By: Buckley, et al. (Senate Sponsor - Creighton)	H.B. No. 2
	(In the Senate - Received from the House April 22, 2025;
	April 23, 2025, read first time and referred to Committee on
	Education K-16; May 20, 2025, reported adversely, with favorable
	Committee Substitute by the following vote:  Yeas 9, Nays 0, two
	present not voting; May 20, 2025, sent to printer.)
Click here to see the committee vote
	COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR H.B. No. 2	By:  Bettencourt

	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
	AN ACT
	relating to public education and public school finance.
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
	ARTICLE 1.  TEACHER COMPENSATION
	SECTION 1.01.  Section 21.3521, Education Code, is amended
	by amending Subsections (a), (c), and (e) and adding Subsections
	(c-1), (d-1), (d-2), and (d-3) to read as follows:
	(a)  Subject to Subsection (b), a school district or
	open-enrollment charter school may designate a classroom teacher as
	a master, exemplary, [or] recognized, or acknowledged teacher for a
	five-year period based on the results from single year or multiyear
	appraisals that comply with Section 21.351 or 21.352.
	(c)  Notwithstanding performance standards established
	under Subsection (b) and subject to authorization under Section
	21.3523, a classroom teacher that holds a National Board
	Certification issued by the National Board for Professional
	Teaching Standards may be designated as nationally board certified
	[recognized].
	(c-1)  A classroom teacher's designation under Subsection
	(c) is valid for a five-year period, regardless of whether the State
	Board for Educator Certification subsequently revokes
	authorization for a nationally board certified teacher designation
	under Section 21.3523.
	(d-1)  Each school year, the commissioner shall, using
	criteria developed by the commissioner, designate as enhanced
	teacher incentive allotment systems school districts and
	open-enrollment charter schools that implement comprehensive
	school evaluation and support systems. The criteria developed by
	the commissioner must require a district or school to:
	(1)  for principals and assistant principals,
	implement:
	(A)  a strategic evaluations system aligned with
	the district's or school's teacher designation system; and
	(B)  a compensation system based on performance;
	(2)  ensure that under the district's or school's
	teacher designation system substantially all classroom teachers,
	regardless of the grade level or subject area to which the teacher
	is assigned, are eligible to earn a designation under Subsection
	(a);
	(3)  implement for all classroom teachers a
	compensation plan based on performance that:
	(A)  uses a salary schedule that differentiates
	among classroom teachers based on staff appraisals; and
	(B)  does not include across-the-board salary
	increases for classroom teachers except for periodic changes to the
	district's or school's salary schedule to adjust for significant
	inflation; and
	(4)  implement a locally designed plan to place highly
	effective teachers at high needs campuses and in accordance with
	Section 28.0062(a)(3).
	(d-2)  The commissioner may designate a school district or
	open-enrollment charter school as an enhanced teacher incentive
	allotment system under Subsection (d-1) only if the district or
	school has implemented a local optional teacher designation system
	under this section.
	(d-3)  The commissioner may remove a school district's or
	open-enrollment charter school's designation under Subsection
	(d-1) if the commissioner determines the district or school no
	longer meets the criteria for the designation.
	(e)  The agency shall develop and provide technical
	assistance for school districts and open-enrollment charter
	schools that request assistance in implementing a local optional
	teacher designation system, including:
	(1)  providing assistance in prioritizing high needs
	campuses;
	(2)  providing examples or models of local optional
	teacher designation systems to reduce the time required for a
	district or school to implement a teacher designation system;
	(3)  providing examples or models of local optional
	teacher designation systems that implement a teacher designation
	system for teachers of special populations, including special
	education and bilingual education;
	(4)  establishing partnerships between districts and
	schools that request assistance and districts and schools that have
	implemented a teacher designation system;
	(5)  applying the performance and validity standards
	established by the commissioner under Subsection (b);
	(6)  providing centralized support for the analysis of
	the results of assessment instruments administered to district
	students; and
	(7)  facilitating effective communication on and
	promotion of local optional teacher designation systems.
	SECTION 1.02.  Subchapter H, Chapter 21, Education Code, is
	amended by adding Sections 21.3522 and 21.3523 to read as follows:
	Sec. 21.3522.  LOCAL OPTIONAL TEACHER DESIGNATION SYSTEM
	GRANT PROGRAM.  (a)  From funds appropriated or otherwise
	available for the purpose, the agency shall establish and
	administer a grant program to provide money and technical
	assistance to:
	(1)  expand implementation of local optional teacher
	designation systems under Section 21.3521; and
	(2)  increase the number of classroom teachers eligible
	for a designation under that section.
	(b)  A grant awarded under this section must:
	(1)  meet the needs of individual school districts; and
	(2)  enable regional leadership capacity.
	(c)  The commissioner may adopt rules as necessary to
	implement this section.
	Sec. 21.3523.  REVIEW AND AUTHORIZATION OF NATIONALLY BOARD
	CERTIFIED TEACHER DESIGNATION. (a) The State Board for Educator
	Certification may periodically review National Board
	Certifications issued by the National Board for Professional
	Teaching Standards to determine whether to reauthorize or revoke
	authorization for the nationally board certified teacher
	designation under Section 21.3521(c).  If the board revokes
	authorization, the board may at any time conduct a review under this
	subsection to determine whether to reauthorize the nationally board
	certified teacher designation.
	(b)  A review under Subsection (a) must evaluate whether the
	components and assessments required for a National Board
	Certification align and comply with state law, including whether:
	(1)  earning a National Board Certification would
	interfere with the certificate holder's ability to provide:
	(A)  instruction in the essential knowledge and
	skills without using common core state standards, as defined by
	Section 28.002;
	(B)  phonics instruction in accordance with
	Section 28.0062 and without using three-cueing, as prohibited by
	Subsection (a-1) of that section; or
	(C)  instruction in accordance with:
	(i)  the instructional requirements and
	prohibitions under Section 28.0022; or
	(ii)  any other applicable state law; and
	(2)  the components and assessments align with the
	criteria adopted by the State Board of Education under Section
	31.022 for the approval of instructional materials.
	(c)  Not later than December 31, 2026, the State Board for
	Educator Certification shall conduct an initial review under
	Subsection (a) of National Board Certifications issued by the
	National Board for Professional Teaching Standards and reauthorize
	or revoke the nationally board certified teacher designation under
	Section 21.3521(c).  If the board fails to reauthorize the
	designation by that date, the authorization for the designation is
	revoked.  This subsection expires September 1, 2027.
	SECTION 1.03.  Subchapter I, Chapter 21, Education Code, is
	amended by adding Section 21.417 to read as follows:
	Sec. 21.417.  RESOURCES, INCLUDING LIABILITY INSURANCE, FOR
	CLASSROOM TEACHERS. (a)  From funds appropriated or otherwise
	available for the purpose, the agency shall contract with a third
	party to provide the following services for a classroom teacher
	employed under a probationary, continuing, or term contract:
	(1)  assistance in understanding the teacher's rights,
	duties, and benefits; and
	(2)  liability insurance to protect a teacher against
	liability to a third party based on conduct that the teacher
	allegedly engaged in during the course of the teacher's duties.
	(b)  A school district may not interfere with a classroom
	teacher's access to services provided under this section.
	(c)  A contract entered into by the agency to provide
	services under Subsection (a) must prohibit the entity with which
	the agency contracts from using funds received under the contract
	to engage in:
	(1)  conduct that a state agency using appropriated
	money is prohibited from engaging in under Chapter 556, Government
	Code; and
	(2)  political activities or advocate for issues
	regarding public schools, including for boards of trustees of
	school districts or school districts.
	(d)  This section may not be interpreted to interfere with a
	classroom teacher's or other school district employee's exercise of
	a right protected by the First Amendment to the United States
	Constitution.
	SECTION 1.04.  The heading to Section 22.001, Education
	Code, is amended to read as follows:
	Sec. 22.001.  SALARY DEDUCTIONS FOR PROFESSIONAL OR OTHER
	DUES.
	SECTION 1.05.  Sections 22.001(a) and (b), Education Code,
	are amended to read as follows:
	(a)  A school district employee is entitled to have an amount
	deducted from the employee's salary for membership fees or dues to a
	professional organization or an entity providing services to
	classroom teachers under Section 21.417. The employee must:
	(1)  file with the district a signed written request
	identifying the organization or entity [and specifying the number
	of pay periods per year the deductions are to be made]; and
	(2)  inform the district of the total amount of the fees
	and dues for each year or have the organization or entity notify the
	district of the amount.
	(b)  The district shall deduct the total amount of the fees
	or dues for a year in equal amounts per pay period [for the number of
	periods specified by the employee]. The district shall notify the
	employee not later than the 45th day after the district receives a
	request under Subsection (a) of the number of pay periods annually
	from which the district will deduct the fees or dues. The
	deductions shall be made until the employee requests in writing
	that the deductions be discontinued.
	SECTION 1.06.  Section 48.112, Education Code, is amended by
	amending Subsections (c), (d), and (i) and adding Subsection (g-1)
	to read as follows:
	(c)  For each classroom teacher with a teacher designation
	under Section 21.3521 employed by a school district, the school
	district is entitled to an allotment equal to the following
	applicable base amount increased by the high needs and rural factor
	as determined under Subsection (d):
	(1)  $12,000, or an increased amount not to exceed
	$36,000 [$32,000] as determined under Subsection (d), for each
	master teacher;
	(2)  $9,000 [$6,000], or an increased amount not to
	exceed $25,000 [$18,000] as determined under Subsection (d), for
	each exemplary teacher; [and]
	(3)  $5,000 [$3,000], or an increased amount not to
	exceed $15,000 [$9,000] as determined under Subsection (d), for
	each recognized teacher; and
	(4)  $3,000, or an increased amount not to exceed
	$9,000 as determined under Subsection (d), for each:
	(A)  acknowledged teacher; or
	(B)  nationally board certified teacher.
	(d)  The high needs and rural factor is determined by
	multiplying the following applicable amounts by the average of the
	point value assigned to each student at a district campus under
	Subsection (e):
	(1)  $6,000 [$5,000] for each master teacher;
	(2)  $4,000 [$3,000] for each exemplary teacher; [and]
	(3)  $2,500 [$1,500] for each recognized teacher; and
	(4)  $1,500 for each:
	(A)  acknowledged teacher; or
	(B)  nationally board certified teacher.
	(g-1)  For a district that is designated as an enhanced
	teacher incentive allotment system under Section 21.3521(d-1), the
	commissioner shall increase the amount to which the district is
	entitled under this section by multiplying that amount by 1.1.
	(i)  A district shall annually certify that:
	(1)  funds received under this section were used as
	follows:
	(A)  at least 90 percent of each allotment
	received under Subsection (c) was used for the compensation of
	teachers employed at the campus at which the teacher for whom the
	district received the allotment is employed; [and]
	(B)  for a district whose allotment was increased
	under Subsection (g-1), the amount by which the allotment was
	increased under that subsection was used to meet the criteria to
	maintain a designation as an enhanced teacher incentive allotment
	system under Section 21.3521(d-1); and
	(C)  any other funds received under this section
	were used for costs associated with implementing Section 21.3521,
	including efforts to support teachers in obtaining designations;
	and
	(2)  the district prioritized high needs campuses in
	the district in using funds received under this section.
	SECTION 1.07.  Subchapter D, Chapter 48, Education Code, is
	amended by adding Section 48.158 to read as follows:
	Sec. 48.158.  TEACHER RETENTION ALLOTMENT.  (a)  In this
	section, "classroom teacher" has the meaning assigned by Section
	5.001, except that the term also includes:
	(1)  a person who is not required to hold a certificate
	issued under Subchapter B, Chapter 21, who otherwise meets the
	definition of a classroom teacher under Section 5.001; and
	(2)  a person, including a person described by
	Subdivision (1), employed by an entity with which a school district
	has entered into a contract who otherwise meets the definition of a
	classroom teacher under Section 5.001.
	(b)  A school district is entitled to an annual allotment for
	each classroom teacher who is employed by or contracts with the
	district for which the allotment is provided as follows:
	(1)  if the district has 5,000 or fewer students
	enrolled for the school year:
	(A)  $5,000 for each classroom teacher who has at
	least three but less than five years of teaching experience; and
	(B)  $10,000 for each classroom teacher who has
	five or more years of teaching experience; and
	(2)  if the district has more than 5,000 students
	enrolled for the school year:
	(A)  $2,500 for each classroom teacher who has at
	least three but less than five years of teaching experience; and
	(B)  $5,500 for each classroom teacher who has
	five or more years of teaching experience.
	(b-1)  Instead of the allotment under Subsection (b)(2), a
	school district described by that subdivision is entitled to
	funding under Subsection (b)(1) if the school district received an
	allotment under Subsection (b)(1) in a previous school year.
	(c)  For the 2025-2026 school year, a school district shall
	use money received under Subsection (b) to:
	(1)  increase the salary provided to each classroom
	teacher for which the district is entitled to funding under
	Subsection (b) for that year over the salary the teacher received or
	would have received if the teacher was employed by or contracted
	with the district in the 2024-2025 school year by at least the
	amount received per classroom teacher under Subsection (b); or
	(2)  if the school district is applying to be
	designated as an enhanced teacher incentive allotment system,
	increase the salaries of classroom teachers for that year based on
	performance.
	(d)  Except as provided by Subsection (e), for the 2026-2027
	and each subsequent school year, a school district shall use money
	received under Subsection (b) to maintain the salary increases for
	classroom teachers provided under Subsection (c).  Any additional
	funding generated for a school district under this section may only
	be used for the compensation of classroom teachers who are employed
	by or contract with the district and who have three or more years of
	experience.
	(e)  A school district that has been designated as an
	enhanced teacher incentive allotment system for the applicable
	school year may use money received under Subsection (b) to provide
	salaries to classroom teachers in accordance with the district's
	compensation plan.
	(f)  A school district that increases classroom teacher
	compensation in the 2025-2026 school year to comply with Subsection
	(c), as added by H.B. 2, 89th Legislature, Regular Session, 2025, is
	providing compensation for services rendered independently of an
	existing employment contract applicable to that school year and is
	not in violation of Section 53, Article III, Texas Constitution.
	This subsection expires September 1, 2027.
	SECTION 1.08.  Section 48.257, Education Code, is amended by
	adding Subsection (b-1) to read as follows:
	(b-1)  If for any school year a school district receives an
	adjustment under Subsection (b) and, after that adjustment, is no
	longer subject to Subsection (a), the district is entitled to
	additional state aid for that school year in an amount equal to the
	lesser of:
	(1)  the difference, if the difference is greater than
	zero, between:
	(A)  the amount to which the district is entitled
	under Subchapters B, C, and D less the district's distribution from
	the available school fund for that school year; and
	(B)  the district's tier one maintenance and
	operations tax collections for that school year; or
	(2)  the district's allotment under Section 48.158 for
	that school year.
	SECTION 1.09.  Sections 48.051(c), (c-1), (c-2), and (d),
	Education Code, are repealed.
	SECTION 1.10.  Not later than September 1, 2026, a school
	district or open-enrollment charter school shall redesignate a
	teacher who holds a recognized teacher designation under Section
	21.3521(c), Education Code, on the basis of the teacher's national
	board certification, before the effective date of this article, to
	reflect the teacher's nationally board certified designation under
	Section 21.3521(c), Education Code, as amended by this article.  A
	redesignation under this section is effective beginning September
	1, 2026.
	SECTION 1.11.  (a) Except as provided by Subsections (b) and
	(c) of this section, this article takes effect immediately if this
	Act 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 article takes effect September 1, 2025.
	(b)  Sections 48.158 and 48.257(b-1), Education Code, as
	added by this article, take effect September 1, 2025.
	(c)  Section 48.112, Education Code, as amended by this
	article, takes effect September 1, 2026.
	ARTICLE 2. EDUCATOR PREPARATION AND TEACHER RIGHTS
	SECTION 2.01.  Section 12A.004(a), Education Code, is
	amended to read as follows:
	(a)  A local innovation plan may not provide for the
	exemption of a district designated as a district of innovation from
	the following provisions of this title:
	(1)  a state or federal requirement applicable to an
	open-enrollment charter school operating under Subchapter D,
	Chapter 12;
	(2)  Subchapters A, C, D, and E, Chapter 11, except that
	a district may be exempt from Sections 11.1511(b)(5) and (14) and
	Section 11.162;
	(3)  the employment of uncertified classroom teachers
	under Section 21.0032;
	(4)  parental notification requirements under Section
	21.057;
	(5)  state curriculum and graduation requirements
	adopted under Chapter 28; and
	(6) [(4)]  academic and financial accountability and
	sanctions under Chapters 39 and 39A.
	SECTION 2.02.  Section 19.007(g), Education Code, is amended
	to read as follows:
	(g)  In addition to other amounts received by the district
	under this section, the district is entitled to:
	(1)  state aid in the amount necessary to fund the
	salary increases required by Section 19.009(d-2); and
	(2)  the preparing and retaining educators through
	partnership program allotment under Section 48.157.
	SECTION 2.03.  Section 21.001, Education Code, is amended by
	adding Subdivision (3-b) to read as follows:
	(3-b)  "Teacher of record" means a person employed by a
	school district who teaches the majority of the instructional day
	in an academic instructional setting and is responsible for
	evaluating student achievement and assigning grades.
	SECTION 2.04.  Subchapter A, Chapter 21, Education Code, is
	amended by adding Sections 21.0032 and 21.0033 to read as follows:
	Sec. 21.0032.  EMPLOYMENT OF UNCERTIFIED CLASSROOM
	TEACHERS. (a)  A school district may not employ as a teacher of
	record for a course in the foundation curriculum under Section
	28.002 a person who does not hold an appropriate certificate or
	permit required by the State Board for Educator Certification under
	Subchapter B.
	(a-1)  Notwithstanding Subsection (a), on the receipt and
	approval of a plan submitted by a school district to the
	commissioner that provides a reasonable timeline and strategy to
	comply with that subsection before the beginning of the 2029-2030
	school year, the commissioner may allow the district to delay
	implementation of the requirement of that subsection. This
	subsection expires September 1, 2030.
	(a-2)  Notwithstanding Subsection (a) and Section 12A.004, a
	school district that has adopted a local innovation plan under
	Chapter 12A for the 2026-2027 school year that exempts the district
	from the applicable teacher certification requirements under
	Section 21.003 may employ as a teacher of record for a course other
	than a reading language arts or mathematics course in a grade level
	above grade five a person who does not hold an appropriate
	certificate or permit required by the State Board for Educator
	Certification under Subchapter B.  This subsection expires
	September 1, 2027.
	(b)  This section does not preclude a school district from:
	(1)  receiving a waiver under Section 7.056; or
	(2)  issuing a school district teaching permit under
	Section 21.055.
	Sec. 21.0033.  TEACHER CERTIFICATION INCENTIVE.  (a)  From
	money appropriated or otherwise available for the purpose, the
	agency shall provide to each school district a one-time payment of
	$1,000 for each classroom teacher employed by the district who:
	(1)  was hired for the 2022-2023 or 2023-2024 school
	year as a first-year teacher;
	(2)  was uncertified on January 1, 2025;
	(3)  earned a standard certificate under Subchapter B
	by the end of the 2026-2027 school year; and
	(4)  was continuously employed by the district since
	the school year described by Subdivision (1).
	(b)  This section expires September 1, 2028.
	SECTION 2.05.  Section 21.041, Education Code, is amended by
	adding Subsection (e) to read as follows:
	(e)  A rule proposed by the board under this section relating
	to educator preparation is not subject to Section 2001.0045,
	Government Code.
	SECTION 2.06.  Subchapter B, Chapter 21, Education Code, is
	amended by adding Section 21.0412 to read as follows:
	Sec. 21.0412.  TYPES OF TEACHING CERTIFICATES. (a) In
	proposing rules specifying the types of teaching certificates to be
	issued under this subchapter, the board shall provide for a
	candidate to be issued:
	(1)  a standard certificate if the candidate satisfies:
	(A)  all traditional teacher preparation
	requirements under Section 21.04421; or
	(B)  the applicable alternative teacher
	preparation requirements under Section 21.04423;
	(2)  an enhanced standard certificate if the candidate
	satisfies all requirements of the teacher residency preparation
	route established under Section 21.04422;
	(3)  an intern with preservice experience certificate,
	which expires one year after issuance unless modified by the board,
	if the candidate has yet to satisfy all requirements for
	certification for a preservice alternative teacher preparation
	route established under Section 21.04423(1) but has completed a
	sufficient number of preservice practice hours to serve as a
	teacher of record; and
	(4)  an intern certificate, which expires two years
	after issuance unless modified by the board, if the candidate has
	yet to satisfy all requirements for certification for an
	alternative teacher preparation route established under Section
	21.04423(2) but has met all board requirements to serve as a teacher
	of record.
	(b)  Rules proposed under Subsection (a)(2) may not require a
	candidate to pass a pedagogy examination unless the examination
	tests subject-specific content appropriate for the grade level and
	subject area for which the candidate seeks certification.
	(c)  A candidate for a certification described by Subsection
	(a) must meet all other requirements imposed under this subchapter
	or board rule applicable to the candidate's certification.
	(d)  This section does not prohibit the board from proposing
	rules that provide for certifications other than the certifications
	described by Subsection (a), including specialized certifications
	and other types and classes of certifications.
