By: Bernal H.B. No. 74
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to the establishment of the Texas Teacher Recruitment
  Scholarship Program and the Texas Teacher Retention Incentive
  Program.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Chapter 61, Education Code, is amended by adding
  Subchapter QQ to read as follows:
  SUBCHAPTER QQ. TEXAS TEACHER RECRUITMENT SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM
         Sec. 61.9970.  SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM; SCHOLARSHIP AMOUNT. (a)
  The board shall establish and administer, in accordance with this
  subchapter and board rules, the Texas Teacher Recruitment
  Scholarship Program under which the board provides an annual
  conditional scholarship to a student who meets the eligibility
  criteria prescribed by Section 61.9972 and is nominated to receive
  a scholarship.
         (b)  The amount of a scholarship under this subchapter is the
  lesser of:
               (1)  $40,000 to be disbursed at a rate of $10,000 per
  academic year for four academic years; or
               (2)  the amount equivalent to tuition and fees for an
  academic year for four academic years.
         (c)  If a student nominated to receive a scholarship under
  this subchapter is awarded a baccalaureate degree prior to
  receiving the scholarship in its entirety, any remaining
  scholarship shall be used to repay any outstanding student loans.
         Sec. 61.9971.  REPAYMENT ASSISTANCE AUTHORIZED. The board
  shall provide in accordance with this subchapter and board rules,
  assistance in the repayment of student loans for certified teachers
  who are entitled to assistance under Section 61.9970(c).
         Sec. 61.9972.  ELIGIBILITY; NOMINATION AND SELECTION. (a)
  To receive an initial scholarship under this subchapter, a student
  must:
               (1)  be enrolled in a public or private institution of
  higher education in this state;
               (2)  enroll in a university sponsored teacher
  preparation program;
               (3)  be nominated to receive a scholarship by the
  university in which the student is enrolled; and
               (4)  enter into an agreement with the board under
  Section 61.9973.
         (b)  In each year, the number of new students awarded a
  scholarship shall not exceed 2 percent of the current teacher
  workforce as reported by the Texas Education Agency.
         (c)  For a student to continue to receive a scholarship
  awarded under this subchapter, the student must maintain
  satisfactory academic progress as determined by the institution in
  which the student is enrolled.
         Sec. 61.9973.  AGREEMENT REQUIREMENTS. (a) To receive a
  scholarship under this subchapter, a student must enter into an
  agreement with the board as provided by this section. The agreement
  must require the student to:
               (1)  complete a university sponsored teacher
  preparation program;
               (2)  satisfactorily complete the requirements
  necessary to obtain a teacher certification;
               (3)  graduate not later than five years after the date
  the student first enrolls in a public or private institution of
  higher education in this state;
               (4)  after graduation, enter into a contract with a
  school district or open-enrollment charter school to serve as a
  teacher for four years; and
               (5)  agree to repay the scholarship if the student:
                     (A)  fails to maintain satisfactory academic
  progress;
                     (B)  withdraws from the scholarship program; or
                     (C)  fails to fulfill a commitment described by
  Subdivision (4).
         (b)  The board shall adopt rules to exempt a student from the
  repayment of a scholarship under an agreement entered into under
  this section if the student is unable to meet the obligations of the
  agreement as a result of extraordinary circumstances.
         Sec. 61.9974.  RULES. (a) The board shall adopt rules as
  necessary for the administration of this subchapter, including
  rules regarding the eligibility criteria and the selection of
  scholarship recipients.
         Sec. 61.9975.  LIMITATION ON SCHOLARSHIP. A person may not
  receive a scholarship under this subchapter after earning a
  cumulative total of 150 credit hours or after being awarded a
  baccalaureate degree, whichever occurs first.
         Sec. 61.9976.  FUNDING. The board shall administer this
  subchapter using available appropriations and gifts, grants, and
  donations made for the purposes of this subchapter.
         SECTION 2.  Chapter 21, Education Code, is amended by adding
  Subchapter R to read as follows:
  SUBCHAPTER R. TEXAS TEACHER RETENTION INCENTIVE PROGRAM
         Sec. 21.901.  INITIAL ELIGIBILITY. A person is eligible for
  this program if they are currently:
               (1)  a certified teacher employed by a school district
  or open-enrollment charter school; and
               (2)  not eligible for designation under Section 48.112.
         Sec. 21.902.  CONTINUING ELIGIBILITY. After initially
  qualifying for the incentive program under Section 21.901, a person
  may continue to receive the award in subsequent years if:
               (1)  the individual is employed by the same school
  district or open-enrollment charter school in which they were
  nominated initially to receive the incentive;
               (2)  the individual continues to hold a teacher
  certification in good standing with the Texas Education Agency; and
               (3)  the individual is not eligible for designation
  under Section 48.112.
         Sec. 21.903.  AWARD. An eligible person is entitled to
  receive an annual retention incentive of $10,000 for a period of
  four years.
         Sec. 21.904.  NOMINATION. (a) A school district or
  open-enrollment charter school shall determine which individuals
  are eligible for nomination.
         (b)  an individual may not be nominated if:
               (1)  they have already been nominated at their current
  or prior school district or open-enrollment charter school and the
  current school district or open-enrollment charter school has
  eligible individuals, under Section 21.901, who have not been
  nominated; or
               (2)  they have received a scholarship under Chapter 61,
  Subchapter QQ, and their current school district or open-enrollment
  charter school has eligible individuals, under Section 21.901, who
  have not been nominated.
         (c)  A school district or open-enrollment charter school
  must nominate annually a number of teachers to receive the award
  equal to 8 percent of the teacher workforce as reported by the Texas
  Education Agency.
         Sec. 21.905.  AGREEMENT REQUIREMENTS. (a) To receive an
  incentive under this subchapter, a teacher must enter into an
  agreement with the agency as provided by this section. The
  agreement must require the teacher to:
               (1)  be continuously employed by the same school
  district or open-enrollment charter school for four years;
               (2)  hold a teacher certification in good standing with
  the Texas Education Agency; and
               (3)  not receive a designation under Section 48.112;
               (4)  agree to repay the incentive if the teacher:
                     (A)  withdraws from the scholarship program; or
                     (B)  fails to fulfill a commitment described by
  Subdivisions (1) and (2).
         (b)  The agency shall adopt rules to exempt a teacher from
  the repayment of an incentive under an agreement entered into under
  this section if the teacher is unable to meet the obligations of the
  agreement as a result of extraordinary circumstances.
         Sec. 21.906.  FUNDING. The agency shall administer this
  subchapter using available appropriations and gifts, grants, and
  donations made for the purposes of this subchapter.
         SECTION 3.  The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board
  shall award scholarships under Subchapter QQ, Chapter 61, Education
  Code, as added by this Act, beginning with the 2023-2024 academic
  year. The coordinating board shall adopt the rules required by that
  subchapter as soon as practicable after this Act takes effect.
         SECTION 4.  The Texas Education Agency shall award
  incentives under Subchapter R, Chapter 21, Education Code, as added
  by this Act, beginning with the 2023-2024 academic year. The agency
  shall adopt the rules required by that subchapter as soon as
  practicable after this Act takes effect.
         SECTION 5.  This Act does not make an appropriation. A
  provision in this Act that creates a new governmental program,
  creates a new entitlement, or imposes a new duty on a governmental
  entity is not mandatory during a fiscal period for which the
  legislature has not made a specific appropriation to implement the
  provision.
         SECTION 6.  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, 2023.