Creighton Teacher Commission Bill Lets Purchases Skip Procurement Law

The text as introduced · 917 words

By: Creighton
S.B. No. 2106

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the creation of the Texas Commission on Teacher Job

Satisfaction and Retention.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Chapter 21, Education Code, is amended by adding

Subchapter P to read as follows:

SUBCHAPTER P. TEXAS COMMISSION ON TEACHER JOB SATISFACTION AND

RETENTION

Sec. 21.751. DEFINITION. In this subchapter, "commission"

means the Texas Commission on Teacher Job Satisfaction and

Retention.

Sec. 21.752. TEXAS COMMISSION ON TEACHER JOB SATISFACTION

AND RETENTION. (a) The Texas Commission on Teacher Job

Satisfaction and Retention is established to develop and make

recommendations for improving teacher job satisfaction and

retention.

(b) The commission is composed of 13 members, consisting of

the following:

(1) one member appointed by the governor;

(2) four members appointed by the lieutenant governor;

and

(3) four members appointed by the speaker of the house

of representatives.

(c) The appointments made by the lieutenant governor and the

speaker of the house of representatives must each consist of:

(1) three members of the applicable legislative

chamber; and

(2) an administrator in the public school system or an

elected member of the board of trustees of a school district.

(d) In making appointments under Subsections (b)(1), (2),

and (3), the governor, lieutenant governor, and speaker of the

house of representatives shall coordinate to ensure that the

membership of the commission reflects, to the extent possible, the

ethnic and geographic diversity of this state.

Sec. 21.753. PRESIDING OFFICER. The governor shall

designate the presiding officer of the commission.

Sec. 21.754. COMPENSATION AND REIMBURSEMENT. A member of

the commission is not entitled to compensation for service on the

commission but is entitled to reimbursement for actual and

necessary expenses incurred in performing commission duties.

Sec. 21.755. COMMISSION PERSONNEL. The commission may hire

employees and hire or contract with legal counsel as necessary to

carry out the purposes of this subchapter.

Sec. 21.756. ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT AND FUNDING. (a)

Staff members of the agency shall provide administrative support

for the commission. If the agency employs a staff member whose sole

duty is for support of the commission, selection of the staff member

shall be done in conjunction with the presiding officer or the

presiding officer's designee.

(b) Funding for the administrative, staffing, legal, and

operational expenses of the commission shall be provided by

appropriation to the agency for that purpose.

(c) The agency may procure goods and services to support the

commission's work, including without limitation research and

consulting services, and is delegated all authority and purchasing

functions relating to the purchase of those goods or services

without complying with standard procurement law, rules,

regulations and procedures. If a contract is funded through the

appropriations described in this subchapter, and the agency has

selected the contractor in accordance with Section 29.035(d), then

purchasing requirements including without limitation those set

forth in Section 2254, Section 2155.061, Section 2155.063, and

Section 2155.0755, Government Code, do not apply to the procurement

function under this subchapter. The commission's members shall

vote on the selected contractor and final contract, and if approved

by majority vote, then the commissioner shall execute the contract

on behalf of the commission.

Sec. 21.757. RECOMMENDATIONS. (a) The commission shall

develop recommendations under this subchapter that improve student

outcomes by addressing issues related to teacher job satisfaction

and retention, including:

(1) methods to reduce the paperwork and other

administrative burdens placed on teachers, including by evaluating

the effectiveness of Section 7.060 and other laws in reducing

paperwork for teachers;

(2) the impact of requirements in this code and

commissioner rules on administrative staffing levels in public

schools;

(3) methods to lessen administrative burdens in public

schools to focus more resources on supporting teachers;

(4) the impact of state and federal education law

regarding discipline on teacher job satisfaction and

effectiveness; and

(5) the impact of compliance with federal education

law on teacher job satisfaction and retention, including the impact

on teachers, public school students, and public primary and

secondary education programs in this state if this state were to

decline federal education funding.

(b) The commission may establish one or more working groups

composed of not more than five members of the commission to study,

discuss, and address specific policy issues and recommendations to

refer to the commission for consideration.

Sec. 21.758. REPORT. Not later than December 31, 2026, the

commission shall prepare and deliver a report to the governor and

the legislature that recommends statutory changes to improve

teacher job satisfaction and retention.

Sec. 21.759. PUBLIC MEETINGS AND PUBLIC INFORMATION. (a)

The commission may hold public meetings as needed to fulfill its

duties under this subchapter.

(b) The commission may hold public meetings as needed to

fulfill its duties under this subchapter.

(c) As an advisory body, the commission is not subject to

Chapter 551, Government Code.

(d) The commission is subject to Chapter 552, Government

Code.

Sec. 21.760. COMMISSION ABOLISHED; EXPIRATION. The

commission is abolished and this subchapter expires September 1,

2027.

SECTION 2. Not later than the 30th day after the effective

date of this Act, the appropriate persons shall make the

appointments required by Section 21.752, Education Code, as added

by this Act.

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.