	SECTION 2.07.  Section 21.044, Education Code, is amended by
	adding Subsections (i) and (j) to read as follows:
	(i)  An educator preparation program participating in a
	Preparing and Retaining Educators through Partnership Preservice
	Program under Subchapter R shall:
	(1)  incorporate the applicable instructional
	materials and training developed under Section 21.067, as
	determined by the board;
	(2)  if applicable for the grade and subject area for
	which a teacher candidate enrolled in the educator preparation
	program is seeking certification, incorporate the literacy
	achievement academies and mathematics achievement academies
	established under Sections 21.4552 and 21.4553; and
	(3)  ensure that instruction and training described by
	Subdivisions (1) and (2) are delivered by a person with appropriate
	training who has successfully completed a certification related to
	that training offered by the agency.
	(j)  For purposes of Subsection (i)(2), the board by rule
	shall designate the components of a literacy achievement academy or
	mathematics achievement academy under Section 21.4552 or 21.4553,
	as applicable, that may be completed after receiving an intern with
	preservice experience certificate under Section 21.0412.
	SECTION 2.08.  Subchapter B, Chapter 21, Education Code, is
	amended by adding Sections 21.04421, 21.04422, and 21.04423 to read
	as follows:
	Sec. 21.04421.  TRADITIONAL TEACHER PREPARATION. (a)  In
	proposing rules under this subchapter regarding training
	requirements for a candidate seeking certification through a
	traditional teacher preparation route in which a candidate may
	concurrently receive an undergraduate or master's degree and a
	certification to teach a subject area at a particular grade level,
	the board shall require the candidate to complete substantial
	preservice practice in a prekindergarten through grade 12
	classroom.
	(b)  The rules proposed under Subsection (a) must require
	training to be provided synchronously.  The board may approve
	components of the training to be delivered asynchronously on
	application by an educator preparation program.
	Sec. 21.04422.  TEACHER RESIDENCY PREPARATION. (a)  The
	board shall propose rules under this subchapter to create a teacher
	residency preparation route.
	(b)  In proposing rules for a teacher residency preparation
	route under this section, the board must require that the program:
	(1)  use research-based best practices for recruiting
	and admitting candidates into the program;
	(2)  integrate course work, classroom practice, formal
	observation, and feedback;
	(3)  require a candidate to receive preservice practice
	in a prekindergarten through grade 12 classroom for at least one
	full school year;
	(4)  use multiple assessments to measure a candidate's
	progress; and
	(5)  provide training synchronously, unless the
	educator preparation program applies to and receives approval from
	the board for an exception allowing the program to provide training
	asynchronously.
	Sec. 21.04423.  ALTERNATIVE TEACHER PREPARATION. In
	proposing rules under this subchapter regarding training
	requirements for a candidate who has previously earned a degree and
	is seeking certification through an alternative teacher
	preparation route, the board shall establish:
	(1)  a preservice alternative teacher preparation
	route that:
	(A)  requires the candidate to complete
	substantial preservice practice in a prekindergarten through grade
	12 classroom, which may include time spent serving as a
	paraprofessional; and
	(B)  provides training synchronously, unless the
	educator preparation program applies to and receives approval from
	the board for an exception allowing the program to provide training
	asynchronously; and
	(2)  an alternative teacher preparation route that
	allows for flexibility in how a candidate may demonstrate
	proficiency for certification.
	SECTION 2.09.  Section 21.0443, Education Code, is amended
	to read as follows:
	Sec. 21.0443.  EDUCATOR PREPARATION PROGRAM APPROVAL AND
	RENEWAL. (a) The board shall propose rules to establish standards
	to govern the approval or renewal of approval of:
	(1)  educator preparation programs; [and]
	(2)  the teacher preparation routes established under
	Sections 21.04421, 21.04422, and 21.04423; and
	(3)  certification fields authorized to be offered by
	an educator preparation program.
	(a-1)  The board may review an educator preparation
	program's curriculum:
	(1)  before the approval or renewal of approval of the
	program; and
	(2)  at any time after the approval or renewal of the
	approval of the program to ensure the program remains eligible for
	approval by demonstrating that any changes to curriculum
	requirements proposed by the board since the most recent review
	have been incorporated into the curriculum.
	(b)  To be eligible for approval or renewal of approval, an
	educator preparation program must:
	(1)  incorporate proactive instructional planning
	techniques throughout coursework [course work] and across content
	areas using a framework that:
	(A)  provides flexibility in the ways:
	(i)  information is presented;
	(ii)  students respond or demonstrate
	knowledge and skills; and
	(iii)  students are engaged;
	(B)  reduces barriers in instruction;
	(C)  provides appropriate accommodations,
	supports, and challenges; and
	(D)  maintains high achievement expectations for
	all students, including students with disabilities and students of
	limited English proficiency;
	(2)  integrate inclusive practices for all students,
	including students with disabilities, and evidence-based
	instruction and intervention strategies throughout coursework
	[course work], clinical experience, and student teaching;
	(3)  ensure that the program complies in the same
	manner as if the program were a school district with:
	(A)  the prohibitions and requirements under
	Sections 28.0022(a)(1)-(4) regarding program instructional
	personnel and coursework;
	(B)  the prohibitions under Section 28.0022(c)
	regarding the acceptance of private funds; and
	(C)  the prohibitions under Section 28.0022(d)
	regarding the punishment of students;
	(4)  if applicable, meet the requirements of Section
	21.044(i);
	(5)  adequately prepare candidates for educator
	certification; and
	(6) [(4)]  meet the standards and requirements of the
	board.
	(b-1)  Nothing in Subsection (b)(3) may be construed as
	limiting instruction in the essential knowledge and skills adopted
	under Subchapter A, Chapter 28.
	(b-2)  Subsection (b)(3) applies only to coursework offered
	by an educator preparation program for purposes of preparing a
	candidate to meet educator preparation and certification
	requirements. Subsection (b)(3) does not apply to other coursework
	offered by an entity providing an educator preparation program that
	is not included in the educator preparation program's requirements.
	(c)  The board shall require that each educator preparation
	program be reviewed for renewal of approval at least every five
	years.  The board may require each educator preparation program to
	be reviewed for renewal of approval at least annually. The board
	shall adopt an evaluation process to be used in reviewing an
	educator preparation program for renewal of approval.
	(d)  In adopting the evaluation process under Subsection
	(c), the board shall consider including:
	(1)  quality indicators that reflect effective program
	practices; and
	(2)  measures that provide for the observation of
	program practices to ensure program quality.
	SECTION 2.10.  Subchapter B, Chapter 21, Education Code, is
	amended by adding Section 21.0456 to read as follows:
	Sec. 21.0456.  NOTICE OF ACTION AGAINST INSTITUTION OF
	HIGHER EDUCATION. The board shall notify the governing board and
	the president or other chief executive officer of an institution of
	higher education, as defined by Section 61.003, and the Texas
	Higher Education Coordinating Board if the board:
	(1)  sanctions the institution;
	(2)  changes the accreditation status of an educator
	preparation program at the institution; or
	(3)  approves or authorizes a new educator preparation
	program at the institution.
	SECTION 2.11.  Section 21.049, Education Code, is amended to
	read as follows:
	Sec. 21.049.  ALTERNATIVE EDUCATOR PREPARATION PROGRAMS
	[CERTIFICATION].  (a)  To provide a continuing additional source of
	qualified educators, the board shall propose rules providing that
	[for] educator certification programs may be provided by an
	institution of higher education or another entity [as an
	alternative to traditional educator preparation programs].  The
	rules may not provide that a person may be certified under this
	section only if there is a demonstrated shortage of educators in a
	school district or subject area.
	(b)  The board may not require a person employed as a teacher
	in an alternative education program under Section 37.008 or a
	juvenile justice alternative education program under Section
	37.011 for at least three years to complete an alternative educator
	preparation [certification] program adopted under this section
	before taking the appropriate certification examination.
	SECTION 2.12.  Sections 21.055(a), (b), and (c), Education
	Code, are amended to read as follows:
	(a)  As provided by this section, a school district may issue
	a school district teaching permit and employ as a teacher of record
	a person who does not hold a teaching certificate issued by the
	board on approval by the district's board of trustees.
	(b)  To be eligible for a school district teaching permit
	under this section, a person must:
	(1)  hold a baccalaureate degree; or
	(2)  have served at or been employed by the district as
	a paraprofessional for not less than 180 days during the preceding
	calendar year and be:
	(A)  currently enrolled in a postsecondary
	program that could lead to a baccalaureate degree; and
	(B)  on track to earn a baccalaureate degree and
	receive a probationary certificate not later than the third
	anniversary of the date the person receives a school district
	teaching permit under this section.
	(c)  Promptly after employing a person described by
	Subsection (b)(1) under this section, a school district shall send
	to the commissioner a written statement identifying the person, the
	person's qualifications as a teacher, and the subject or class the
	person will teach.  The person may teach the subject or class
	pending action by the commissioner.
	SECTION 2.13.  Section 21.057, Education Code, is amended by
	adding Subsection (f) to read as follows:
	(f)  If the agency has developed a model notice for purposes
	of this section, the superintendent must use that model to provide
	the notice required under this section.
	SECTION 2.14.  Subchapter B, Chapter 21, Education Code, is
	amended by adding Section 21.067 to read as follows:
	Sec. 21.067.  EDUCATOR PREPARATION MATERIALS AND TRAINING.
	(a)  The commissioner shall develop and make available:
	(1)  instructional materials for use in educator
	preparation programs under this subchapter; and
	(2)  training for faculty responsible for preparing
	educator candidates.
	(b)  The materials and training developed under Subsection
	(a) must:
	(1)  be research-based;
	(2)  support the development of proficiency in the
	knowledge and skills specified by rules proposed under Section
	21.044(a)(1); and
	(3)  allow for an educator candidate to demonstrate the
	candidate's proficiency, including proficiency in the knowledge
	and skills described by Subdivision (2).
	SECTION 2.15.  Section 21.402, Education Code, is amended by
	adding Subsections (f-1), (f-2), (f-3), and (f-4) to read as
	follows:
	(f-1)  A school district must pay to a classroom teacher with
	zero years of experience who holds a certificate under Section
	21.0412(a)(1), (2), or (3) a minimum salary that is greater than the
	minimum salary paid to a classroom teacher with zero years of
	experience who does not hold a certificate under Section
	21.0412(a)(1), (2), or (3).
	(f-2)  The board of trustees of a school district may adopt
	minimum salaries to satisfy the requirements of Subsection (f-1) as
	follows:
	(1)  for a classroom teacher who holds a standard
	certificate or intern with preservice experience certificate under
	Section 21.0412(a)(1) or (3), $3,000; and
	(2)  for a classroom teacher who holds an enhanced
	standard certificate under Section 21.0412(a)(2), $6,000.
	(f-3)  Subsection (f-1) does not apply to a stipend or other
	form of compensation not included in a classroom teacher's minimum
	salary under this section.
	(f-4)  A school district may not adopt a salary schedule that
	differentiates classroom teacher salaries based solely on a
	teacher's certification pathway for teachers who have five or more
	years of teaching experience.
	SECTION 2.16.  Section 21.4552(f), Education Code, is
	amended to read as follows:
	(f)  From money appropriated or otherwise available for the
	purpose, including an allotment under Section 48.108, a school
	district shall provide to an educator preparation program for each
	teacher enrolled in the educator preparation program who holds an
	intern with preservice experience certificate under Section
	21.0412(a)(3) and completes a literacy achievement academy under
	this section while employed by the district a one-time payment of
	$1,000 or another amount set by the agency [This section expires
	September 1, 2027].
	SECTION 2.17.  Section 21.4553(f), Education Code, is
	amended to read as follows:
	(f)  From money appropriated or otherwise available for the
	purpose, including an allotment under Section 48.108, a school
	district shall provide to an educator preparation program for each
	teacher enrolled in the educator preparation program who holds an
	intern with preservice experience certificate under Section
	21.0412(a)(3) and completes a mathematics achievement academy
	under this section while employed by the district a one-time
	payment of $500 or another amount set by the agency [This section
	expires September 1, 2027].
	SECTION 2.18.  Chapter 21, Education Code, is amended by
	adding Subchapter R to read as follows:
	SUBCHAPTER R. PREPARING AND RETAINING EDUCATORS THROUGH
	PARTNERSHIP PROGRAMS
	Sec. 21.901.  DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter:
	(1)  "Alternative partnership preservice program"
	means the Preparing and Retaining Educators through Partnership
	Alternative Preservice Program established under Section 21.905.
	(2)  "Board" means the State Board for Educator
	Certification.
	(3)  "Cooperating teacher" means a classroom teacher
	who:
	(A)  has at least three full school years of
	teaching experience with a superior record of assisting students in
	achieving improvement in student performance;
	(B)  is employed as a teacher of record by a school
	district or open-enrollment charter school participating in a
	partnership preservice program or grow your own partnership program
	under this subchapter and paired with one or more teacher
	candidates, students, or employees who are participating in a
	program under this subchapter; and
	(C)  provides coaching in the teacher's classroom
	to one or more teacher candidates, students, or employees
	participating in a program under this subchapter.
	(4)  "Grow your own partnership program" means the
	Preparing and Retaining Educators through Partnership Grow Your Own
	Partnership Program established under Section 21.906.
	(5)  "Mentor teacher" means a mentor teacher as
	described by Section 21.458.
	(6)  "Partnership preservice program" means a
	Preparing and Retaining Educators through Partnership Preservice
	Program established under Section 21.902.
	(7)  "Residency partnership preservice program" means
	the Preparing and Retaining Educators through Partnership
	Residency Preservice Program established under Section 21.904.
	(8)  "Teacher candidate" means a person enrolled in an
	educator preparation program participating in a partnership
	preservice program.
	(9)  "Traditional partnership preservice program"
	means the Preparing and Retaining Educators through Partnership
	Traditional Preservice Program established under Section 21.903.
	Sec. 21.902. PREPARING AND RETAINING EDUCATORS THROUGH
	PARTNERSHIP PRESERVICE PROGRAMS. (a) The commissioner shall
	establish Preparing and Retaining Educators through Partnership
	Preservice Programs to enable qualified educator preparation
	programs, as determined by the commissioner, to form partnerships
	with school districts and open-enrollment charter schools to
	provide preservice practice opportunities in a prekindergarten
	through grade 12 classroom for teacher candidates at the district
	or school through the traditional partnership preservice program,
	the residency partnership preservice program, or the alternative
	partnership preservice program.
	(b)  A partnership preservice program must be designed to:
	(1)  allow teacher candidates to receive field-based
	experience working with cooperating teachers in prekindergarten
	through grade 12 classrooms; and
	(2)  gradually increase the amount of time a teacher
	candidate spends engaging in instructional responsibilities,
	including observation, co-teaching, and lead-teaching
	responsibilities.
	(c)  A school district or open-enrollment charter school
	participating in a partnership preservice program shall:
	(1)  enter into a written agreement with an approved
	educator preparation program to:
	(A)  provide a teacher candidate with clinical
	teaching opportunities at the district or school in the subject
	area and grade level for which the candidate seeks certification;
	and
	(B)  pair the teacher candidate with a cooperating
	teacher who has successfully completed a training program for
	cooperating teachers that, if required by the agency, must be
	established or adopted by the agency;
	(2)  use money received under Section 48.157 only to
	implement the partnership preservice program;
	(3)  ensure that a teacher candidate is mentored by a
	mentor teacher who has completed mentorship training under Section
	21.907 for the candidate's first two years as a teacher of record
	after completing a partnership preservice program; and
	(4)  provide any information required by the agency
	regarding the district's or school's implementation of a
	partnership preservice program.
	(d)  A school district or open-enrollment charter school may
	only pair a teacher candidate with a cooperating teacher who agrees
	to participate in that role in a partnership preservice program at
	the district or school.
	(e)  A teacher candidate participating in a partnership
	preservice program may not serve:
	(1)  as a teacher of record; or
	(2)  except as provided by Subsection (f), in a
	position in which the student or employee has the primary or sole
	responsibility of providing instruction or supervision to
	students.
	(f)  A teacher candidate participating in a partnership
	preservice program may serve in a position described by Subsection
	(e)(2) for the limited purpose of gaining experience in the
	position.  The teacher candidate's amount of time serving in that
	position may not exceed the amount of time during which the teacher
	of record for the students has the primary or sole responsibility of
	providing instruction or supervision to those students.
	(g)  To be qualified to participate in a partnership
	preservice program, an educator preparation program must meet the
	requirements under Section 21.044(i).
	Sec. 21.903.  PREPARING AND RETAINING EDUCATORS THROUGH
	PARTNERSHIP TRADITIONAL PRESERVICE PROGRAM. (a)  The commissioner
	shall establish the Preparing and Retaining Educators through
	Partnership Traditional Preservice Program as a partnership
	preservice program to enable qualified educator preparation
	programs, as determined by the commissioner, that meet the
	traditional teacher preparation requirements under Section
	21.04421 to form partnerships with school districts or
	open-enrollment charter schools to help prepare candidates for a
	standard certificate.
	(b)  The program must be designed to:
	(1)  meet the requirements of a partnership preservice
	program under Section 21.902; and
	(2)  allow a teacher candidate to satisfy the
	traditional teacher preparation requirements under Section
	21.04421.
	(c)  A school district or open-enrollment charter school
	participating in the traditional partnership preservice program
	shall use money received under Section 48.157(b)(1) to provide
	compensation to:
	(1)   teacher candidates for preservice practice hours
	at the district or school in an amount of at least $3,000 for
	salary; and
	(2)  cooperating teachers who are paired with teacher
	candidates at the district or school in an amount of at least
	$1,000.
	(d)  In addition to the amount provided by Subsection (c)(1),
	a school district or open-enrollment charter school shall provide
	compensation to teacher candidates in any amount above the amount
	provided by that subdivision for salary using money received under
	Section 48.157 or from any other available source.
	Sec. 21.904.  PREPARING AND RETAINING EDUCATORS THROUGH
	PARTNERSHIP RESIDENCY PRESERVICE PROGRAM. (a) The commissioner
	shall establish the Preparing and Retaining Educators through
	Partnership Residency Preservice Program as a partnership
	preservice program to enable qualified educator preparation
	programs, as determined by the commissioner, that meet the teacher
	residency preparation requirements under Section 21.04422 to form
	partnerships with school districts or open-enrollment charter
	schools to help prepare candidates for an enhanced standard
	certificate.
	(b)  The program must be designed to:
	(1)  meet the requirements of a partnership preservice
	program under Section 21.902; and
	(2)  allow a teacher candidate to satisfy the teacher
	residency preparation requirements under Section 21.04422.
	(c)  A school district or open-enrollment charter school
	participating in the residency partnership preservice program
	shall use money received under Section 48.157(b)(2) to provide
	compensation to:
	(1)  teacher candidates for preservice practice hours
	at the district or school in an amount of at least $10,000 for
	salary; and
	(2)  cooperating teachers who are paired with teacher
	candidates at the district or school in an amount of at least
	$2,000.
	(d)  In addition to the amount provided by Subsection (c)(1),
	a school district or open-enrollment charter school shall provide
	compensation to teacher candidates in an amount of at least $10,000
	for salary using money received under Section 48.157 or from any
	other available source.
	(e)  An educator preparation program is not required to
	incorporate the instruction described by Section 21.044(i) to be
	eligible to participate in a residency partnership preservice
	program until the date on which rules proposed by the State Board
	for Educator Certification to implement that subsection take
	effect. This subsection expires September 1, 2028.
	Sec. 21.905.  PREPARING AND RETAINING EDUCATORS THROUGH
	PARTNERSHIP ALTERNATIVE PRESERVICE PROGRAM. (a)  The commissioner
	shall establish the Preparing and Retaining Educators through
	Partnership Alternative Preservice Program as a partnership
	preservice program to enable qualified educator preparation
	programs, as determined by the commissioner, that meet the
	preservice alternative teacher preparation requirements under
	Section 21.04423 to form partnerships with school districts or
	open-enrollment charter schools to help prepare candidates for an
	intern with preservice experience certificate or standard
	certificate.
	(b)  The program must be designed to:
	(1)  meet the requirements of a partnership preservice
	program under Section 21.902; and
	(2)  allow a teacher candidate to satisfy the
	preservice alternative teacher preparation requirements under
	Section 21.04423(1).
	(c)  A school district or open-enrollment charter school
	participating in the alternative partnership preservice program
	shall use money received under Section 48.157(b)(3) to provide
	compensation to:
	(1)  teacher candidates for preservice practice hours
	at the district or school in an amount of at least $3,000 for
	salary; and
	(2)  cooperating teachers who are paired with teacher
	candidates at the district or school in an amount of at least
	$1,000.
	(d)  In addition to the amount provided by Subsection (c)(1),
	a school district or open-enrollment charter school shall provide
	compensation to teacher candidates in any amount above the amount
	provided by that subdivision for salary using money received under
	Section 48.157 or from any other available source.
	Sec. 21.906.  PREPARING AND RETAINING EDUCATORS THROUGH
	PARTNERSHIP GROW YOUR OWN PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM. (a) The
	commissioner shall establish the Preparing and Retaining Educators
	through Partnership Grow Your Own Partnership Program to enable
	qualified institutions of higher education and educator
	preparation programs, as determined by the commissioner, to form
	partnerships with school districts or open-enrollment charter
	schools to establish innovative staffing pipelines to ensure the
	availability of high-quality classroom teachers to benefit future
	district or school students.
	(b)  The grow your own partnership program must be designed
	to form partnerships that support:
	(1)  high school students in completing career and
	technical education courses that help prepare the students to
	become classroom teachers; or
	(2)  district or school employees who do not hold a
	teaching certificate in completing a bachelor's degree to enable
	the person to become a classroom teacher while employed by the
	district or school.
	(c)  A school district or open-enrollment charter school may
	participate in a grow your own partnership program only if the
	district or school has been approved to participate in a
	partnership preservice program.
