting. | ||
______________________________ | ||
Chief Clerk of the House | ||
I certify that H.B. No. 621 was passed by the Senate, with | ||
amendments, on May 16, 2023, by the following vote: Yeas 23, Nays | ||
8; at the request of the House, the Senate appointed a conference | ||
committee to consider the differences between the two houses; and | ||
that the Senate adopted the conference committee report on H.B. No. | ||
621 on May 28, 2023, by the following vote: Yeas 23, Nays 8. | ||
______________________________ | ||
Secretary of the Senate | ||
APPROVED: __________________ | ||
Date | ||
__________________ | ||
Governor |