Bernal Bill Offers Teachers $10,000 A Year To Stay Put

The text as introduced · 1,290 words

By: Bernal
H.B. No. 1098

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 2028-2029 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 2028-2029 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, 2027.