	(d)  A school district or open-enrollment charter school
	participating in the grow your own partnership program shall:
	(1)  for a partnership described by Subsection (b)(1),
	provide:
	(A)  authentic opportunities, which may be paid or
	unpaid, for students to practice teaching under the supervision of
	one or more cooperating teachers; and
	(B)  guidance and other transition supports as a
	student begins an undergraduate degree program that offers a route
	to teacher preparation;
	(2)  for a partnership described by Subsection (b)(2),
	provide for a district or school employee:
	(A)  scheduled release time to support the
	completion of a bachelor's degree;
	(B)  authentic opportunities to practice teaching
	under the supervision of one or more cooperating teachers;
	(C)  on-the-job training aligned with the
	standards for educator certification established by the board;
	(D)  a job assignment that includes instructional
	support for students enrolled in the district or school; and
	(E)  guidance and other transition supports as the
	employee begins a program to satisfy the teacher preparation
	requirements under Section 21.04421, 21.04422, or 21.04423;
	(3)  enter into a written agreement with an institution
	of higher education or educator preparation program;
	(4)  require an employee participating in a partnership
	described by Subsection (b)(2) to, as a condition for
	participation, earn a bachelor's degree and enroll in an educator
	preparation program within three years of beginning participation
	in the partnership; and
	(5)  provide any information required by the agency
	regarding the district's or school's implementation of the grow
	your own partnership program.
	(e)  A school district or open-enrollment charter school may
	use money received under Section 48.157 to implement the grow your
	own partnership program and pay tuition and fees for students or
	employees participating in the program.
	(f)  A school district or open-enrollment charter school may
	only pair a student or employee participating in the program with a
	cooperating teacher who agrees to participate in that role in a grow
	your own partnership program at the district or school.
	(g)  A student or employee participating in the program may
	not serve:
	(1)  as a teacher of record; or
	(2)  except as provided by Subsection (h), in a
	position in which the student or employee has the primary or sole
	responsibility of providing instruction or supervision to
	students.
	(h)  A student or employee participating in the program may
	serve in a position described by Subsection (g)(2) for the limited
	purpose of gaining experience in the position.  The student's or
	employee's amount of time serving in that position may not exceed
	the amount of time during which the teacher of record for the
	students has the primary or sole responsibility of providing
	instruction or supervision to those students.
	Sec. 21.907.  PREPARING AND RETAINING EDUCATORS THROUGH
	PARTNERSHIP MENTORSHIP PROGRAM. (a) The commissioner shall
	establish a preparing and retaining educators through partnership
	mentorship program through which participating school districts or
	open-enrollment charter schools implement a mentoring program that
	meets the requirements of Section 21.458 for classroom teachers who
	have less than two years of teaching experience.
	(b)  A school district or open-enrollment charter school
	participating in the program must require a classroom teacher who
	serves as a mentor teacher to annually complete a training program
	for mentor teachers established or adopted by the agency.
	(c)  A school district or open-enrollment charter school
	shall use money received under Section 48.157(b)(5) to provide
	stipends for mentor teachers in an amount of at least $1,000.
	(d)  If any money remains after providing a stipend to mentor
	teachers in accordance with Subsection (c), the district may use
	that money to provide:
	(1)  scheduled release time for mentor teachers and
	classroom teachers being mentored to meet and engage in mentoring
	activities; and
	(2)  support for mentor teachers through mentor
	training and strategic staffing training.
	Sec. 21.908.  AGENCY SUPPORT. The agency shall provide
	technical assistance, planning, and support to school districts,
	open-enrollment charter schools, and educator preparation
	programs, which must include:
	(1)  providing model forms and agreements a district,
	school, or educator preparation program may use to comply with the
	requirements of this subchapter;
	(2)  support for district and school strategic staffing
	and compensation models to incentivize participation in a
	partnership program under this subchapter;
	(3)  support for district, school, and educator
	preparation program partners in implementing strong partnership
	practices, including through participation in the grow your own
	partnership program, and providing high-quality mentorship as
	required under this subchapter; and
	(4)  support for educator preparation programs in
	implementing the partnership programs under this subchapter.
	Sec. 21.909.  PROGRAM STANDARDS AND PERFORMANCE GOALS.  (a)
	The commissioner shall adopt rules establishing:
	(1)  standards for partnership programs established
	under this subchapter, including eligibility criteria for educator
	preparation programs and institutions of higher education to
	participate in the partnership programs; and
	(2)  performance goals for partnership programs
	established under this subchapter.
	(b)  The commissioner shall periodically review the
	performance of each partnership program established under this
	subchapter to ensure the program meets the standards and
	performance goals established under Subsection (a).
	(c)  If, in reviewing a partnership program under Subsection
	(b), the commissioner determines that the program has failed to
	meet a performance goal established under Subsection (a), the
	commissioner shall prohibit the entity that failed to meet the
	performance goal from participating in a partnership program under
	this subchapter for a period not to exceed five years.
	Sec. 21.910.  AUTHORITY TO ACCEPT CERTAIN MONEY. The
	commissioner may solicit and accept gifts, grants, and donations
	from public and private entities to use for the purposes of this
	subchapter.
	Sec. 21.911.  RULES. The commissioner shall adopt rules as
	necessary to implement this subchapter.
	SECTION 2.19.  Subchapter D, Chapter 48, Education Code, is
	amended by adding Section 48.157 to read as follows:
	Sec. 48.157.  PREPARING AND RETAINING EDUCATORS THROUGH
	PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM ALLOTMENT. (a) In this section, "teacher
	candidate" has the meaning assigned by Section 21.901.
	(b)  Subject to Subsections (f) and (g), a school district is
	entitled to an annual allotment equal to each of the following
	applicable amounts:
	(1)  for each teacher candidate completing preservice
	practice hours at the district under Section 21.903, the sum of:
	(A)  $10,000; and
	(B)  the high needs and rural factor, as
	determined under Subsection (c), multiplied by $2,000;
	(2)  for each teacher candidate completing preservice
	practice hours at the district under Section 21.904, the sum of:
	(A)  $24,000; and
	(B)  the high needs and rural factor, as
	determined under Subsection (c), multiplied by $3,000;
	(3)  for each teacher candidate completing preservice
	practice hours at the district under Section 21.905, the sum of:
	(A)  $10,000; and
	(B)  the high needs and rural factor, as
	determined under Subsection (c), multiplied by $2,000;
	(4)  for each district employee participating in a
	partnership described by Section 21.906(b)(2), the sum of:
	(A)  $8,000; and
	(B)  the high needs and rural factor, as
	determined under Subsection (c), multiplied by $1,000; and
	(5)  for each classroom teacher being mentored under
	the preparing and retaining educators through partnership
	mentorship program established under Section 21.907, $3,000.
	(c)  The high needs and rural factor is the lesser of:
	(1)  the average of the point value assigned to each
	student at a district campus under Sections 48.112(e) and (f); or
	(2)  4.0.
	(d)  In addition to the funding under Subsection (b), a
	district is entitled to an additional $2,000 for each teacher
	candidate described by Subsection (b)(1), (2), or (3) who is a
	candidate for certification in bilingual education or special
	education.
	(e)  The Texas School for the Deaf and the Texas School for
	the Blind and Visually Impaired are entitled to an allotment under
	this section. If the commissioner determines that assigning point
	values under Subsection (c) to students enrolled in the Texas
	School for the Deaf or the Texas School for the Blind and Visually
	Impaired is impractical, the commissioner may use the average point
	value assigned for those students' home districts for purposes of
	calculating the high needs and rural factor.
	(f)  Unless a greater number of individuals is provided for
	by appropriation for that school year, a school district may
	receive an allotment for a school year for not more than:
	(1)  except as provided by Subsection (g), 40
	individuals under each of Subsections (b)(2), (4), and (5); and
	(2)  a total of 80 individuals under Subsections (b)(1)
	and (3).
	(g)  If more than 40 individuals are eligible to receive an
	allotment under Subsection (b)(2) for a school district, the
	district is entitled to an allotment under Subsection (b)(1) for
	those individuals, subject to the limitation under Subsection
	(f)(2).
	(h)  For purposes of offsetting tuition, fees, and
	administrative costs, using money to which a school district is
	otherwise entitled under Subsection (b), the commissioner shall
	provide to a teacher candidate's educator preparation program each
	of the following applicable amounts and reduce the district's
	allotment under that subsection accordingly:
	(1)  $5,000 for each teacher candidate who completed a
	partnership preservice program under Section 21.903 who obtains a
	standard certificate and has completed one year of employment with
	the district;
	(2)  $10,000 for each teacher candidate who completed a
	partnership preservice program under Section 21.904 who obtains an
	enhanced standard certificate and has completed one year of
	employment with the district; and
	(3)  $2,500 for each teacher candidate participating in
	the alternative partnership preservice program under Section
	21.905 who holds an intern with preservice experience certificate,
	and an additional $2,500 for each teacher candidate who completes
	the alternative partnership preservice program and obtains a
	standard certificate under Section 21.0412.
	(i)  An institution of higher education that operates an
	educator preparation program that receives money under Subsection
	(h) must spend not less than 85 percent of the money received on the
	educator preparation program for which the money was received.
	(j)  The agency shall only provide:
	(1)  an initial payment of $4,000 of the money the
	school district is entitled to receive under Subsection (b)(1) for
	a teacher candidate until the teacher candidate successfully
	completes the requirements of a partnership preservice program
	under Section 21.903 by the deadline established by the agency;
	(2)  an initial payment of $12,000 of the money the
	school district is entitled to receive under Subsection (b)(2) for
	a teacher candidate until the teacher candidate successfully
	completes the requirements of a partnership preservice program
	under Section 21.904 by the deadline established by the agency;
	(3)  an initial payment of $4,000 of the money the
	school district is entitled to receive under Subsection (b)(3) for
	a teacher candidate until the teacher candidate successfully
	completes the requirements of an alternative partnership
	preservice program under Section 21.905 by the deadline established
	by the agency and issuance of an intern with preservice experience
	certificate; and
	(4)  50 percent of the money the school district is
	entitled to receive under Subsection (b)(4) for a district employee
	on the employee's successful completion of a bachelor's degree by
	the deadline established by the agency.
	SECTION 2.20.  Subchapter G, Chapter 48, Education Code, is
	amended by adding Section 48.310 to read as follows:
	Sec. 48.310.  ALLOTMENT FOR COMPLETION OF TEACHER LITERACY
	OR MATHEMATICS ACHIEVEMENT ACADEMIES. An educator preparation
	program participating in a Preparing and Retaining Educators
	through Partnership Preservice Program under Section 21.902,
	21.903, 21.904, or 21.905 is entitled to an annual allotment for
	each teacher candidate who completes a literacy achievement academy
	or mathematics achievement academy under Section 21.4552 or 21.4553
	approved by the agency for the purpose in the amount of:
	(1)  $1,000, or a greater amount set by appropriation
	for that school year, for the completion of a literacy achievement
	academy; or
	(2)  $500, or a greater amount set by appropriation for
	that school year, for the completion of a mathematics achievement
	academy.
	SECTION 2.21.  (a)  The following provisions of the
	Education Code are repealed:
	(1)  Section 21.051(a);
	(2)  Subchapter Q, Chapter 21; and
	(3)  Section 48.114.
	(b)  Section 825.4092(f), Government Code, is repealed.
	SECTION 2.22.  Section 12A.004(a), Education Code, as
	amended by this article, applies to each local innovation plan
	adopted under Chapter 12A, Education Code, regardless of whether
	the plan was adopted before, on, or after the effective date of this
	article.  A local innovation plan adopted or renewed before the
	effective date of this article must comply with Section 12A.004(a),
	Education Code, as amended by this article, not later than
	September 1, 2026.
	SECTION 2.23.  (a)  Except as otherwise provided by
	Subsection (b) of this section, this article applies beginning with
	the 2025-2026 school year.
	(b)  Section 21.0032, Education Code, as added by this
	article, and Section 21.402, Education Code, as amended by this
	article, apply beginning with the 2026-2027 school year.
	SECTION 2.24.  (a)  Sections 48.157 and 48.310, Education
	Code, as added by this article, take effect September 1, 2025.
	(b)  Except as provided by Subsection (a) of this section,
	this article takes effect immediately if this Act 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 article takes
	effect September 1, 2025.
	ARTICLE 3.  RIGHTS OF PUBLIC SCHOOL EDUCATORS
	SECTION 3.01.  Section 11.1513, Education Code, is amended
	by amending Subsections (d) and (e) and adding Subsection (l) to
	read as follows:
	(d)  The employment policy must provide that not later than
	the fifth [10th] school day before the date on which a district
	fills a vacant position for which a certificate or license is
	required as provided by Section 21.003, other than a position that
	affects the safety and security of students as determined by the
	board of trustees, the district must provide to each current
	district employee:
	(1)  notice of the position by posting the position on:
	(A)  a bulletin board at:
	(i)  a place convenient to the public in the
	district's central administrative office; and
	(ii)  the central administrative office of
	each campus in the district during any time the office is open; or
	(B)  the district's Internet website, if the
	district has a website; and
	(2)  a reasonable opportunity to apply for the
	position.
	(e)  If, during the school year, the district must fill a
	vacant position held by a teacher, as defined by Section 21.201, in
	less than five [10] school days, the district:
	(1)  must provide notice of the position in the manner
	described by Subsection (d)(1) as soon as possible after the
	vacancy occurs;
	(2)  is not required to provide the notice for five [10]
	school days before filling the position; and
	(3)  is not required to comply with Subsection (d)(2).
	(l)  The employment policy must provide that for purposes of
	determining the amount of a reduction in the salary of a classroom
	teacher, full-time counselor, or full-time librarian for unpaid
	leave, the employee's daily rate of pay is computed by dividing the
	employee's annual salary by the number of days the employee is
	expected to work for that school year.
	SECTION 3.02.  Subchapter B, Chapter 21, Education Code, is
	amended by adding Sections 21.0411 and 21.04893 to read as follows:
	Sec. 21.0411.  WAIVER OR PAYMENT OF CERTAIN EXAMINATION AND
	CERTIFICATION FEES. (a) Notwithstanding a rule adopted under
	Section 21.041(c), the board shall, for a person applying for a
	certification in special education, bilingual education, or
	another area specified by the General Appropriations Act, waive:
	(1)  a certification examination fee imposed by the
	board for the first administration of the examination to the
	person; and
	(2)  a fee associated with the application for
	certification by the person.
	(b)  The board shall pay to a vendor that administers a
	certification examination described by Subsection (a) a fee
	assessed by that vendor for the examination of a person applying for
	a certification described by Subsection (a) for the first
	administration of the examination to the person.
	Sec. 21.04893.  BILINGUAL TARGET LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY
	TEST.  The board shall propose rules to allow a person seeking
	certification under this subchapter who fails to perform
	satisfactorily on the Bilingual Target Language Proficiency Test
	to:
	(1)  retake only the sections of the test that include
	the domains on which the person failed to perform satisfactorily;
	and
	(2)  during a retake of the test described by
	Subdivision (1), demonstrate the person's language proficiency
	through the completion of fewer components, including eliminating a
	component that requires the preparation of a lesson plan for a
	person who fails to perform satisfactorily on a domain requiring
	completion of that component.
	SECTION 3.03.  Section 21.105, Education Code, is amended by
	amending Subsection (c) and adding Subsection (g) to read as
	follows:
	(c)  Subject to Subsections (e), [and] (f), and (g), on
	written complaint by the employing district, the State Board for
	Educator Certification may impose sanctions against a teacher
	employed under a probationary contract who:
	(1)  resigns;
	(2)  fails without good cause to comply with Subsection
	(a) or (b); and
	(3)  fails to perform the contract.
	(g)  The State Board for Educator Certification may not
	impose a sanction under Subsection (c) against a teacher who
	relinquishes a position under a probationary contract and leaves
	the employment of the district after the 45th day before the first
	day of instruction for the upcoming school year in violation of
	Subsection (a) and without the consent of the board of trustees
	under Subsection (b) if the teacher's failure to comply with
	Subsection (a) was due to:
	(1)  a serious illness or health condition of the
	teacher or a close family member of the teacher;
	(2)  the teacher's relocation because the teacher's
	spouse or a partner who resides with the teacher changes employers
	or location of employment;
	(3)  a significant change in the needs of the teacher's
	family in a manner that requires the teacher to:
	(A)  relocate; or
	(B)  forgo employment during a period of required
	employment under the teacher's contract; or
	(4)  the teacher's reasonable belief that the teacher
	had written permission from the school district's administration to
	resign.
	SECTION 3.04.  Section 21.160, Education Code, is amended by
	amending Subsection (c) and adding Subsection (g) to read as
	follows:
	(c)  Subject to Subsections (e), [and] (f), and (g), on
	written complaint by the employing district, the State Board for
	Educator Certification may impose sanctions against a teacher who
	is employed under a continuing contract that obligates the district
	to employ the person for the following school year and who:
	(1)  resigns;
	(2)  fails without good cause to comply with Subsection
	(a) or (b); and
	(3)  fails to perform the contract.
	(g)  The State Board for Educator Certification may not
	impose a sanction under Subsection (c) against a teacher who
	relinquishes a position under a continuing contract and leaves the
	employment of the district after the 45th day before the first day
	of instruction of the upcoming school year in violation of
	Subsection (a) and without the consent of the board of trustees
	under Subsection (b) if the teacher's failure to comply with
	Subsection (a) was due to:
	(1)  a serious illness or health condition of the
	teacher or a close family member of the teacher;
	(2)  the teacher's relocation because the teacher's
	spouse or a partner who resides with the teacher changes employers
	or location of employment;
	(3)  a significant change in the needs of the teacher's
	family in a manner that requires the teacher to:
	(A)  relocate; or
	(B)  forgo employment during a period of required
	employment under the teacher's contract; or
	(4)  the teacher's reasonable belief that the teacher
	had written permission from the school district's administration to
	resign.
	SECTION 3.05.  Section 21.210, Education Code, is amended by
	amending Subsection (c) and adding Subsection (g) to read as
	follows:
	(c)  Subject to Subsections (e), [and] (f), and (g), on
	written complaint by the employing district, the State Board for
	Educator Certification may impose sanctions against a teacher who
	is employed under a term contract that obligates the district to
	employ the person for the following school year and who:
	(1)  resigns;
	(2)  fails without good cause to comply with Subsection
	(a) or (b); and
	(3)  fails to perform the contract.
	(g)  The State Board for Educator Certification may not
	impose a sanction under Subsection (c) against a teacher who
	relinquishes a position under a term contract and leaves the
	employment of the district after the 45th day before the first day
	of instruction of the upcoming school year in violation of
	Subsection (a) and without the consent of the board of trustees
	under Subsection (b) if the teacher's failure to comply with
	Subsection (a) was due to:
	(1)  a serious illness or health condition of the
	teacher or a close family member of the teacher;
	(2)  the teacher's relocation because the teacher's
	spouse or a partner who resides with the teacher changes employers
	or location of employment;
	(3)  a significant change in the needs of the teacher's
	family in a manner that requires the teacher to:
	(A)  relocate; or
	(B)  forgo employment during a period of required
	employment under the teacher's contract; or
	(4)  the teacher's reasonable belief that the teacher
	had written permission from the school district's administration to
	resign.
	SECTION 3.06.  Section 21.257, Education Code, is amended by
	amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsection (f) to read as
	follows:
	(a)  Except as provided by Subsection (f), not [Not] later
	than the 60th day after the date on which the commissioner receives
	a teacher's written request for a hearing, the hearing examiner
	shall complete the hearing and make a written recommendation that:
	(1)  includes proposed findings of fact and conclusions
	of law; and
	(2)  may include a proposal for granting relief.
	(f)  The hearing examiner may dismiss a hearing before
	completing the hearing or making a written recommendation if:
	(1)  the teacher requests the dismissal;
	(2)  the school district withdraws the proposed
	decision that is the basis of the hearing; or
	(3)  the teacher and school district request the
	dismissal after reaching a settlement regarding the proposed
	decision that is the basis of the hearing.
	SECTION 3.07.  Subchapter I, Chapter 21, Education Code, is
	amended by adding Sections 21.416  and 21.418 to read as follows:
	Sec. 21.416.  EMPLOYED RETIREE TEACHER REIMBURSEMENT GRANT
	PROGRAM. (a)  From money appropriated or otherwise available, the
	commissioner shall establish and administer a grant program to
	award money to reimburse a school district, an open-enrollment
	charter school, the Windham School District, the Texas School for
	the Deaf, or the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired
	that hires a teacher who retired before September 1, 2024, for the
	increased contributions to the Teacher Retirement System
	associated with hiring the retired teacher.
	(b)  In appropriating money for grants awarded under this
	section, the legislature may provide for, modify, or limit amounts
	appropriated for that purpose in the General Appropriations Act,
	including by:
	(1)  providing, notwithstanding Subsection (a), a date
	or date range other than September 1, 2024, before which a teacher
	must have retired for a school district, an open-enrollment charter
	school, the Windham School District, the Texas School for the Deaf,
	or the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired that hires
	the teacher to be eligible; or
	(2)  limiting eligibility to a district or school
	described by Subdivision (1) that hires a retired teacher:
	(A)  who holds a certain certification;
	(B)  to teach a certain subject or grade;
	(C)  in a certain geographical area; or
	(D)  to provide instruction to certain students,
	including to students with disabilities.
