bill paying for teachers’ master’s degrees to teach dual credit

The text as introduced · 561 words

89R9901 CMO-D

By: Perez of El Paso
H.B. No. 2850

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to financial incentives for public school teachers who

commit to teach a dual credit course.

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. FINANCIAL INCENTIVE PROGRAM FOR DUAL CREDIT COURSE

TEACHERS

Sec. 61.9981. ESTABLISHMENT AND ADMINISTRATION OF PROGRAM.

The board shall establish a program to provide tuition assistance

to assist teachers in obtaining a master's degree required to teach

a dual credit course.

Sec. 61.9982. ELIGIBILITY. To be eligible to receive

tuition assistance under this subchapter, a person must:

(1) apply to the board in the form and manner

prescribed by board rule;

(2) be enrolled in a master's degree program at an

institution of higher education;

(3) hold a certificate issued under Subchapter B,

Chapter 21;

(4) enter into an agreement with the board as provided

by Section 61.9983; and

(5) at the time of application for tuition assistance:

(A) have been employed full time for at least one

year by a public school in this state; and

(B) currently be employed full time by a public

school in this state.

Sec. 61.9983. AGREEMENT. To qualify for tuition assistance

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, a master's degree required to teach a dual credit course; and

(2) teach a dual credit course in a public school in

this state for the next five school years.

Sec. 61.9984. TUITION ASSISTANCE. (a) The board by rule

shall establish the amount of tuition assistance that may be

awarded to each participant in the program.

(b) The board shall deliver any tuition assistance awarded

under this subchapter directly to an institution of higher

education on the participant's behalf.

Sec. 61.9985. REIMBURSEMENT; EXCEPTIONS. (a) A program

participant who fails to meet the requirements of Section 61.9983

shall reimburse the board for the amount of any tuition assistance

received by the participant under this subchapter.

(b) The board shall grant a participant, in the event of a

hardship or for other good cause shown, a one-year grace period to

meet the requirements of Section 61.9983 before requiring the

participant to reimburse the board under Subsection (a).

Sec. 61.9986. GIFTS, GRANTS, AND DONATIONS. In addition to

using money appropriated by the legislature for this purpose, the

board may solicit and accept gifts, grants, and donations for the

purposes of this subchapter.

Sec. 61.9987. RULES. The board shall adopt rules necessary

for the administration of this subchapter, including a rule that

sets the maximum amount of tuition assistance a person may receive

under this subchapter.

SECTION 2. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board

shall adopt rules for the administration of Subchapter QQ, Chapter

61, Education Code, as added by this Act, as soon as practicable

after this Act takes effect.

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, 2025.