	(c)  The commissioner shall proportionally reduce the amount
	of money awarded to school districts, open-enrollment charter
	schools, the Windham School District, the Texas School for the
	Deaf, and the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired under
	this section if the number of grant applications by eligible
	districts or schools exceeds the number of grants the commissioner
	could award with the money appropriated or otherwise available for
	the purpose.
	(d)  A school district, an open-enrollment charter school,
	the Windham School District, the Texas School for the Deaf, or the
	Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired may use money
	received under this section to make required payments under Section
	825.4092, Government Code.
	Sec. 21.418.  ELECTION BY TEACHER TO USE UNPAID LEAVE. The
	board of trustees of a school district shall adopt a policy that
	provides a classroom teacher employed by the district the option to
	elect not to take the teacher's paid personal leave concurrently
	with unpaid leave the teacher is entitled to take under the Family
	and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (29 U.S.C. Section 2601 et seq.) for
	an absence due to pregnancy or the birth or adoption of a child.
	SECTION 3.08.  Subchapter J, Chapter 21, Education Code, is
	amended by adding Sections 21.466, 21.467, and 21.468 to read as
	follows:
	Sec. 21.466.  TEACHER QUALITY ASSISTANCE. (a) From money
	appropriated or otherwise available for the purpose, the agency
	shall develop training for and provide technical assistance to
	school districts and open-enrollment charter schools regarding:
	(1)  strategic compensation, staffing, and scheduling
	efforts that improve professional growth, teacher leadership
	opportunities, and staff retention;
	(2)  programs that encourage high school students or
	other members of the community in the area served by the district to
	become teachers, including available teacher apprenticeship
	programs; and
	(3)  programs or strategies that school leaders may use
	to establish clear and attainable behavior expectations while
	proactively supporting students.
	(b)  From money appropriated or otherwise available, the
	agency shall provide grants to school districts and open-enrollment
	charter schools to implement initiatives developed under this
	section.
	Sec. 21.467.  TEACHER TIME STUDY. (a) From money
	appropriated or otherwise available for the purpose, the agency
	shall develop and maintain a technical assistance program to
	support school districts and open-enrollment charter schools in:
	(1)  studying how the district's or school's staff and
	student schedules, required noninstructional duties for classroom
	teachers, and professional development requirements for educators
	are affecting the amount of time classroom teachers work each week;
	(2)  refining the schedules for students or staff as
	necessary to ensure teachers have sufficient time during normal
	work hours to fulfill all job duties, including addressing the
	needs of students; and
	(3)  studying how to reduce and streamline the tasks
	and duties a teacher is required to perform.
	(b)  The agency shall periodically make findings and
	recommendations for best practices publicly available using
	information from participating school districts and
	open-enrollment charter schools.
	Sec. 21.468.  TEACHER POSITION INFORMATION.  The agency
	shall collect data from school districts and open-enrollment
	charter schools to address teacher retention and recruitment,
	including the classifications, grade levels, subject areas,
	duration, and other relevant information regarding vacant teaching
	positions at districts and schools.  The data may be collected
	through the Public Education Information Management System (PEIMS)
	or another electronic reporting mechanism specified by the agency.
	SECTION 3.09.  Section 26.011, Education Code, is amended by
	adding Subsection (c) to read as follows:
	(c)  A grievance procedure adopted under Subsection (a) must
	require that, for a complaint filed against a teacher or other
	employee, the school district provide:
	(1)  notice of the complaint to the teacher or employee
	against whom the complaint was filed; and
	(2)  sufficient opportunity for the teacher or employee
	against whom the complaint was filed to submit a written response to
	the complaint to be included in the record.
	SECTION 3.10.  Section 37.002, Education Code, is amended by
	amending Subsections (b), (c), and (d) and adding Subsections
	(b-2), (b-3), (c-1), (c-2), (e-1), (e-2), and (f) to read as
	follows:
	(b)  A teacher may remove from class a student who:
	(1)  repeatedly interferes [who has been documented by
	the teacher to repeatedly interfere] with the teacher's ability to
	communicate effectively with the students in the class or with the
	ability of the student's classmates to learn; [or]
	(2)  demonstrates [whose] behavior that is unruly,
	disruptive, or abusive toward the teacher, another adult, or
	another student; or
	(3)  engages in conduct that constitutes bullying, as
	defined by Section 37.0832 [determines is so unruly, disruptive, or
	abusive that it seriously interferes with the teacher's ability to
	communicate effectively with the students in the class or with the
	ability of the student's classmates to learn].
	(b-2)  A teacher, campus behavior coordinator, or other
	appropriate administrator shall notify a parent or person standing
	in parental relation to a student of the removal of a student under
	this section.
	(b-3)  Subject to Sections 28.0022(a)(2) and (d), a teacher
	may remove a student from class under Subsection (b) of this section
	based on a single incident of behavior described by Subsection
	(b)(1), (2), or (3).
	(c)  If a teacher removes a student from class under
	Subsection (b), the principal may place the student into another
	appropriate classroom, into in-school suspension, or into a
	disciplinary alternative education program as provided by Section
	37.008. The principal may not return the student to that teacher's
	class without the teacher's written consent unless the committee
	established under Section 37.003 determines that such placement is
	the best or only alternative available and, not later than the third
	class day after the day on which the student was removed from class,
	a conference in which the teacher has been provided an opportunity
	to participate has been held in accordance with Section 37.009(a).
	The principal may not return the student to that teacher's class
	unless the teacher provides written consent for the student's
	return or a return to class plan has been prepared for that student.
	The principal may only designate an employee of the school whose
	primary duties do not include classroom instruction to create a
	return to class plan. The terms of the removal may prohibit the
	student from attending or participating in school-sponsored or
	school-related activity.
	(c-1)  A return to class plan required under Subsection (c)
	must be created before or at the conference described by that
	subsection.  A plan created before the conference must be discussed
	at the conference.
	(c-2)  The commissioner shall adopt a model return to class
	plan for use by a school district in creating a return to class plan
	for a student under Subsection (c).
	(d)  A teacher shall remove from class and send to the
	principal for placement in a disciplinary alternative education
	program or for expulsion, as appropriate, a student who engages in
	conduct described under Section 37.006 or 37.007. The student may
	not be returned to that teacher's class without the teacher's
	written consent unless the committee established under Section
	37.003 determines that such placement is the best or only
	alternative available and a conference in which the teacher has
	been provided an opportunity to participate has been held in
	accordance with Section 37.009(a). If the teacher removed the
	student from class because the student has engaged in the elements
	of any offense listed in Section 37.006(a)(2)(B) or Section
	37.007(a)(2)(A) or (b)(2)(C) against the teacher, the student may
	not be returned to the teacher's class without the teacher's written
	consent. The teacher may not be coerced to consent.
	(e-1)  A student may appeal the student's removal from class
	under this section to:
	(1)  the school's placement review committee
	established under Section 37.003; or
	(2)  the safe and supportive school team established
	under Section 37.115, in accordance with a district policy
	providing for such an appeal to be made to the team.
	(e-2)  The principal, campus behavior coordinator, or other
	appropriate administrator shall, at the conference required under
	Section 37.009(a), notify a student who has been removed from class
	under this section and the parent of or person standing in parental
	relation to the student of the student's right to appeal under
	Subsection (e-1).
	(f)  Section 37.004 applies to the removal or placement under
	this section of a student with a disability who receives special
	education services.
	SECTION 3.11.  Section 37.115(c), Education Code, as amended
	by Chapters 896 (H.B. 3) and 948 (S.B. 1720), Acts of the 88th
	Legislature, Regular Session, 2023, is reenacted and amended to
	read as follows:
	(c)  The board of trustees of each school district shall
	establish a threat assessment and safe and supportive school team
	to serve at each campus of the district and shall adopt policies and
	procedures for the teams. The team is responsible for developing
	and implementing the safe and supportive school program under
	Subsection (b) at the district campus served by the team. The
	policies and procedures adopted under this section must:
	(1)  be consistent with the model policies and
	procedures developed by the Texas School Safety Center;
	(2)  require each team to complete training provided by
	the Texas School Safety Center or a regional education service
	center regarding evidence-based threat assessment programs;
	(3)  require each team established under this section
	to report the information required under Subsection (k) regarding
	the team's activities to the agency; [and]
	(4)  provide for:
	(A)  a district employee who reports a potential
	threat to a team to elect for the employee's identity to be
	confidential and not subject to disclosure under Chapter 552,
	Government Code, except as necessary for the team, the district, or
	law enforcement to investigate the potential threat; and
	(B)  the district to maintain a record of the
	identity of a district employee who elects for the employee's
	identity to be confidential under Paragraph (A);
	(5) [(4)]  require each district campus to establish a
	clear procedure for a student to report concerning behavior
	exhibited by another student for assessment by the team or other
	appropriate school employee; and
	(6)  require that, as soon as safe and practicable
	after an administrator or team for a district campus receives
	information regarding a threat made against that campus, including
	through social media, the administrator or team immediately provide
	to each member of the teaching staff, including teacher's aides,
	who may be directly affected by the threat notice that includes:
	(A)  a statement of the existence of the threat;
	(B)  the nature of the threat; and
	(C)  any other pertinent details to ensure student
	and staff safety.
	SECTION 3.12.  Section 21.257(f), Education Code, as added
	by this article, applies only to a hearing before a hearing examiner
	commenced on or after the effective date of this article.
	SECTION 3.13.  Sections 11.1513(d) and (e), Education Code,
	as amended by this article, and Section 21.418, Education Code, as
	added by this article, apply beginning with the 2025-2026 school
	year.
	SECTION 3.14.  To the extent of any conflict between the
	changes made to the Education Code by this article and the changes
	made to the Education Code by another Act of the 89th Legislature,
	Regular Session, 2025, the changes made by this article prevail.
	SECTION 3.15.  This article takes effect immediately if this
	Act 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 article takes effect September 1, 2025.
	ARTICLE 4.  SPECIAL EDUCATION
	SECTION 4.01.  Section 7.021(b)(10), Education Code, is
	amended to read as follows:
	(10)  The agency shall carry out duties assigned under
	Section 30.002 concerning children who have visual impairments, are
	deaf or hard of hearing, or are deaf-blind [with visual
	impairments].
	SECTION 4.02.  Section 7.055(b)(25), Education Code, is
	amended to read as follows:
	(25)  The commissioner shall develop a system to
	distribute to school districts or regional education service
	centers a special supplemental allowance for students with visual
	impairments as required under Section 30.0021 [30.002].
	SECTION 4.03.  Section 8.051(d), Education Code, is amended
	to read as follows:
	(d)  Each regional education service center shall maintain
	core services for purchase by school districts and campuses.  The
	core services are:
	(1)  training and assistance in:
	(A)  teaching each subject area assessed under
	Section 39.023; and
	(B)  providing instruction in personal financial
	literacy as required under Section 28.0021;
	(2)  training and assistance in providing each program
	that qualifies for a funding allotment under Section 48.102,
	48.1021, 48.103, 48.104, 48.105, or 48.109;
	(3)  assistance specifically designed for a school
	district or campus assigned an unacceptable performance rating
	under Section 39.054;
	(4)  training and assistance to teachers,
	administrators, members of district boards of trustees, and members
	of site-based decision-making committees;
	(5)  assistance specifically designed for a school
	district that is considered out of compliance with state or federal
	special education requirements, based on the agency's most recent
	compliance review of the district's special education programs; and
	(6)  assistance in complying with state laws and rules.
	SECTION 4.04.  Sections 28.025(c-7) and (c-8), Education
	Code, are amended to read as follows:
	(c-7)  Subject to Subsection (c-8), a student who is enrolled
	in a special education program under Subchapter A, Chapter 29, may
	earn the distinguished level of achievement under Subsection (b-15)
	or an endorsement on the student's transcript under Subsection
	(c-1) by:
	(1)  successfully completing, with or without
	modification of the curriculum:
	(A)  the curriculum requirements identified by
	the State Board of Education under Subsection (a); [and]
	(B)  for the distinguished level of achievement,
	the additional curriculum requirements prescribed under Subsection
	(b-15); and
	(C)  for an endorsement, the additional
	[endorsement] curriculum requirements prescribed by the State
	Board of Education under Subsection (c-2); and
	(2)  successfully completing all curriculum
	requirements for the distinguished level of achievement or that
	endorsement adopted by the State Board of Education:
	(A)  without modification of the curriculum; or
	(B)  with modification of the curriculum,
	provided that the curriculum, as modified, is sufficiently rigorous
	as determined by the student's admission, review, and dismissal
	committee and documented in the student's individualized education
	program.
	(c-8)  For purposes of Subsection (c-7), the admission,
	review, and dismissal committee of a student in a special education
	program under Subchapter A, Chapter 29, shall determine whether the
	student is required to achieve satisfactory performance on an
	end-of-course assessment instrument to earn the distinguished
	level of achievement or an endorsement on the student's transcript.
	SECTION 4.05.  Section 29.001, Education Code, is amended to
	read as follows:
	Sec. 29.001.  IMPLEMENTATION OF SPECIAL EDUCATION
	LAW [STATEWIDE PLAN].  (a)  As the state education agency
	responsible for carrying out the purposes of Part B, Individuals
	with Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. Section 1411 et seq.),
	the [The] agency shall develop, and revise [modify] as necessary, a
	comprehensive system to ensure statewide and local compliance
	[design, consistent] with federal and state law related to special
	education[, for the delivery of services to children with
	disabilities in this state that includes rules for the
	administration and funding of the special education program so that
	a free appropriate public education is available to all of those
	children between the ages of three and 21].
	(b)  The comprehensive system must [statewide design shall]
	include the provision of services primarily through school
	districts and shared services arrangements, supplemented by
	regional education service centers.
	(c)  The comprehensive system must focus on maximizing
	student outcomes and include [agency shall also develop and
	implement a statewide plan with programmatic content that includes
	procedures designed to]:
	(1)  rulemaking, technical assistance, guidance
	documents, monitoring protocols, data elements necessary for
	statewide reporting, and other resources as necessary to implement
	and ensure compliance with federal and state law related to special
	education [ensure state compliance with requirements for
	supplemental federal funding for all state-administered programs
	involving the delivery of instructional or related services to
	students with disabilities];
	(2)  the facilitation of [facilitate] interagency
	coordination when other state agencies are involved in the delivery
	of instructional or related services to students with disabilities;
	(3)  the pursuit of [periodically assess statewide
	personnel needs in all areas of specialization related to special
	education and pursue] strategies to meet statewide special
	education and related services personnel [those] needs [through a
	consortium of representatives from regional education service
	centers, local education agencies, and institutions of higher
	education and through other available alternatives];
	(4)  ensuring [ensure] that regional education service
	centers throughout the state maintain a regional support function,
	which may include procedures for service centers to assist school
	districts in identifying existing public or private educational or
	related services in each region, cooperatively developing programs
	for students with disabilities, providing to or obtaining for
	school districts special equipment, delivering services, and
	facilitating [direct service delivery and a component designed to
	facilitate] the placement of students with disabilities who cannot
	be appropriately served in their resident districts;
	(5)  [allow the agency to] effectively monitoring
	[monitor] and periodically conducting [conduct] site visits of all
	school districts to ensure that rules adopted under this subchapter
	[section] are applied in a consistent and uniform manner, to ensure
	that districts are complying with those rules, and to ensure that
	annual statistical reports filed by the districts and not otherwise
	available through the Public Education Information Management
	System under Sections 48.008 and 48.009 are accurate and complete;
	and
	(6)  the provision of training and technical assistance
	to ensure that:
	(A)  appropriately trained personnel are involved
	in the diagnostic and evaluative procedures operating in all
	districts and that those personnel routinely serve on district
	multidisciplinary evaluation teams and admissions, review, and
	dismissal committees;
	(B)  [(7)  ensure that] an individualized
	education program for each student with a disability is properly
	developed, implemented, and maintained in the least restrictive
	environment that is appropriate to meet the student's educational
	needs;
	(C)  appropriately trained personnel are
	available to students with disabilities who have significant
	behavioral support needs, including by making behavioral support
	training available to each paraprofessional or teacher placed in a
	classroom or other setting that is intended to provide specialized
	behavioral supports to a student with a disability, as needed or at
	regular intervals as provided in the student's individualized
	education program;
	(D)  [(8)  ensure that,] when appropriate, each
	student with a disability is provided an opportunity to participate
	in career and technology and physical education classes[, in
	addition to participating in regular or special classes];
	(E)  [(9)  ensure that] each student with a
	disability is provided necessary related services;
	(F)  school districts have an opportunity to
	request technical assistance from the agency or a regional
	education service center in establishing classroom environments
	conducive to learning for students with disabilities, including
	environments for students whose data indicate behavior that
	significantly impedes the student's own learning and the learning
	of other students;
	(G)  [(10)  ensure that] an individual assigned
	to act as a surrogate parent for a child with a disability, as
	provided by 20 U.S.C. Section 1415(b), is required to:
	(i) [(A)]  complete a training program that
	complies with minimum standards established by agency rule;
	(ii) [(B)]  visit the child and the child's
	school;
	(iii) [(C)]  consult with persons involved
	in the child's education, including teachers, caseworkers,
	court-appointed volunteers, guardians ad litem, attorneys ad
	litem, foster parents, and caretakers;
	(iv) [(D)]  review the child's educational
	records;
	(v) [(E)]  attend meetings of the child's
	admission, review, and dismissal committee;
	(vi) [(F)]  exercise independent judgment
	in pursuing the child's interests; and
	(vii) [(G)]  exercise the child's due
	process rights under applicable state and federal law; and
	(H)  [(11)  ensure that] each district develops a
	process to be used by a teacher who instructs a student with a
	disability in a general education [regular] classroom setting:
	(i) [(A)]  to request a review of the
	student's individualized education program;
	(ii) [(B)]  to provide input in the
	development of the student's individualized education program;
	(iii) [(C)]  that provides for a timely
	district response to the teacher's request; and
	(iv) [(D)]  that provides for notification
	to the student's parent or legal guardian of that response.
	SECTION 4.06.  Subchapter A, Chapter 29, Education Code, is
	amended by adding Section 29.0012 to read as follows:
	Sec. 29.0012.  ANNUAL MEETING ON SPECIAL EDUCATION. (a)  At
	least once each year, the board of trustees of a school district or
	the governing body of an open-enrollment charter school shall
	include during a public meeting a discussion of the performance of
	students receiving special education services at the district or
	school.
	(b)  The agency by rule shall adopt a set of performance
	indicators for measuring and evaluating the quality of learning and
	achievement for students receiving special education services at
	the school district or open-enrollment charter school to be
	considered at a meeting held under this section.  The indicators
	must include performance on the college, career, or military
	readiness outcomes described by Section 48.110.
	SECTION 4.07.  Section 29.003, Education Code, is amended to
	read as follows:
	Sec. 29.003.  ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA.  (a)  The agency shall
	develop specific eligibility criteria based on the general
	classifications established by this section and in accordance with
	federal law [with reference to contemporary diagnostic or
	evaluative terminologies and techniques].  Eligible students with
	disabilities shall enjoy the right to a free appropriate public
	education, which may include instruction in the general education
	[regular] classroom, instruction through special teaching, or
	instruction through contracts approved under this subchapter.
	Instruction shall be supplemented by the provision of related
	services when appropriate.
	(b)  A student is eligible to participate in a school
	district's special education program [if the student]:
	(1)  from birth through [is not more than] 21 years of
	age if the student [and] has a visual [or auditory] impairment, is
	deaf or hard of hearing, or is deaf-blind and that disability
	prevents the student from being adequately or safely educated in
	public school without the provision of special education services;
	[or]
	(2)  from three years of age through nine years of age
	if the student is experiencing developmental delays as described by
	20 U.S.C. Section 1401(3)(B) and defined by commissioner rule; or
	(3)  from 3 years of age through [is at least three but
	not more than] 21 years of age if the student [and] has one or more
	of the [following] disabilities described by 20 U.S.C. Section
	1401(3)(A) and that disability prevents the student from being
	adequately or safely educated in public school without the
	provision of special education services[:
	[(A)  physical disability;
	[(B)  intellectual or developmental disability;
	[(C)  emotional disturbance;
	[(D)  learning disability;
	[(E)  autism;
	[(F)  speech disability; or
	[(G)  traumatic brain injury].
	SECTION 4.08.  Sections 29.005(a), (d), and (e), Education
	Code, are amended to read as follows:
	(a)  Before a child is enrolled in a special education
	program of a school district, the district shall establish a
	committee composed of the persons required under 20 U.S.C. Section
	1414(d) to develop the child's individualized education program.
	If a committee is required to include a general [regular] education
	teacher, the [regular education] teacher included must, to the
	extent practicable, be a teacher who is responsible for
	implementing a portion of the child's individualized education
	program.
	(d)  If the primary language of the child's parent is a
	language other than [is unable to speak] English, the district
	shall:
	(1)  provide the parent with a written or audiotaped
	copy of the child's individualized education program translated
	into Spanish if Spanish is the parent's primary [native] language;
	or
	(2)  if the parent's primary [native] language is a
	language other than Spanish, make a good faith effort to provide the
	parent with a written or audiotaped copy of the child's
	individualized education program translated into the parent's
	primary [native] language.
	(e)  The commissioner by rule may require a school district
	to include in the individualized education program of a student
	with autism [or another pervasive developmental disorder] any
	information or requirement determined necessary to ensure the
	student receives a free appropriate public education as required
	under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C.
	Section 1400 et seq.).
	SECTION 4.09.  Section 29.0051, Education Code, is amended
	by adding Subsection (d) to read as follows:
	(d)  From federal money appropriated or otherwise available
	for the purpose, the commissioner may develop or procure the model
	form developed under Subsection (a) in a digital format.  If the
	commissioner develops or procures the model form in a digital
	format, the commissioner shall adopt rules regarding school
	district use of the form in that format.
	SECTION 4.10.  Subchapter A, Chapter 29, Education Code, is
	amended by adding Section 29.0056 to read as follows:
	Sec. 29.0056.  INFORMATION REGARDING STATE SUPPORTED LIVING
	CENTERS. (a)  In this section, "state supported living center" has
	the meaning assigned by Section 531.002, Health and Safety Code.
	(b)  The Health and Human Services Commission, in
	collaboration with the agency and stakeholders who represent the
	full continuum of educational residential placement options, shall
	develop and provide to the agency materials regarding educational
	residential placement options for children who may qualify for
	placement in a state supported living center. The agency shall make
	the materials developed under this subsection available to school
	districts.
	(c)  At a meeting of a child's admission, review, and
	dismissal committee at which residential placement is discussed,
	the school district shall provide to the child's parent the
	materials developed under Subsection (b).
	SECTION 4.11.  Sections 29.006(a) and (c), Education Code,
	are amended to read as follows:
	(a)  The governor shall appoint a continuing advisory
	committee consistent with[, composed of 17 members, under] 20
	U.S.C. Section 1412(a)(21).  At least one member appointed under
	this subsection must be a director of special education programs
	for a school district.
	(c)  Members of the committee are appointed for staggered
	terms of four years with the terms of half of the [eight or nine]
	members or, for an odd number of members, half of the members
	rounded down or half of the members rounded up expiring on February
	1 of each odd-numbered year.
	SECTION 4.12.  Section 29.008, Education Code, is amended to
	read as follows:
	Sec. 29.008.  CONTRACTS FOR SERVICES; RESIDENTIAL AND DAY
	PLACEMENT PROGRAMS.  (a)  The commissioner shall set minimum
	standards for and develop and update as necessary a list of approved
	public or private facilities, institutions, agencies, or
	businesses inside or outside of this state that a [A] school
	district, shared services arrangement unit, or regional education
	service center may contract with [a public or private facility,
	institution, or agency inside or outside of this state] for the
	provision of services to students with disabilities in a
	residential or day placement program.
	(a-1)  [Each contract for residential placement must be
	approved by the commissioner.]  The commissioner may approve a
	facility, institution, agency, or business under Subsection (a)
	[residential placement contract] only after at least a programmatic
	evaluation of personnel qualifications, costs, adequacy of
	physical plant and equipment, and curriculum content.  [The
	commissioner may approve either the whole or a part of a facility or
	program.]
	(a-2)  Each contract described by this section must be
	approved by the commissioner.  A school district, shared services
	arrangement unit, or regional education service center seeking to
	place a student in a residential or day placement program that is
	not on the list developed under Subsection (a) must submit to the
	commissioner an application for approval in accordance with
	Subsections (a) and (a-1).
	(b)  Except as provided by Subsection (c), costs of an
	approved contract for residential placement may be paid from a
	combination of federal, state, and local funds.  The local share of
	the total contract cost for each student is that portion of the
	local tax effort that exceeds the district's local fund assignment
	under Section 48.256, divided by the average daily attendance in
	the district.  If the contract involves a private facility, the
	state share of the total contract cost is that amount remaining
	after subtracting the local share.  If the contract involves a
	public facility, the state share is that amount remaining after
	subtracting the local share from the portion of the contract that
	involves the costs of instructional and related services.  For
	purposes of this subsection, "local tax effort" means the total
	amount of money generated by taxes imposed for debt service and
	maintenance and operation less any amounts paid into a tax
	increment fund under Chapter 311, Tax Code.  This subsection
	expires September 1, 2027.
	(c)  When a student, including one for whom the state is
	managing conservator, is placed primarily for care or treatment
	reasons in a private [residential] facility that operates its own
	private education program, none of the costs may be paid from public
	education funds.  If a [residential] placement primarily for care
	or treatment reasons involves a private [residential] facility in
	which the education program is provided by the school district, the
	portion of the costs that includes appropriate education services,
	as determined by the school district's admission, review, and
	dismissal committee, shall be paid from state and federal education
	funds.
	(d)  A district that contracts for the provision of education
	services rather than providing the services itself shall oversee
	the implementation of the student's individualized education
	program and shall annually reevaluate the appropriateness of the
	arrangement.  The reevaluation must include standards and
	expectations that must be met to reintegrate the student to the
	general education setting.  An approved facility, institution, [or]
	agency, or business with whom the district contracts shall
	periodically report to the district and the agency on the services
	the student has received or will receive in accordance with the
	contract as well as diagnostic or other evaluative information that
	the district or agency requires in order to fulfill its obligations
	under this subchapter.
	(e)  The commissioner shall adopt rules for residential and
	day placement of students receiving special education services.
	SECTION 4.13.  The heading to Section 29.009, Education
	Code, is amended to read as follows:
	Sec. 29.009.  PUBLIC NOTICE CONCERNING EARLY CHILDHOOD
	SPECIAL EDUCATION [PRESCHOOL] PROGRAMS [FOR STUDENTS WITH
	DISABILITIES].
	SECTION 4.14.  Section 29.010, Education Code, is amended to
	read as follows:
	Sec. 29.010.  GENERAL SUPERVISION AND COMPLIANCE.  (a)  The
	agency shall develop [adopt] and implement a comprehensive system
	for monitoring school district compliance with federal and state
	laws relating to special education.  The monitoring system must
	include a comprehensive cyclical process and a targeted risk-based
	process [provide for ongoing analysis of district special education
	data and of complaints filed with the agency concerning special
	education services and for inspections of school districts at
	district facilities].  The agency shall establish criteria and
	instruments for use in determining district compliance under this
	section [use the information obtained through analysis of district
	data and from the complaints management system to determine the
	appropriate schedule for and extent of the inspection].
	(a-1)  As part of the monitoring system, the agency may
	require a school district to obtain specialized technical
	assistance for a documented noncompliance issue or if data
	indicates that technical assistance is needed, such as an incident
	involving injury to staff or students by a student receiving
	special education services or data indicating an excessive number
	of restraints are used on students receiving special education
	services.
	(b)  As part of the monitoring process [To complete the
	inspection], the agency must obtain information from parents and
	teachers of students in special education programs in the district.
	(c)  The agency shall develop and implement a system of
	interventions and sanctions for school districts the agency
	identifies as being in noncompliance with [whose most recent
	monitoring visit shows a failure to comply with major requirements
	of] the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C.
	Section 1400 et seq.), federal regulations, state statutes, or
	agency requirements necessary to carry out federal law or
	regulations or state law relating to special education.
	(d)  The agency shall establish a system of progressive
	sanctions and enforcement provisions to apply to [For] districts
	that remain in noncompliance for more than one year[, the first
	stage of sanctions shall begin with annual or more frequent
	monitoring visits]. The [Subsequent] sanctions must [may] range in
	severity and may include [up to] the withholding of funds.  If funds
	are withheld, the agency may use the funds, or direct the funds to
	be used, to provide, through alternative arrangements, services to
	students and staff members in the district from which the funds are
	withheld.
	(e)  The agency's complaint management division shall
	develop a system for expedited investigation and resolution of
	complaints concerning a district's failure to provide special
	education or related services to a student eligible to participate
	in the district's special education program.
	[(f)  This section does not create an obligation for or
	impose a requirement on a school district or open-enrollment
	charter school that is not also created or imposed under another
	state law or a federal law.]
	SECTION 4.15.  Section 29.012(d), Education Code, is amended
	to read as follows:
	(d)  The Texas Education Agency, the Health and Human
	Services Commission, the Department of Family and Protective
	Services, and the Texas Juvenile Justice Department by a
	cooperative effort shall develop and [by rule] adopt a memorandum
	of understanding.  The memorandum must:
	(1)  establish the respective responsibilities of
	school districts and of residential facilities for the provision of
	a free, appropriate public education, as required by the
	Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. Section 1400
	et seq.) and its subsequent amendments, including each requirement
	for children with disabilities who reside in those facilities;
	(2)  coordinate regulatory and planning functions of
	the parties to the memorandum;
	(3)  establish criteria for determining when a public
	school will provide educational services;
	(4)  provide for appropriate educational space when
	education services will be provided at the residential facility;
	(5)  establish measures designed to ensure the safety
	of students and teachers; and
	(6)  provide for binding arbitration consistent with
	Chapter 2009, Government Code, and Section 154.027, Civil Practice
	and Remedies Code.
	SECTION 4.16.  Section 29.013, Education Code, is amended to
	read as follows:
	Sec. 29.013.  NONEDUCATIONAL COMMUNITY-BASED SUPPORT
	SERVICES GRANTS FOR CERTAIN STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES.  (a)  The
	commissioner [agency] shall adopt rules establishing [establish]
	procedures and criteria for the allocation of grants [funds
	appropriated] under this section to students who are eligible under
	Subsection (b) and the students' families [school districts] for
	the provision of noneducational community-based support services
	[to certain students with disabilities and their families so that
	those students may receive an appropriate free public education in
	the least restrictive environment].
	(b)  A grant [The funds] may be awarded under this section
	[used] only to a student with a disability [for eligible students
	with disabilities] who is [would remain or would have to be] placed
	by the student's admission, review, and dismissal committee in:
	(1)  a residential program approved under Section
	29.008; or
	(2)  a day placement program and is at risk of being
	placed in a residential program approved under Section 29.008
	[facilities primarily for educational reasons without the
	provision of noneducational community-based support services].
	(c)  The support services may not be related to the provision
	of a free appropriate public education to the student and may
	include in-home family support, behavioral and other
	disability-related supports for the student's family, respite
	care, and case management for the student's family [families with a
	student who otherwise would have been placed by a district in a
	private residential facility].
	(d)  A school district shall:
	(1)  notify the parent of a student described by
	Subsection (b) of the availability of grants under this section;
	and
	(2)  designate a campus or district staff member to
	assist families of students described by Subsection (b) in
	accessing grants under this section.
	(e)  On request by the parent of a student described by
	Subsection (b), the commissioner shall create an account for the
	student to access a grant under this section through which the
	parent may request payment for approved support services.
	(f)  In adopting rules under this section, the commissioner
	shall adopt rules and guidelines detailing the process to access
	grant money and the amount of each grant, including a process for a
	parent to apply for an increase in the grant amount.
	(g)  The provision of services under this section does not
	supersede or limit the responsibility of a school district or other
	agencies to provide or pay for costs [of noneducational
	community-based support services] to enable any student with
	disabilities to receive a free appropriate public education in the
	least restrictive environment.  [Specifically, services provided
	under this section may not be used for a student with disabilities
	who is currently placed or who needs to be placed in a residential
	facility primarily for noneducational reasons.]
	(h)  The commissioner may designate a regional education
	service center to administer grants under this section.
	SECTION 4.17.  Sections 29.014(c) and (d), Education Code,
	are amended to read as follows:
	(c)  Notwithstanding any other provision of this code, a
	student whose appropriate education program is a general [regular]
	education program may receive services and be counted for
	attendance purposes for the number of hours per week appropriate
	for the student's condition if the student:
	(1)  is temporarily classified as eligible for
	participation in a special education program because of the
	student's confinement in a hospital; and
	(2)  the student's education is provided by a district
	to which this section applies.
	(d)  The basic allotment for a student enrolled in a district
	to which this section applies is adjusted by the tier of intensity
	of service defined in accordance with [weight for a homebound
	student under] Section 48.102 and designated by commissioner rule
	for use under this section [48.102(a)].
	SECTION 4.18.  Section 29.0162(b), Education Code, is
	amended to read as follows:
	(b)  The commissioner by rule shall adopt additional
	qualifications and requirements for a representative for purposes
	of Subsection (a)(2).  The rules must:
	(1)  prohibit an individual from being a representative
	under Subsection (a)(2) opposing a school district if:
	(A)  the individual has prior employment
	experience with the district; and
	(B)  the district raises an objection to the
	individual serving as a representative;
	(2)  include requirements that the representative have
	knowledge of:
	(A)  all special education dispute resolution
	options available to parents, including due process and due process
	rules, hearings, and procedure; and
	(B)  federal and state special education laws;
	(3)  require, if the representative receives monetary
	compensation from a person for representation in an impartial due
	process hearing, that the representative agree to abide by a
	voluntary code of ethics and professional conduct during the period
	of representation; and
	(4)  require, if the representative receives monetary
	compensation from a person for representation in an impartial due
	process hearing, that the representative enter into a written
	agreement for representation with the person who is the subject of
	the special education due process hearing that includes a process
	for resolving any disputes between the representative and the
	person.
	SECTION 4.19.  Section 29.018(b), Education Code, is amended
	to read as follows:
	(b)  A school district is eligible to apply for a grant under
	this section if:
	(1)  the district does not receive sufficient funds,
	including state funds provided under Sections [Section] 48.102 and
	48.1021 and federal funds, for a student with disabilities to pay
	for the special education services provided to the student; or
	(2)  the district does not receive sufficient funds,
	including state funds provided under Sections [Section] 48.102 and
	48.1021 and federal funds, for all students with disabilities in
	the district to pay for the special education services provided to
	the students.
	SECTION 4.20.  The heading to Section 29.020, Education
	Code, is amended to read as follows:
	Sec. 29.020.  STATE-ADMINISTERED INDIVIDUALIZED EDUCATION
	PROGRAM FACILITATION [PROJECT].
	SECTION 4.21.  Sections 29.020(a) and (c), Education Code,
	are amended to read as follows:
	(a)  The agency shall develop rules in accordance with this
	section applicable to state-administered [the administration of a
	state] individualized education program facilitation [project].
	The program shall include the provision of an independent
	individualized education program facilitator as a dispute
	resolution method that may be used to avoid a potential dispute
	between a school district and a parent of a student with a
	disability or to facilitate an admission, review, and dismissal
	committee meeting with parties who are in a dispute about decisions
	relating to the provision of a free appropriate public education to
	a student with a disability.  Facilitation [implemented under the
	project] must comply with rules developed under this subsection.
	(c)  If the commissioner determines that adequate funding is
	available, the commissioner may authorize the use of federal funds
	to implement [the] individualized education program facilitation
	[project] in accordance with this section.
	SECTION 4.22.  Sections 29.022(a), (a-1), (b), (c), (c-1),
	(d), (f), (h), (k), (l), (q), (s), and (t), Education Code, are
	amended to read as follows:
	(a)  In order to promote student safety, on receipt of a
	written request authorized under Subsection (a-1), a school
	district or open-enrollment charter school shall provide
	equipment, including a video camera, to the school or schools in the
	district or the charter school campus or campuses specified in the
	request.  A school or campus that receives equipment as provided by
	this subsection shall place, operate, and maintain one or more
	video cameras in special education [self-contained] classrooms and
	other special education settings [in which a majority of the
	students in regular attendance are provided special education and
	related services and are assigned to one or more self-contained
	classrooms or other special education settings for at least 50
	percent of the instructional day], provided that:
	(1)  a school or campus that receives equipment as a
	result of the request by a parent or staff member is required to
	place equipment only in classrooms or settings in which the
	parent's child is in regular attendance or to which the staff member
	is assigned, as applicable; and
	(2)  a school or campus that receives equipment as a
	result of the request by a board of trustees, governing body,
	principal, or assistant principal is required to place equipment
	only in classrooms or settings identified by the requestor, if the
	requestor limits the request to specific classrooms or settings
	subject to this subsection.
	(a-1)  For purposes of Subsection (a):
	(1)  a parent of a child who receives special education
	services in one or more special education [self-contained]
	classrooms or other special education settings may request in
	writing that equipment be provided to the school or campus at which
	the child receives those services;
	(2)  a board of trustees or governing body may request
	in writing that equipment be provided to one or more specified
	schools or campuses at which one or more children receive special
	education services in special education [self-contained]
	classrooms or other special education settings;
	(3)  the principal or assistant principal of a school
	or campus at which one or more children receive special education
	services in special education [self-contained] classrooms or other
	special education settings may request in writing that equipment be
	provided to the principal's or assistant principal's school or
	campus; and
	(4)  a staff member assigned to work with one or more
	children receiving special education services in special education
	[self-contained] classrooms or other special education settings
	may request in writing that equipment be provided to the school or
	campus at which the staff member works.
	(b)  A school or campus that places a video camera in a
	special education classroom or other special education setting in
	accordance with Subsection (a) shall operate and maintain the video
	camera in the classroom or setting, as long as the classroom or
	setting continues to satisfy the requirements under Subsection (a),
	for the remainder of the school year in which the school or campus
	received the request, unless the requestor withdraws the request in
	writing.  If for any reason a school or campus will discontinue
	operation of a video camera during a school year, not later than the
	fifth school day before the date the operation of the video camera
	will be discontinued, the school or campus must notify the parents
	of each student in regular attendance in the classroom or setting
	that operation of the video camera will not continue unless
	requested by a person eligible to make a request under Subsection
	(a-1).  Not later than the 10th school day before the end of each
	school year, the school or campus must notify the parents of each
	student in regular attendance in the classroom or setting that
	operation of the video camera will not continue during the
	following school year unless a person eligible to make a request for
	the next school year under Subsection (a-1) submits a new request.
	(c)  Except as provided by Subsection (c-1), video cameras
	placed under this section must be capable of:
	(1)  covering all areas of the special education
	classroom or other special education setting, including a room
	attached to the classroom or setting used for time-out; and
	(2)  recording audio from all areas of the special
	education classroom or other special education setting, including a
	room attached to the classroom or setting used for time-out.
	(c-1)  The inside of a bathroom or any area in the special
	education classroom or other special education setting in which a
	student's clothes are changed may not be visually monitored, except
	for incidental coverage of a minor portion of a bathroom or changing
	area because of the layout of the classroom or setting.
	(d)  Before a school or campus activates a video camera in a
	special education classroom or other special education setting
	under this section, the school or campus shall provide written
	notice of the placement to all school or campus staff and to the
	parents of each student attending class or engaging in school
	activities in the classroom or setting.
	(f)  A school district or open-enrollment charter school may
	solicit and accept gifts, grants, and donations from any person for
	use in placing video cameras in special education classrooms or
	other special education settings under this section.
	(h)  A school district or open-enrollment charter school may
	not:
	(1)  allow regular or continual monitoring of video
	recorded under this section; or
	(2)  use video recorded under this section for teacher
	evaluation or for any other purpose other than the promotion of
	safety of students receiving special education services in a
	special education [self-contained] classroom or other special
	education setting.
	(k)  The commissioner may adopt rules to implement and
	administer this section, including rules regarding the special
	education classrooms and other special education settings to which
	this section applies.
	(l)  A school district or open-enrollment charter school
	policy relating to the placement, operation, or maintenance of
	video cameras under this section must:
	(1)  include information on how a person may appeal an
	action by the district or school that the person believes to be in
	violation of this section or a policy adopted in accordance with
	this section, including the appeals process under Section 7.057;
	(2)  require that the district or school provide a
	response to a request made under this section not later than the
	seventh school business day after receipt of the request by the
	person to whom it must be submitted under Subsection (a-3) that
	authorizes the request or states the reason for denying the
	request;
	(3)  except as provided by Subdivision (5), require
	that a school or a campus begin operation of a video camera in
	compliance with this section not later than the 45th school
	business day, or the first school day after the 45th school business
	day if that day is not a school day, after the request is authorized
	unless the agency grants an extension of time;
	(4)  permit the parent of a student whose admission,
	review, and dismissal committee has determined that the student's
	placement for the following school year will be in a special
	education classroom or other special education setting in which a
	video camera may be placed under this section to make a request for
	the video camera by the later of:
	(A)  the date on which the current school year
	ends; or
	(B)  the 10th school business day after the date
	of the placement determination by the admission, review, and
	dismissal committee; and
	(5)  if a request is made by a parent in compliance with
	Subdivision (4), unless the agency grants an extension of time,
	require that a school or campus begin operation of a video camera in
	compliance with this section not later than the later of:
	(A)  the 10th school day of the fall semester; or
	(B)  the 45th school business day, or the first
	school day after the 45th school business day if that day is not a
	school day, after the date the request is made.
	(q)  The agency shall collect through the Public Education
	Information Management System (PEIMS) data relating to requests
	made under this section and actions taken by a school district or
	open-enrollment charter school in response to a request, including
	the number of requests made, authorized, and denied.
	(s)  This section applies to the placement, operation, and
	maintenance of a video camera in a special education
	[self-contained] classroom or other special education setting
	during the regular school year and extended school year services.
	(t)  A video camera placed under this section is not required
	to be in operation for the time during which students are not
	present in the special education classroom or other special
	education setting.
	SECTION 4.23.  Sections 29.022(u)(3) and (4), Education
	Code, are amended to read as follows:
	(3)  "Special education classroom or other special
	education setting" means a classroom or setting primarily used for
	delivering special education services to students who spend on
	average less than 50 percent of an instructional day in a general
	education classroom or setting ["Self-contained classroom" does
	not include a classroom that is a resource room instructional
	arrangement under Section 48.102].
	(4)  "Staff member" means a teacher, related service
	provider, paraprofessional, counselor, or educational aide
	assigned to work in a special education [self-contained] classroom
	or other special education setting.
	SECTION 4.24.  Subchapter A, Chapter 29, Education Code, is
	amended by adding Sections 29.024 and 29.026 to read as follows:
	Sec. 29.024.  GRANT PROGRAM PROVIDING TRAINING IN DYSLEXIA
	FOR TEACHERS AND STAFF. (a) From money appropriated or otherwise
	available for the purpose, the commissioner shall establish a
	program to award grants each school year to school districts and
	open-enrollment charter schools to increase local capacity to
	appropriately serve students with dyslexia.
	(b)  A school district, including a school district acting
	through a district charter issued under Subchapter C, Chapter 12,
	or an open-enrollment charter school, including a charter school
	that primarily serves students with disabilities, as provided under
	Section 12.1014, is eligible to apply for a grant under this section
	if the district or school submits to the commissioner a proposal on
	the use of grant funds that:
	(1)  incorporates  evidence-based and research-based
	design; and
	(2)  increases local capacity to appropriately serve
	students with dyslexia by providing:
	(A)  high-quality training to classroom teachers
	and administrators in meeting the needs of students with dyslexia;
	or
	(B)  training to intervention staff resulting in
	appropriate credentialing related to dyslexia, with priority for
	training staff to earn the credentials necessary to become a
	licensed dyslexia therapist or certified academic language
	therapist.
	(c)   The commissioner shall create an external panel of
	stakeholders, including parents of students with disabilities, to
	provide assistance in the selection of applications for the award
	of grants under this section.
	(d)  A grant awarded to a school district or open-enrollment
	charter school under this section is in addition to the Foundation
	School Program money that the district or charter school is
	otherwise entitled to receive. A grant awarded under this section
	may not come out of Foundation School Program money.
	(e)  The commissioner and any grant recipient selected under
	this section may accept gifts, grants, and donations from any
	public or private source, person, or group to implement and
	administer the grant.  The commissioner and any grant recipient
	selected under this section may not require any financial
	contribution from parents to implement and administer the grant.
	(f)  A regional education service center may administer
	grants awarded under this section.
	Sec. 29.026.  RULES.  The commissioner may adopt rules as
	necessary to implement this subchapter.
	SECTION 4.25.  The heading to Subchapter A-1, Chapter 29,
	Education Code, is amended to read as follows:
	SUBCHAPTER A-1. PARENT-DIRECTED [SUPPLEMENTAL SPECIAL EDUCATION]
	SERVICES FOR STUDENTS RECEIVING SPECIAL EDUCATION SERVICES
	[PROGRAM]
	SECTION 4.26.  Sections 29.041(2) and (3), Education Code,
	are amended to read as follows:
	(2)  "Supplemental [special education] instructional
	materials" includes textbooks, computer hardware or software,
	other technological devices, and other materials suitable for
	addressing an educational need of a student receiving special
	education services under Subchapter A.
	(3)  "Supplemental [special education] services" means
	an additive service that provides an educational benefit to a
	student receiving special education services under Subchapter A,
	including:
	(A)  occupational therapy, physical therapy, and
	speech therapy; and
	(B)  private tutoring and other supplemental
	private instruction or programs.
	SECTION 4.27.  Section 29.042, Education Code, is amended by
	amending Subsections (a) and (c) and adding Subsection (e) to read
	as follows:
	(a)  The agency by rule shall establish and administer a
	parent-directed [supplemental special education services and
	instructional materials] program for students receiving special
	education services through which a parent may direct supplemental
	services and supplemental instructional materials for the parent's
	student [students] who meets [meet] the eligibility requirements
	for participation in the program. Subject to Subsection (c) and
	Section 48.306(f), the agency shall provide each student approved
	as provided by this subchapter a grant in the amount provided under
	Section 48.306 [of not more than $1,500] to purchase supplemental
	[special education] services and supplemental [special education]
	instructional materials.  If the agency receives more acceptable
	applications for a grant for a school year than available funding
	for that school year, the agency shall award grants in the order in
	which the applications were received and place remaining students
	on a waitlist for the subsequent school year.
	(c)  A student may receive one grant under this subchapter
	unless the legislature appropriates money for an additional grant
	in the General Appropriations Act [The commissioner shall set aside
	an amount set by appropriation for each state fiscal year to fund
	the program under this section. For each state fiscal year, the
	total amount provided for student grants under Subsection (a) may
	not exceed the amount set aside by the commissioner under this
	subsection].
	(e)  The agency shall maintain an online user-friendly
	application system for parents to apply for a grant described by
	Subsection (a).
	SECTION 4.28.  Section 29.045, Education Code, is amended to
	read as follows:
	Sec. 29.045.  APPROVAL OF APPLICATION; ASSIGNMENT OF
	ACCOUNT. The [Subject to available funding the] agency shall
	approve each student who meets the program eligibility criteria
	established under Section 29.044 and assign to the student an
	account maintained under Section 29.042(b). The account may only
	be used by the student's parent to purchase supplemental [special
	education] services or supplemental [special education]
	instructional materials for the student, subject to Sections 29.046
	and 29.047.
	SECTION 4.29.  Sections 29.046(a) and (b), Education Code,
	are amended to read as follows:
	(a)  Money in an account assigned to a student under Section
	29.045 may be used only for supplemental [special education]
	services and supplemental [special education] instructional
	materials.
	(b)  Supplemental [special education] services must be
	provided by an agency-approved provider.
	SECTION 4.30.  Sections 29.047(a), (c), (d), and (e),
	Education Code, are amended to read as follows:
	(a)  The agency shall establish criteria necessary for
	agency approval for each category of provider of a professional
	service that is a supplemental [special education] service, as
	identified by the agency.
	(c)  The agency shall provide a procedure for providers of
	supplemental [special education] services to apply to the agency to
	become an agency-approved provider.
	(d)  The agency may establish criteria for agency approval of
	vendors for each category of supplemental [special education]
	instructional materials identified by the agency.
	(e)  If the agency establishes criteria for agency approval
	for a vendor of a category of supplemental [special education]
	instructional materials, the agency shall provide a procedure for
	vendors of that category to apply to the agency to become an
	agency-approved vendor.
	SECTION 4.31.  Subchapter A-1, Chapter 29, Education Code,
	is amended by adding Section 29.0475 to read as follows:
	Sec. 29.0475.  PROGRAM PARTICIPANT, PROVIDER, AND VENDOR
	AUTONOMY. (a) A provider of supplemental services or vendor of
	supplemental instructional materials that receives money
	distributed under the program is not a recipient of federal
	financial assistance on the basis of receiving that money.
	(b)  A rule adopted or action taken related to the program by
	an individual, governmental entity, court of law, or program
	administrator may not:
	(1)  consider the actions of a provider of supplemental
	services, vendor of supplemental instructional materials, or
	program participant to be the actions of an agent of state
	government;
	(2)  limit:
	(A)  a provider of supplemental services' ability
	to determine the methods used to educate the provider's students or
	to exercise the provider's religious or institutional values; or
	(B)  a program participant's ability to determine
	the participant's educational content or to exercise the
	participant's religious values;
	(3)  obligate a provider of supplemental services or
	program participant to act contrary to the provider's or
	participant's religious or institutional values, as applicable;
	(4)  impose any regulation on a provider of
	supplemental services, vendor of supplemental instructional
	materials, or program participant beyond those regulations
	necessary to enforce the requirements of the program; or
	(5)  require as a condition of receiving money
	distributed under the program:
	(A)  a provider of supplemental services to modify
	the provider's creed, practices, admissions policies, curriculum,
	performance standards, employment policies, or assessments; or
	(B)  a program participant to modify the
	participant's creed, practices, curriculum, performance standards,
	or assessments.
	(c)  In a proceeding challenging a rule adopted by a state
	agency or officer under this subchapter, the agency or officer has
	the burden of proof to establish by clear and convincing evidence
	that the rule:
	(1)  is necessary to implement or enforce the program
	as provided by this subchapter;
	(2)  does not violate this section;
	(3)  does not impose an undue burden on a program
	participant or a provider of supplemental services or vendor of
	supplemental instructional materials that participates or applies
	to participate in the program; and
	(4)  is the least restrictive means of accomplishing
	the purpose of the program while recognizing the independence of a
	provider of supplemental services to meet the educational needs of
	students in accordance with the provider's religious or
	institutional values.
	SECTION 4.32.  Section 29.048, Education Code, is amended to
	read as follows:
	Sec. 29.048.  ADMISSION, REVIEW, AND DISMISSAL COMMITTEE
	DUTIES. (a) A student's admission, review, and dismissal
	committee shall develop a student's individualized education
	program under Section 29.005, in compliance with the Individuals
	with Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. Section 1400 et seq.),
	without consideration of any supplemental [special education]
	services or supplemental instructional materials that may be
	provided under the program under this subchapter.
	(b)  Unless the district first verifies that an account has
	been assigned to the student under Section 29.045, the [The]
	admission, review, and dismissal committee of a student approved
	for participation in the program shall provide to the student's
	parent at an admission, review, and dismissal committee meeting for
	the student:
	(1)  information regarding the types of supplemental
	[special education] services or supplemental instructional
	materials available under the program and provided by
	agency-approved providers for which an account maintained under
	Section 29.042(b) for the student may be used; and
	(2)  instructions regarding accessing an account
	described by Subdivision (1).
	SECTION 4.33.  Subchapter A-1, Chapter 29, Education Code,
	is amended by adding Section 29.0485 to read as follows:
	Sec. 29.0485.  DETERMINATION OF COMMISSIONER FINAL.
	Notwithstanding Section 7.057, a determination of the commissioner
	under this subchapter is final and may not be appealed.
	SECTION 4.34.  Section 29.049, Education Code, is amended to
	read as follows:
	Sec. 29.049.  RULES. The commissioner shall adopt rules as
	necessary to administer the supplemental [special education]
	services and supplemental instructional materials program under
	this subchapter.
	SECTION 4.35.  Section 29.301(1), Education Code, is amended
	to read as follows:
	(1)  "Admission, review, and dismissal committee"
	means the committee required by [State Board of Education rules to
	develop the individualized education program required by] the
	Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. Section 1400
	et seq.) for any student needing special education.
	SECTION 4.36.  Sections 29.304(a) and (c), Education Code,
	are amended to read as follows:
	(a)  A student who is deaf or hard of hearing must have an
	education in which teachers, psychologists, speech language
	pathologists [therapists], progress assessors, administrators, and
	others involved in education understand the unique nature of
	deafness and the hard-of-hearing condition.  A teacher of students
	who are deaf or hard of hearing either must be proficient in
	appropriate language modes or use an interpreter certified in
	appropriate language modes if certification is available.
	(c)  General [Regular] and special education personnel who
	work with students who are deaf or hard of hearing must be
	adequately prepared to provide educational instruction and
	services to those students.
	SECTION 4.37.  Section 29.310, Education Code, is amended by
	amending Subsection (c) and adding Subsection (d) to read as
	follows:
	(c)  The procedures and materials for the assessment and
	placement of a student who is deaf or hard of hearing shall be in the
	student's preferred mode of communication.  All other procedures
	and materials used with any student who is deaf or hard of hearing
	and who is an emergent bilingual student as defined by Section
	29.052 [has limited English proficiency] shall be in the student's
	preferred mode of communication.
	(d)  In recognizing the need for development of language and
	communication abilities in students who are deaf or hard of hearing
	but also calling for the use of methods of communication that will
	meet the needs of each individual student, each student who is deaf
	or hard of hearing must be thoroughly assessed to ascertain the
	student's potential for communicating through a variety of means.
	SECTION 4.38.  Section 29.313, Education Code, is amended to
	read as follows:
	Sec. 29.313.  EVALUATION OF DEAF AND HARD OF HEARING
	SERVICES [PROGRAMS].  (a)  Each school district must provide
	continuous evaluation of the effectiveness of the district's
	services [programs of the district] for students who are deaf or
	hard of hearing.  The [If practicable,] evaluations shall follow
	program excellence indicators established by the agency.
	(b)  Each school district shall submit the evaluations under
	this section to the agency on a schedule set by the agency.
	SECTION 4.39.  Section 29.314, Education Code, is amended to
	read as follows:
	Sec. 29.314.  TRANSITION INTO GENERAL EDUCATION [REGULAR]
	CLASS.  In addition to satisfying requirements of the admission,
	review, and dismissal committee and to satisfying requirements
	under state and federal law for vocational training, each school
	district shall develop and implement a transition plan for the
	transition of a student who is deaf or hard of hearing into a
	general education [regular] class [program] if the student is to be
	transferred from a special class or center or nonpublic,
	nonsectarian school into a general education [regular] class in a
	public school for any part of the school day.  The transition plan
	must provide for activities:
	(1)  to integrate the student into the general
	[regular] education program and specify the nature of each activity
	and the time spent on the activity each day; and
	(2)  to support the transition of the student from the
	special education program into the general [regular] education
	program.
	SECTION 4.40.  Section 29.315, Education Code, is amended to
	read as follows:
	Sec. 29.315.  TEXAS SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF MEMORANDUM OF
	UNDERSTANDING. The Texas Education Agency and the Texas School for
	the Deaf shall develop[, agree to, and by commissioner rule adopt no
	later than September 1, 1998,] a memorandum of understanding to
	establish:
	(1)  the method for developing and reevaluating a set
	of indicators of the quality of learning at the Texas School for the
	Deaf;
	(2)  the process for the agency to conduct and report on
	an annual evaluation of the school's performance on the indicators;
	(3)  the requirements for the school's board to
	publish, discuss, and disseminate an annual report describing the
	educational performance of the school; and
	(4)  [the process for the agency to assign an
	accreditation status to the school, to reevaluate the status on an
	annual basis, and, if necessary, to conduct monitoring reviews; and
	[(5)]  the type of information the school shall be
	required to provide through the Public Education Information
	Management System (PEIMS).
	SECTION 4.41.  Section 29.316, Education Code, is amended to
	read as follows:
	Sec. 29.316.  LANGUAGE ACQUISITION.  (a)  In this section,
	"language[:
	[(1)  "Center" means the Educational Resource Center on
	Deafness at the Texas School for the Deaf.
	[(2)  "Division" means the Division for Early Childhood
	Intervention Services of the Health and Human Services Commission.
	[(3)  "Language] acquisition" includes expressive and
	receptive language acquisition and literacy development in
	English, American Sign Language, or both, or, if applicable, in
	another language primarily used by a child's parent or guardian,
	and is separate from any modality used to communicate in the
	applicable language or languages.
	(b)  Each school district [The commissioner and the
	executive commissioner of the Health and Human Services Commission
	jointly] shall ensure that the language acquisition of each child
	eight years of age or younger who is deaf or hard of hearing is
	regularly assessed using a tool or assessment approved by the
	commissioner [determined to be valid and reliable as provided by
	Subsection (d)].
	(c)  On a schedule determined by the commissioner, each
	school district shall report to the commissioner through the Public
	Education Information Management System (PEIMS) or another method
	set by commissioner rule the assessment data collected under
	Subsection (b) [Not later than August 31 of each year, the agency,
	the division, and the center jointly shall prepare and post on the
	agency's, the division's, and the center's respective Internet
	websites a report on the language acquisition of children eight
	years of age or younger who are deaf or hard of hearing. The report
	must:
	[(1)  include:
	[(A)  existing data reported in compliance with
	federal law regarding children with disabilities; and
	[(B)  information relating to the language
	acquisition of children who are deaf or hard of hearing and also
	have other disabilities;
	[(2)  state for each child:
	[(A)  the instructional arrangement used with the
	child, as described by Section 48.102, including the time the child
	spends in a mainstream instructional arrangement;
	[(B)  the specific language acquisition services
	provided to the child, including:
	[(i)  the time spent providing those
	services; and
	[(ii)  a description of any hearing
	amplification used in the delivery of those services, including:
	[(a)  the type of hearing
	amplification used;
	[(b)  the period of time in which the
	child has had access to the hearing amplification; and
	[(c)  the average amount of time the
	child uses the hearing amplification each day;
	[(C)  the tools or assessments used to assess the
	child's language acquisition and the results obtained;
	[(D)  the preferred unique communication mode
	used by the child at home; and
	[(E)  the child's age, race, and gender, the age
	at which the child was identified as being deaf or hard of hearing,
	and any other relevant demographic information the commissioner
	determines to likely be correlated with or have an impact on the
	child's language acquisition;
	[(3)  compare progress in English literacy made by
	children who are deaf or hard of hearing to progress in that subject
	made by children of the same age who are not deaf or hard of hearing,
	by appropriate age range; and
	[(4)  be redacted as necessary to comply with state and
	federal law regarding the confidentiality of student medical or
	educational information].
	(d)  The commissioner[, the executive commissioner of the
	Health and Human Services Commission, and the center] shall adopt
	rules establishing the assessment data required to be reported
	under Subsection (c) [enter into a memorandum of understanding
	regarding:
	[(1)  the identification of experts in deaf education;
	and
	[(2)  the determination, in consultation with those
	experts, of the tools and assessments that are valid and reliable,
	in both content and administration, for use in assessing the
	language acquisition of children eight years of age or younger who
	are deaf or hard of hearing].
	(e)  The commissioner shall annually post on the agency's
	Internet website a report on the language acquisition of children
	eight years of age or younger who are deaf or hard of hearing using
	the assessment data reported under Subsection (c) [agency shall use
	existing collected data and data collected and transferred from the
	Department of State Health Services and the Health and Human
	Services Commission, as agreed upon in the memorandum of
	understanding, for the report under this section].
	(f)  The commissioner shall use the assessment data reported
	under Subsection (c) in determining whether to award a grant under
	Section 29.018 or in seeking federal money available for projects
	aimed at improving outcomes for students with disabilities [and the
	executive commissioner of the Health and Human Services Commission
	jointly shall adopt rules as necessary to implement this section,
	including rules for:
	[(1)  assigning each child eight years of age or
	younger who is deaf or hard of hearing a unique identification
	number for purposes of the report required under Subsection (c) and
	to enable the tracking of the child's language acquisition, and
	factors affecting the child's language acquisition, over time; and
	[(2)  implementing this section in a manner that
	complies with federal law regarding confidentiality of student
	medical or educational information, including the Health Insurance
	Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (42 U.S.C. Section 1320d
	et seq.) and the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974
	(20 U.S.C. Section 1232g), and any state law relating to the privacy
	of student information].
	SECTION 4.42.  The heading to Section 30.002, Education
	Code, is amended to read as follows:
	Sec. 30.002.  STATE PLAN [EDUCATION] FOR CHILDREN WITH
	VISUAL IMPAIRMENTS, WHO ARE DEAF OR HARD OF HEARING, OR WHO ARE
	DEAF-BLIND.
	SECTION 4.43.  Sections 30.002(a), (b), (c), and (e),
	Education Code, are amended to read as follows:
	(a)  The agency shall develop and administer a comprehensive
	statewide plan for the education of children [with visual
	impairments] who are under 22 [21] years of age and who have visual
	impairments, are deaf or hard of hearing, or are deaf-blind that
	will ensure that the children have an opportunity for achievement
	equal to the opportunities afforded their peers who do not have
	visual impairments, are not deaf or hard of hearing, or are not
	deaf-blind [with normal vision].
	(b)  The agency shall:
	(1)  develop standards and guidelines for all special
	education and related services for children who have visual
	impairments, are deaf or hard of hearing, or are deaf-blind [with
	visual impairments] that it is authorized to provide or support
	under this code and federal law;
	(2)  supervise regional education service centers and
	other entities in assisting school districts in serving children
	who have visual impairments, are deaf or hard of hearing, or are
	deaf-blind [with visual impairments] more effectively; and
	(3)  [develop and administer special education
	services for students with both serious visual and auditory
	impairments;
	[(4)  evaluate special education services provided for
	children with visual impairments by school districts and approve or
	disapprove state funding of those services; and
	[(5)]  maintain an effective liaison between special
	education programs provided for children who have visual
	impairments, are deaf or hard of hearing, or are deaf-blind [with
	visual impairments] by school districts and related initiatives of
	the Health and Human Services Commission, [the Department of State
	Health Services Mental Health and Substance Abuse Division,] the
	Texas Workforce Commission, and other related programs, agencies,
	or facilities as appropriate.
	(c)  The comprehensive statewide plan for the education of
	children who have visual impairments, are deaf or hard of hearing,
	or are deaf-blind [with visual impairments] must:
	(1)  adequately provide for comprehensive diagnosis
	and evaluation of each school-age child who has a visual
	impairment, is deaf or hard of hearing, or is deaf-blind and
	adequately outline the expectations of a school district for such a
	child under three years of age [with a serious visual impairment];
	(2)  include the procedures, format, and content of the
	individualized education program for each child who has a visual
	impairment, is deaf or hard of hearing, or is deaf-blind [with a
	visual impairment];
	(3)  emphasize providing educational services to
	children who have visual impairments, are deaf or hard of hearing,
	or are deaf-blind [with visual impairments] in their home
	communities whenever possible;
	(4)  include information regarding the establishment
	of regional day school programs for the deaf under Subchapter D and
	the parameters of those programs [methods to ensure that children
	with visual impairments receiving special education services in
	school districts receive, before being placed in a classroom
	setting or within a reasonable time after placement:
	[(A)  evaluation of the impairment; and
	[(B)  instruction in an expanded core curriculum,
	which is required for students with visual impairments to succeed
	in classroom settings and to derive lasting, practical benefits
	from the education provided by school districts, including
	instruction in:
	[(i)  compensatory skills, such as braille
	and concept development, and other skills needed to access the rest
	of the curriculum;
	[(ii)  orientation and mobility;
	[(iii)  social interaction skills;
	[(iv)  career planning;
	[(v)  assistive technology, including
	optical devices;
	[(vi)  independent living skills;
	[(vii)  recreation and leisure enjoyment;
	[(viii)  self-determination; and
	[(ix)  sensory efficiency];
	(5)  provide for flexibility on the part of school
	districts to meet the unique [special] needs of children who have
	visual impairments, are deaf or hard of hearing, or are deaf-blind
	[with visual impairments] through:
	(A)  specialty staff and resources provided by the
	district;
	(B)  contractual arrangements with other
	qualified public or private agencies;
	(C)  supportive assistance from regional
	education service centers or adjacent school districts;
	(D)  short-term or long-term services through the
	Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired, the Texas School
	for the Deaf, regional day school programs for the deaf, or related
	facilities or programs; or
	(E)  other instructional and service arrangements
	approved by the agency;
	(6)  [include a statewide admission, review, and
	dismissal process;
	[(7)]  provide for effective interaction between the
	[visually impaired child's] classroom setting of the child who has
	a visual impairment, is deaf or hard of hearing, or is deaf-blind
	and the child's home environment, including providing for parental
	training and counseling either by school district staff or by
	representatives of other organizations directly involved in the
	development and implementation of the individualized education
	program for the child;
	(7)  describe recommended and required professional
	development activities based on the special education and related
	services provided by school district staff to children who have
	visual impairments, are deaf or hard of hearing, or are deaf-blind
	[(8)  require the continuing education and professional
	development of school district staff providing special education
	services to children with visual impairments];
	(8) [(9)]  provide for adequate monitoring and precise
	evaluation of special education services provided to children who
	have visual impairments, are deaf or hard of hearing, or are
	deaf-blind [with visual impairments] through school districts;
	[and]
	(9) [(10)]  require that school districts providing
	special education services to children who have visual impairments,
	are deaf or hard of hearing, or are deaf-blind [with visual
	impairments] develop procedures for assuring that staff assigned to
	work with the children have prompt and effective access directly to
	resources available through:
	(A)  cooperating agencies in the area;
	(B)  the Texas School for the Blind and Visually
	Impaired;
	(C)  the Texas School for the Deaf;
	(D)  the statewide outreach center at the Texas
	School for the Deaf;
	(E)  the Central Media Depository for specialized
	instructional materials and aids made specifically for use by
	students with visual impairments;
	(F) [(D)]  sheltered workshops participating in
	the state program of purchases of blind-made goods and services;
	and
	(G) [(E)]  related sources; and
	(10)  assist in the coordination of educational
	programs with other public and private agencies, including:
	(A)  agencies operating early childhood
	intervention programs;
	(B)  preschools;
	(C)  agencies operating child development
	programs;
	(D)  private nonsectarian schools;
	(E)  agencies operating regional occupational
	centers and programs; and
	(F)  as appropriate, postsecondary and adult
	programs for persons who are deaf or hard of hearing.
	(e)  Each eligible [blind or visually impaired] student who
	has a visual impairment, is deaf or hard of hearing, or is
	deaf-blind is entitled to receive educational programs according to
	an individualized education program that:
	(1)  is developed in accordance with federal and state
	requirements for providing special education services;
	(2)  is developed by a committee composed as required
	by federal law;
	(3)  reflects that the student has been provided a
	detailed explanation of the various service resources available to
	the student in the community and throughout the state;
	(4)  provides a detailed description of the
	arrangements made to provide the student with the evaluation and
	instruction required under this subchapter and Subchapter A,
	Chapter 29 [Subsection (c)(4)]; and
	(5)  sets forth the plans and arrangements made for
	contacts with and continuing services to the student beyond regular
	school hours to ensure the student learns the skills and receives
	the instruction required under this subchapter and Subchapter A,
	Chapter 29 [Subsection (c)(4)(B)].
	SECTION 4.44.  Subchapter A, Chapter 30, Education Code, is
	amended by adding Section 30.0021 to read as follows:
	Sec. 30.0021.  REQUIREMENTS FOR CHILDREN WITH VISUAL
	IMPAIRMENTS. (a) Each child with a visual impairment must receive
	instruction in an expanded core curriculum required for children
	with visual impairments to succeed in classroom settings and to
	derive lasting, practical benefits from education in a school
	district, including instruction in:
	(1)  compensatory skills, such as braille and concept
	development, and other skills necessary to access the rest of the
	curriculum;
	(2)  orientation and mobility;
	(3)  social interaction skills;
	(4)  career education;
	(5)  assistive technology, including optical devices;
	(6)  independent living skills;
	(7)  recreation and leisure enjoyment;
	(8)  self-determination; and
	(9)  sensory efficiency.
	(b)  To determine a child's eligibility for a school
	district's special education program under Subchapter A, Chapter
	29, on the basis of a visual impairment, the full individual and
	initial evaluation of the child under Section 29.004 and any
	reevaluation of the child must, in accordance with commissioner
	rule:
	(1)  include an orientation and mobility evaluation
	conducted:
	(A)  by a person who is appropriately certified as
	an orientation and mobility specialist, as determined by
	commissioner rule; and
	(B)  in a variety of lighting conditions and
	settings, including in the child's home, school, and community and
	in settings unfamiliar to the child; and
	(2)  provide for a person who is appropriately
	certified as an orientation and mobility specialist, as determined
	by commissioner rule, to participate, as part of a
	multidisciplinary team, in evaluating the data on which the
	determination of the child's eligibility is based.
	(c)  In developing an individualized education program under
	Section 29.005 for a child with a visual impairment, proficiency in
	reading and writing must be a significant indicator of the child's
	satisfactory educational progress.  The individualized education
	program must include instruction in braille and the use of braille
	unless the child's admission, review, and dismissal committee
	documents a determination, based on an evaluation of the child's
	appropriate literacy media and literacy skills and the child's
	current and future instructional needs, that braille is not an
	appropriate literacy medium for the child.
	(d)  Braille instruction:
	(1)  may be used in combination with other special
	education services appropriate to the educational needs of a child
	with a visual impairment; and
	(2)  must be provided by a teacher certified to teach
	children with visual impairments under Subchapter B, Chapter 21.
	(e)  A school district shall provide to each person assisting
	in the development of an individualized education program for a
	child with a visual impairment information describing the benefits
	of braille instruction.
	(f)  To facilitate implementation of this section, the
	commissioner shall develop a system to distribute from the
	foundation school fund to school districts or regional education
	service centers a special supplemental allowance for each student
	with a visual impairment.  The supplemental allowance may be spent
	only for special education services uniquely required by the nature
	of the child's disabilities and may not be used in lieu of
	educational funds otherwise available under this code or through
	state or local appropriations.
	SECTION 4.45.  Section 30.003, Education Code, is amended by
	amending Subsections (b), (d), (f-1), and (g) and adding Subsection
	(b-1) to read as follows:
	(b)  If the student is admitted to the school for a full-time
	program for the equivalent of two long semesters, the district's
	share of the cost is an amount equal to the dollar amount of
	maintenance and debt service taxes imposed by the district for that
	year, subject to Subsection (b-1), divided by the district's
	average daily attendance for the preceding year.
	(b-1)  The commissioner shall reduce the amount of
	maintenance taxes imposed by the district that are obligated to be
	paid under Subsection (b) for a year by the amount, if any, by which
	the district is required to reduce the district's local revenue
	level under Section 48.257 for that year.
	(d)  Each school district and state institution shall
	provide to the commissioner the necessary information to determine
	the district's share under this section.  The information must be
	reported to the commissioner on or before a date set by commissioner
	rule [of the State Board of Education].  After determining the
	amount of a district's share for all students for which the district
	is responsible, the commissioner shall deduct that amount from the
	payments of foundation school funds payable to the district.  Each
	deduction shall be in the same percentage of the total amount of the
	district's share as the percentage of the total foundation school
	fund entitlement being paid to the district at the time of the
	deduction, except that the amount of any deduction may be modified
	to make necessary adjustments or to correct errors.  The
	commissioner shall provide for remitting the amount deducted to the
	appropriate school at the same time at which the remaining funds are
	distributed to the district.  If a district does not receive
	foundation school funds or if a district's foundation school
	entitlement is less than the amount of the district's share under
	this section, the commissioner shall direct the district to remit
	payment to the commissioner, and the commissioner shall remit the
	district's share to the appropriate school.
	(f-1)  The commissioner shall determine the total amount
	that the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired and the
	Texas School for the Deaf would have received from school districts
	in accordance with this section if the following provisions had not
	reduced the districts' share of the cost of providing education
	services:
	(1)  H.B. No. 1, Acts of the 79th Legislature, 3rd
	Called Session, 2006;
	(2)  Subsection (b-1) of this section;
	(3)  Section 45.0032;
	(4) [(3)]  Section 48.255; and
	(5) [(4)]  Section 48.2551.
	(g)  The commissioner [State Board of Education] may adopt
	rules as necessary to implement this section.
	SECTION 4.46.  Section 30.004(b), Education Code, is amended
	to read as follows:
	(b)  The commissioner [State Board of Education] shall adopt
	rules prescribing the form and content of information required by
	Subsection (a).
	SECTION 4.47.  Section 30.005, Education Code, is amended to
	read as follows:
	Sec. 30.005.  TEXAS SCHOOL FOR THE BLIND AND VISUALLY
	IMPAIRED MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING.  The Texas Education Agency
	and the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired shall
	develop[, agree to, and by commissioner rule adopt] a memorandum of
	understanding to establish:
	(1)  the method for developing and reevaluating a set
	of indicators of the quality of learning at the Texas School for the
	Blind and Visually Impaired;
	(2)  the process for the agency to conduct and report on
	an annual evaluation of the school's performance on the indicators;
	(3)  the requirements for the school's board to
	publish, discuss, and disseminate an annual report describing the
	educational performance of the school; and
	(4)  [the process for the agency to:
	[(A)  assign an accreditation status to the
	school;
	[(B)  reevaluate the status on an annual basis;
	and
	[(C)  if necessary, conduct monitoring reviews;
	and
	[(5)]  the type of information the school shall be
	required to provide through the Public Education Information
	Management System (PEIMS).
	SECTION 4.48.  Section 30.021(e), Education Code, is amended
	to read as follows:
	(e)  The school shall cooperate with public and private
	agencies and organizations serving students and other persons with
	visual impairments in the planning, development, and
	implementation of effective educational and rehabilitative service
	delivery systems associated with educating students with visual
	impairments.  To maximize and make efficient use of state
	facilities, funding, and resources, the services provided in this
	area may include conducting a cooperative program with other
	agencies to serve students who have graduated from high school by
	completing all academic requirements applicable to students in
	general [regular] education, excluding satisfactory performance
	under Section 39.025, who are younger than 22 years of age on
	September 1 of the school year and who have identified needs related
	to vocational training, independent living skills, orientation and
	mobility, social and leisure skills, compensatory skills, or
	remedial academic skills.
	SECTION 4.49.  Section 30.081, Education Code, is amended to
	read as follows:
	Sec. 30.081.  LEGISLATIVE INTENT CONCERNING REGIONAL DAY
	SCHOOLS FOR THE DEAF.  The legislature, by this subchapter, intends
	to continue a process of providing on a statewide basis a suitable
	education to deaf or hard of hearing students who are under 22 [21]
	years of age and assuring that those students have the opportunity
	to become independent citizens.
	SECTION 4.50.  Section 30.083, Education Code, is amended to
	read as follows:
	Sec. 30.083.  STATEWIDE PLAN.  [(a)]  The director of
	services shall develop and administer a comprehensive statewide
	plan for educational services for students who are deaf or hard of
	hearing and receive special education and related services through
	a regional day school program for the deaf[, including continuing
	diagnosis and evaluation, counseling, and teaching].  The plan
	shall be included as part of the comprehensive statewide plan under
	Section 30.002 [designed to accomplish the following objectives:
	[(1)  providing assistance and counseling to parents of
	students who are deaf or hard of hearing in regional day school
	programs for the deaf and admitting to the programs students who
	have a hearing loss that interferes with the processing of
	linguistic information;
	[(2)  enabling students who are deaf or hard of hearing
	to reside with their parents or guardians and be provided an
	appropriate education in their home school districts or in regional
	day school programs for the deaf;
	[(3)  enabling students who are deaf or hard of hearing
	who are unable to attend schools at their place of residence and
	whose parents or guardians live too far from facilities of regional
	day school programs for the deaf for daily commuting to be
	accommodated in foster homes or other residential school facilities
	provided for by the agency so that those children may attend a
	regional day school program for the deaf;
	[(4)  enrolling in the Texas School for the Deaf those
	students who are deaf or hard of hearing whose needs can best be met
	in that school and designating the Texas School for the Deaf as the
	statewide educational resource for students who are deaf or hard of
	hearing;
	[(5)  encouraging students in regional day school
	programs for the deaf to attend general education classes on a
	part-time, full-time, or trial basis; and
	[(6)  recognizing the need for development of language
	and communications abilities in students who are deaf or hard of
	hearing, but also calling for the use of methods of communication
	that will meet the needs of each individual student, with each
	student assessed thoroughly so as to ascertain the student's
	potential for communications through a variety of means, including
	through oral or aural means, fingerspelling, or sign language].
	[(b)  The director of services may establish separate
	programs to accommodate diverse communication methodologies.]
	SECTION 4.51.  Section 37.146(a), Education Code, is amended
	to read as follows:
	(a)  A complaint alleging the commission of a school offense
	must, in addition to the requirements imposed by Article 45A.101,
	Code of Criminal Procedure:
	(1)  be sworn to by a person who has personal knowledge
	of the underlying facts giving rise to probable cause to believe
	that an offense has been committed; and
	(2)  be accompanied by a statement from a school
	employee stating:
	(A)  whether the child is eligible for or receives
	special education services under Subchapter A, Chapter 29; and
	(B)  the graduated sanctions, if required under
	Section 37.144, that were imposed on the child before the complaint
	was filed.
	SECTION 4.52.  Section 38.003(c-1), Education Code, is
	amended to read as follows:
	(c-1)  The agency by rule shall develop procedures designed
	to allow the agency to:
	(1)  effectively audit and monitor and periodically
	conduct site visits of all school districts to ensure that
	districts are complying with this section, including the program
	approved by the State Board of Education under this section;
	(2)  identify any problems school districts experience
	in complying with this section, including the program approved by
	the State Board of Education under this section;
	(3)  develop reasonable and appropriate remedial
	strategies to address school district noncompliance and ensure the
	purposes of this section are accomplished, which may include the
	publication of a recommended evidence-based dyslexia program list;
	[and]
	(4)  solicit input from parents of students enrolled in
	a school district during the auditing and monitoring of the
	district under Subdivision (1) regarding the district's
	implementation of the program approved by the State Board of
	Education under this section; and
	(5)  engage in general supervision activities,
	including activities under the comprehensive system for monitoring
	described by Section 29.010, to ensure school district compliance
	with the program approved by the State Board of Education under this
	section and Part B, Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20
	U.S.C. Section 1411 et seq.).
	SECTION 4.53.  Section 48.009(b), Education Code, is amended
	to read as follows:
	(b)  The commissioner by rule shall require each school
	district and open-enrollment charter school to report through the
	Public Education Information Management System information
	regarding:
	(1)  the number of students enrolled in the district or
	school who are identified as having dyslexia;
	(2)  the availability of school counselors, including
	the number of full-time equivalent school counselors, at each
	campus;
	(3)  the availability of expanded learning
	opportunities as described by Section 33.252 at each campus;
	(4)  the total number of students, other than students
	described by Subdivision (5), enrolled in the district or school
	with whom the district or school, as applicable, used intervention
	strategies, as that term is defined by Section 26.004, at any time
	during the year for which the report is made;
	(5)  the total number of students enrolled in the
	district or school to whom the district or school provided aids,
	accommodations, or services under Section 504, Rehabilitation Act
	of 1973 (29 U.S.C. Section 794), at any time during the year for
	which the report is made;
	(6)  disaggregated by campus and grade, the number of:
	(A)  children who are required to attend school
	under Section 25.085, are not exempted under Section 25.086, and
	fail to attend school without excuse for 10 or more days or parts of
	days within a six-month period in the same school year;
	(B)  students for whom the district initiates a
	truancy prevention measure under Section 25.0915(a-4); and
	(C)  parents of students against whom an
	attendance officer or other appropriate school official has filed a
	complaint under Section 25.093; [and]
	(7)  the number of students who are enrolled in a high
	school equivalency program, a dropout recovery school, or an adult
	education program provided under a high school diploma and industry
	certification charter school program provided by the district or
	school and who:
	(A)  are at least 18 years of age and under 26
	years of age;
	(B)  have not previously been reported to the
	agency as dropouts; and
	(C)  enroll in the program at the district or
	school after not attending school for a period of at least nine
	months; and
	(8)  students enrolled in a special education program
	under Subchapter A, Chapter 29, as necessary for the agency to
	adequately perform general supervision activities and determine
	funding under Sections 48.102 and 48.1021.
	SECTION 4.54.  Section 48.102, Education Code, is amended to
	read as follows:
	Sec. 48.102.  SPECIAL EDUCATION.  (a)  For each student in
	average daily attendance in a special education program under
	Subchapter A, Chapter 29, [in a mainstream instructional
	arrangement,] a school district is entitled to an annual allotment
	equal to the basic allotment, or, if applicable, the sum of the
	basic allotment and the allotment under Section 48.101 to which the
	district is entitled, multiplied by a weight in an amount set by the
	legislature in the General Appropriations Act for the highest tier
	of intensity of service for which the student qualifies [1.15].
	(a-1)  Notwithstanding Subsection (a), for the 2026-2027
	school year, the amount of an allotment under this section shall be
	determined in accordance with Section 48.1022.  This subsection
	expires September 1, 2027.  [For each full-time equivalent student
	in average daily attendance in a special education program under
	Subchapter A, Chapter 29, in an instructional arrangement other
	than a mainstream instructional arrangement, a district is entitled
	to an annual allotment equal to the basic allotment, or, if
	applicable, the sum of the basic allotment and the allotment under
	Section 48.101 to which the district is entitled, multiplied by a
	weight determined according to instructional arrangement as
	follows:
	[Homebound 5.0
	[Hospital class 3.0
	[Speech therapy 5.0
	[Resource room 3.0
	[Self-contained, mild and moderate, regular campus  3.0
	[Self-contained, severe, regular campus  3.0
	[Off home campus 2.7
	[Nonpublic day school 1.7
	[Vocational adjustment class 2.3]
	(b)  The commissioner by rule shall define eight tiers of
	intensity of service for use in determining funding under this
	section.  The commissioner must include one tier specifically
	addressing students receiving special education services in
	residential placement and one tier for students receiving only
	speech therapy  [A special instructional arrangement for students
	with disabilities residing in care and treatment facilities, other
	than state schools, whose parents or guardians do not reside in the
	district providing education services shall be established by
	commissioner rule.  The funding weight for this arrangement shall
	be 4.0 for those students who receive their education service on a
	local school district campus.  A special instructional arrangement
	for students with disabilities residing in state schools shall be
	established by commissioner rule with a funding weight of 2.8].
	(c)  In defining the tiers of intensity of service under
	Subsection (b), the commissioner shall consider:
	(1)  the type, frequency, and nature of services
	provided to a student;
	(2)  the required certifications, licensures, or other
	qualifications for personnel serving the student;
	(3)  any identified or curriculum-required
	provider-to-student ratios for the student to receive the
	appropriate services; and
	(4)  any equipment or technology required for the
	services [For funding purposes, the number of contact hours
	credited per day for each student in the off home campus
	instructional arrangement may not exceed the contact hours credited
	per day for the multidistrict class instructional arrangement in
	the 1992-1993 school year].
	(d)  [For funding purposes the contact hours credited per day
	for each student in the resource room; self-contained, mild and
	moderate; and self-contained, severe, instructional arrangements
	may not exceed the average of the statewide total contact hours
	credited per day for those three instructional arrangements in the
	1992-1993 school year.
	[(e)  The commissioner by rule shall prescribe the
	qualifications an instructional arrangement must meet in order to
	be funded as a particular instructional arrangement under this
	section.  In prescribing the qualifications that a mainstream
	instructional arrangement must meet, the commissioner shall
	establish requirements that students with disabilities and their
	teachers receive the direct, indirect, and support services that
	are necessary to enrich the regular classroom and enable student
	success.
	[(f)  In this section, "full-time equivalent student" means
	30 hours of contact a week between a special education student and
	special education program personnel.
	[(g)  The commissioner shall adopt rules and procedures
	governing contracts for residential placement of special education
	students.  The legislature shall provide by appropriation for the
	state's share of the costs of those placements.
	[(h)]  At least 55 percent of the funds allocated under this
	section must be used in the special education program under
	Subchapter A, Chapter 29.
	(e) [(i)]  The agency shall ensure [encourage] the placement
	of students in special education programs, including students in
	residential placement [instructional arrangements], in the least
	restrictive environment appropriate for their educational needs.
	(f) [(j)]  A school district that provides an extended year
	program required by federal law for special education students who
	may regress is entitled to receive funds in an amount equal to [75
	percent, or a lesser percentage determined by the commissioner, of]
	the basic allotment, or, if applicable, the sum of the basic
	allotment and the allotment under Section 48.101 to which the
	district is entitled for each [full-time equivalent] student in
	average daily attendance, multiplied by the amount designated for
	the highest tier of intensity of service for which the student
	qualifies [student's instructional arrangement] under this
	section, for each day the program is provided divided by the number
	of days in the minimum school year. [The total amount of state
	funding for extended year services under this section may not
	exceed $10 million per year.]  A school district may use funds
	received under this section only in providing an extended year
	program.
	(g) [(k)]  From the total amount of funds appropriated for
	special education under this section, the commissioner shall
	withhold an amount specified in the General Appropriations Act, and
	distribute that amount to school districts for programs under
	Section 29.014.  The program established under that section is
	required only in school districts in which the program is financed
	by funds distributed under this subsection and any other funds
	available for the program.  After deducting the amount withheld
	under this subsection from the total amount appropriated for
	special education, the commissioner shall reduce each district's
	allotment proportionately and shall allocate funds to each district
	accordingly.
	(h)  Not later than December 1 of each even-numbered year,
	the commissioner shall submit to the Legislative Budget Board, for
	purposes of the allotment under this section, proposed weights for
	the tiers of intensity of service for the next state fiscal
	biennium.
	SECTION 4.55.  Subchapter C, Chapter 48, Education Code, is
	amended by adding Sections 48.1021 and 48.1022 to read as follows:
	Sec. 48.1021.  SPECIAL EDUCATION SERVICE GROUP ALLOTMENT.
	(a)  For each student in a special education program under
	Subchapter A, Chapter 29, a school district is entitled to an
	allotment in an amount set by the legislature in the General
	Appropriations Act for the service group for which the student
	receives services.
	(a-1)  Notwithstanding Subsection (a), for the 2026-2027
	school year, the amount of an allotment under this section shall be
	determined in accordance with Section 48.1022.  This subsection
	expires September 1, 2027.
	(b)  The commissioner by rule shall establish at least four
	service groups for use in determining funding under this section.
	In establishing the groups, the commissioner must consider:
	(1)  the type, frequency, and nature of services
	provided to a student;
	(2)  the required certifications, licensures, or other
	qualifications for personnel serving the student;
	(3)  any identified or curriculum-required
	provider-to-student ratios for the student to receive the
	appropriate services; and
	(4)  any equipment or technology required for the
	services.
	(c)  At least 55 percent of the funds allocated under this
	section must be used for a special education program under
	Subchapter A, Chapter 29.
	(d)  Not later than December 1 of each even-numbered year,
	the commissioner shall submit to the Legislative Budget Board, for
	purposes of the allotment under this section, proposed amounts of
	funding for the service groups for the next state fiscal biennium.
	Sec. 48.1022.  SPECIAL EDUCATION TRANSITION FUNDING.
	(a)  For the 2026-2027 school year, the commissioner may adjust
	weights or amounts provided under Section 48.102 or 48.1021 as
	necessary to ensure compliance with requirements regarding
	maintenance of state financial support under 20 U.S.C. Section
	1412(a)(18) and maintenance of local financial support under
	applicable federal law.
	(b)  For the 2026-2027 school year, the commissioner shall
	determine the formulas through which school districts receive
	funding under Sections 48.102 and 48.1021.  In determining the
	formulas, the commissioner shall ensure the estimated statewide
	amount provided by the sum of the allotments under Sections 48.102
	and 48.1021 for the 2026-2027 school year is approximately $350
	million greater than the amount that would have been provided under
	the allotment under Section 48.102, as that section existed on
	September 1, 2025, for that school year, calculating both amounts
	using the basic allotment in effect for the 2026-2027 school year.
	(c)  Each school district and open-enrollment charter school
	shall report to the agency information necessary to implement this
	section.
	(d)  The agency shall provide technical assistance to school
	districts and open-enrollment charter schools to ensure a
	successful transition in funding formulas for special education.
	(e)  This section expires September 1, 2028.
	SECTION 4.56.  Sections 48.103(b), (c), and (d), Education
	Code, are amended to read as follows:
	(b)  A school district is entitled to an allotment under
	Subsection (a) only for a student who:
	(1)  is receiving:
	(A)  instruction, services, or accommodations for
	dyslexia or a related disorder in accordance with[:
	[(A)]  an individualized education program
	developed for the student under Section 29.005; or
	(B)  accommodations for dyslexia or a related
	disorder in accordance with a plan developed for the student under
	Section 504, Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. Section 794); or
	(2)  [is receiving instruction that:
	[(A)  meets applicable dyslexia program criteria
	established by the State Board of Education; and
	[(B)  is provided by a person with specific
	training in providing that instruction; or
	[(3)]  is permitted, on the basis of having dyslexia or
	a related disorder, to use modifications in the classroom or
	accommodations in the administration of assessment instruments
	under Section 39.023 without a program or plan described by
	Subdivision (1).
	(c)  A school district may receive funding for a student
	under each provision of this section, [and] Section 48.102, and
	Section 48.1021 for which [if] the student qualifies [satisfies the
	requirements of both sections].
	(d)  A school district may use [an amount not to exceed 20
	percent of] the allotment provided for a qualifying student under
	this section to contract with a private provider to provide
	supplemental academic services to the student that are recommended
	under the student's program or plan described by Subsection (b).  A
	student may not be excused from school to receive supplemental
	academic services provided under this subsection.
	SECTION 4.57.  Section 48.110(d), Education Code, is amended
	to read as follows:
	(d)  For each annual graduate in a cohort described by
	Subsection (b) who demonstrates college, career, or military
	readiness as described by Subsection (f) in excess of the minimum
	number of students determined for the applicable district cohort
	under Subsection (c), a school district is entitled to an annual
	outcomes bonus of:
	(1)  if the annual graduate is educationally
	disadvantaged, $5,000;
	(2)  if the annual graduate is not educationally
	disadvantaged, $3,000; and
	(3)  if the annual graduate is enrolled in a special
	education program under Subchapter A, Chapter 29, $4,000 [$2,000],
	regardless of whether the annual graduate is educationally
	disadvantaged.
	SECTION 4.58.  Section 48.151(g), Education Code, is amended
	to read as follows:
	(g)  A school district or county that provides special
	transportation services for eligible special education students is
	entitled to a state allocation at a [paid on a previous year's
	cost-per-mile basis. The] rate per mile equal to the sum of the
	rate per mile set under Subsection (c) and $0.13, or a greater
	amount provided [allowable shall be set] by appropriation [based on
	data gathered from the first year of each preceding biennium].
	Districts may use a portion of their support allocation to pay
	transportation costs, if necessary. The commissioner may grant an
	amount set by appropriation for private transportation to reimburse
	parents or their agents for transporting eligible special education
	students. The mileage allowed shall be computed along the shortest
	public road from the student's home to school and back, morning and
	afternoon. The need for this type of transportation shall be
	determined on an individual basis and shall be approved only in
	extreme hardship cases.
	SECTION 4.59.  Subchapter D, Chapter 48, Education Code, is
	amended by adding Section 48.159 to read as follows:
	Sec. 48.159.  SPECIAL EDUCATION FULL INDIVIDUAL AND INITIAL
	EVALUATION. (a)  For each child for whom a school district conducts
	a full individual and initial evaluation under Section 29.004 or 20
	U.S.C. Section 1414(a)(1), the district is entitled to an allotment
	of $1,000 or a greater amount provided by appropriation.
	(b)  Notwithstanding Subsection (a), for the 2025-2026 and
	2026-2027 school years, the amount of an allotment under that
	subsection is $3,000 for each child not enrolled or seeking
	enrollment in a public school for whom the district conducts a full
	individual and initial evaluation as described by that subsection.
	The total amount that may be used to provide allotments under this
	subsection may not exceed $67 million for a school year.  If the
	total amount of allotments to which districts are entitled under
	this subsection for a school year exceeds the amount permitted
	under this subsection, the commissioner shall proportionately
	reduce each district's allotment under this subsection.  This
	subsection expires September 1, 2027.
	SECTION 4.60.  Section 48.265(a), Education Code, is amended
	to read as follows:
	(a)  If [Notwithstanding any other provision of law, if] the
	commissioner determines that the amount appropriated for the
	purposes of the Foundation School Program exceeds the amount to
	which school districts are entitled under this chapter, the
	commissioner may provide [by rule shall establish a grant program
	through which excess funds are awarded as] grants using the excess
	money for the purchase of video equipment, or for the reimbursement
	of costs for previously purchased video equipment, used for
	monitoring special education classrooms or other special education
	settings required under Section 29.022.
	SECTION 4.61.  Section 48.279(e), Education Code, is amended
	to read as follows:
	(e)  After the commissioner has replaced any withheld
	federal funds as provided by Subsection (d), the commissioner shall
	distribute the remaining amount, if any, of funds described by
	Subsection (a) to proportionately increase funding for the special
	education allotment under Section 48.102 and the special education
	service group allotment under Section 48.1021.
	SECTION 4.62.  Subchapter G, Chapter 48, Education Code, is
	amended by adding Sections 48.304, 48.306, and 48.315 to read as
	follows:
	Sec. 48.304.  DAY PLACEMENT PROGRAM OR COOPERATIVE FUNDING.
	(a) For each qualifying day placement program or cooperative that a
	regional education service center, school district, or
	open-enrollment charter school establishes, the program or
	cooperative is entitled to an allotment of:
	(1)  $250,000 for the first year of the program's or
	cooperative's operation; and
	(2)  the sum of:
	(A)  $100,000 for each year of the program's or
	cooperative's operation after the first year; and
	(B)  $150,000 if at least three students are
	enrolled in the program or cooperative for a year described by
	Paragraph (A).
	(b)  A day placement program or cooperative qualifies for
	purposes of Subsection (a) if:
	(1)  the program or cooperative complies with
	commissioner rules adopted for purposes of this section under
	Section 48.004;
	(2)  the program or cooperative offers services to
	students who are enrolled at any school district or open-enrollment
	charter school in the county in which the program or cooperative is
	offered, unless the commissioner by rule waives or modifies the
	requirement under this subdivision for the program or cooperative
	to serve all students in a county; and
	(3)  the agency has designated the program or
	cooperative for service in the county in which the program or
	cooperative is offered and determined that, at the time of
	designation, the program or cooperative increases the availability
	of day placement services in the county.
	(c)  The agency may not designate more than one day placement
	program or cooperative for service per county each year.
	(d)  The agency may designate a regional education service
	center to implement and administer this section.
	(e)  Notwithstanding any other provision of this section,
	the agency may not provide an allotment under this section to more
	than 20 day placement programs or cooperatives for a year.
	Sec. 48.306.  PARENT-DIRECTED SERVICES FOR STUDENTS
	RECEIVING SPECIAL EDUCATION SERVICES GRANT. (a) Subject to
	Subsection (f), a student to whom the agency awards a grant under
	Subchapter A-1, Chapter 29, is entitled to receive an amount of
	$1,500 or a greater amount provided by appropriation.
	(b)  The legislature shall include in the appropriations for
	the Foundation School Program state aid sufficient for the agency
	to award grants under Subchapter A-1, Chapter 29, in the amount
	provided by this section.
	(c)  A student may receive one grant under Subchapter A-1,
	Chapter 29, unless the legislature appropriates money for an
	additional grant in the General Appropriations Act.
	(d)  A regional education service center designated to
	administer the program under Subchapter A-1, Chapter 29, for a
	school year is entitled to an amount equal to four percent of each
	grant awarded under that subchapter for that school year.
	(e)  Notwithstanding Section 7.057, a determination of the
	commissioner under this section is final and may not be appealed.
	(f)  The total amount provided under this section may not
	exceed $80 million per school year.
	(g)  Notwithstanding Subsection (f), the total amount
	provided under this section for the 2025-2026 school year may not
	exceed $150 million.  This subsection expires September 1, 2026.
	Sec. 48.315.  FUNDING FOR REGIONAL DAY SCHOOL PROGRAMS FOR
	THE DEAF. (a)  The program administrator or fiscal agent of a
	regional day school program for the deaf is entitled to receive for
	each school year an allotment of $6,925, or a greater amount
	provided by appropriation, for each student receiving services from
	the program.
	(b)  Notwithstanding Subsection (a), the agency shall adjust
	the amount of an allotment under that subsection for a school year
	to ensure the total amount of allotments provided under that
	subsection is at least $35 million for that school year.
	SECTION 4.63.  The following provisions of the Education
	Code are repealed:
	(1)  Section 7.055(b)(24);
	(2)  Sections 7.102(c)(18), (19), (20), (21), and (22);
	(3)  Section 29.002;
	(4)  Section 29.0041(c);
	(5)  Section 29.005(f);
	(6)  Section 29.0161;
	(7)  Sections 29.308, 29.309, 29.311, 30.001, and
	30.0015;
	(8)  Sections 30.002(c-1), (c-2), (f), (f-1), and (g);
	(9)  Section 30.084;
	(10)  Section 30.087(b); and
	(11)  Section 38.003(d).
	SECTION 4.64.  The commissioner of education shall award a
	grant under Subchapter A-1, Chapter 29, Education Code, as amended
	by this article, for the 2025-2026 school year to each eligible
	applicant who applied but was not accepted for the 2024-2025 school
	year.
	SECTION 4.65.  To the extent of any conflict between the
	changes made to the Education Code by this article and the changes
	made to the Education Code by another Act of the 89th Legislature,
	Regular Session, 2025, the changes made by this article prevail.
	SECTION 4.66.  Sections 8.051(d), 29.008, 29.014(c) and (d),
	and 29.018(b), Education Code, as amended by this article, apply
	beginning with the 2026-2027 school year.
	SECTION 4.67.  (a) Except as provided by Subsection (b) or
	(c) of this section, this article takes effect immediately if this
	Act 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 article takes effect September 1, 2025.
	(b)  Except as provided by Subsection (c) of this section,
	the amendments made by this article to Chapter 48, Education Code,
	take effect September 1, 2025.
	(c)  Sections 48.009(b), 48.102, 48.103(b), (c), and (d),
	and 48.279(e), Education Code, as amended by this article, and
	Sections 48.1021 and 48.1022, Education Code, as added by this
	article, take effect September 1, 2026.
	ARTICLE 5. MEASURES TO SUPPORT EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION
	SECTION 5.01.  Section 12.104(b), Education Code, is amended
	to read as follows:
	(b)  An open-enrollment charter school is subject to:
	(1)  a provision of this title establishing a criminal
	offense;
	(2)  the provisions in Chapter 554, Government Code;
	and
	(3)  a prohibition, restriction, or requirement, as
	applicable, imposed by this title or a rule adopted under this
	title, relating to:
	(A)  the Public Education Information Management
	System (PEIMS) to the extent necessary to monitor compliance with
	this subchapter as determined by the agency [commissioner];
	(B)  criminal history records under Subchapter C,
	Chapter 22;
	(C)  reading and mathematics instruments and
	reading interventions [accelerated reading instruction programs]
	under Sections [Section] 28.006, 28.0063, and 28.0064;
	(D)  accelerated instruction under Section
	28.0211;
	(E)  high school graduation requirements under
	Section 28.025;
	(F)  special education programs under Subchapter
	A, Chapter 29;
	(G)  bilingual education under Subchapter B,
	Chapter 29;
	(H)  prekindergarten programs under Subchapter E
	or E-1, Chapter 29, except class size limits for prekindergarten
	classes imposed under Section 25.112, which do not apply;
	(I)  extracurricular activities under Section
	33.081;
	(J)  discipline management practices or behavior
	management techniques under Section 37.0021;
	(K)  health and safety under Chapter 38;
	(L)  the provisions of Subchapter A, Chapter 39;
	(M)  public school accountability and special
	investigations under Subchapters A, B, C, D, F, G, and J, Chapter
	39, and Chapter 39A;
	(N)  the requirement under Section 21.006 to
	report an educator's misconduct;
	(O)  intensive programs of instruction under
	Section 28.0213;
	(P)  the right of a school employee to report a
	crime, as provided by Section 37.148;
	(Q)  bullying prevention policies and procedures
	under Section 37.0832;
	(R)  the right of a school under Section 37.0052
	to place a student who has engaged in certain bullying behavior in a
	disciplinary alternative education program or to expel the student;
	(S)  the right under Section 37.0151 to report to
	local law enforcement certain conduct constituting assault or
	harassment;
	(T)  a parent's right to information regarding the
	provision of assistance for learning difficulties to the parent's
	child as provided by Sections 26.004(b)(11) and 26.0081(c) and (d);
	(U)  establishment of residency under Section
	25.001;
	(V)  school safety requirements under Sections
	37.0814, 37.108, 37.1081, 37.1082, 37.1083, 37.1084, 37.1085,
	37.1086, 37.109, 37.113, 37.114, 37.1141, 37.115, 37.207, and
	37.2071 and Subchapter J, Chapter 37;
	(W)  the early childhood literacy and mathematics
	proficiency plans under Section 11.185;
	(X)  the college, career, and military readiness
	plans under Section 11.186; and
	(Y)  parental options to retain a student under
	Section 28.02124.
	SECTION 5.02.  The heading to Section 21.4552, Education
	Code, is amended to read as follows:
	Sec. 21.4552.  TEACHER LITERACY ACHIEVEMENT AND READING
	INTERVENTION ACADEMIES.
	SECTION 5.03.  Section 21.4552, Education Code, is amended
	by amending Subsections (b) and (d) and adding Subsections (d-1),
	(g), (h), and (i) to read as follows:
	(b)  A literacy achievement academy developed under this
	section:
	(1)  for teachers who provide reading instruction to
	students at the kindergarten or first, second, or third grade
	level:
	(A)  must include training in:
	(i)  effective and systematic instructional
	practices in reading, including phonemic awareness, phonics,
	fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension; and
	(ii)  the use of empirically validated
	instructional methods that are appropriate for struggling readers;
	and
	(B)  may include training in effective
	instructional practices in writing;
	(2)  for teachers who provide reading instruction to
	students at the fourth or fifth grade level:
	(A)  must include effective instructional
	practices that promote student development of reading
	comprehension and inferential and critical thinking;
	(B)  must provide training in the use of
	empirically validated instructional methods that are appropriate
	for struggling readers; and
	(C)  may include material on writing instruction;
	(3)  for teachers who provide reading instruction to
	students at the sixth, seventh, or eighth grade level, must include
	training in:
	(A)  strategies to be implemented in English
	language arts and other subject areas for multisyllable word
	reading, vocabulary development, and comprehension of expository
	and narrative text;
	(B)  an adaptation framework that enables
	teachers to respond to differing student strengths and needs,
	including adaptations for students of limited English proficiency
	or students receiving special education services under Subchapter
	A, Chapter 29;
	(C)  collaborative strategies to increase active
	student involvement and motivation to read; and
	(D)  other areas identified by the commissioner as
	essential components of reading instruction; and
	(4)  [for teachers who provide reading instruction to
	students at the seventh or eighth grade level, must include
	training in:
	[(A)  administration of the reading instrument
	required by Section 28.006(c-1); and
	[(B)  interpretation of the results of the reading
	instrument required by Section 28.006(c-1) and strategies, based on
	scientific research regarding effective reading instruction, for
	long-term intensive intervention to target identified student
	needs in word recognition, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension;
	and
	[(5)]  for teachers who provide instruction in
	mathematics, science, or social studies to students at the sixth,
	seventh, or eighth grade level, must include training in:
	(A)  strategies for incorporating reading
	instruction into the curriculum for the subject area taught by the
	teacher; and
	(B)  other areas identified by the commissioner.
	(d)  Except as provided by Subsection (d-1), from funds
	provided under Section 48.108 or other available [From] funds
	[appropriated for that purpose], a classroom teacher who provides
	instruction to students in kindergarten through third grade and
	completes [attends] a literacy achievement academy is entitled to
	receive a stipend from the school district in the amount determined
	by the commissioner. From funds appropriated for that purpose, a
	district may provide a stipend to a classroom teacher who provides
	instruction to students in a grade level above third grade. A
	stipend received under this subsection is not considered in
	determining whether a school district is paying the classroom
	teacher the minimum monthly salary under Section 21.402.
	(d-1)  A school district is not required to provide a stipend
	under Subsection (d) to a classroom teacher if the teacher:
	(1)  attends the literacy achievement academy as part
	of an educator preparation program in which the teacher is
	enrolled;
	(2)  attends the literacy achievement academy on a day
	or during hours of service included in the term of the teacher's
	contract; or
	(3)  is not directed or approved by the school district
	at which the teacher is employed to attend the literacy achievement
	academy.
	(g)  The agency shall develop a method for evaluating a
	literacy achievement academy to determine the effectiveness of the
	academy, including whether the academy improves teaching practices
	and student literacy proficiency.  A school district or
	open-enrollment charter school shall provide any information
	requested by the agency for purposes of evaluating literacy
	achievement academies under this subsection.
	(h)  In addition to the literacy achievement academies
	developed under Subsection (a), the commissioner shall develop and
	make available reading intervention academies for teachers or other
	professionals who provide reading interventions to students who
	require targeted instruction in foundational reading skills.
	(i)  The commissioner may establish an advisory board to
	assist the agency in fulfilling the agency's duties under this
	section. A recommendation of the advisory board shall be made
	available to the public. Chapter 2110, Government Code, does not
	apply to an advisory board established under this subsection.
	SECTION 5.04.  The heading to Section 21.4553, Education
	Code, is amended to read as follows:
	Sec. 21.4553.  TEACHER MATHEMATICS ACHIEVEMENT AND
	INTERVENTIONIST ACADEMIES.
	SECTION 5.05.  Section 21.4553, Education Code, is amended
	by amending Subsection (d) and adding Subsections (d-1), (g), (h),
	and (i) to read as follows:
	(d)  Except as provided by Subsection (d-1), from funds
	provided under Section 48.108 or other available [From] funds
	[appropriated for that purpose], a classroom teacher who completes
	[attends] a mathematics achievement academy is entitled to receive
	a stipend from the school district in the amount determined by the
	commissioner.  A stipend received under this subsection is not
	considered in determining whether a district is paying the
	classroom teacher the minimum monthly salary under Section 21.402.
	(d-1)  A school district is not required to provide a stipend
	under Subsection (d) to a classroom teacher if the teacher:
	(1)  attends the mathematics achievement academy as
	part of an educator preparation program in which the teacher is
	enrolled;
	(2)  attends the mathematics achievement academy on a
	day or during hours of service included in the term of the teacher's
	contract; or
	(3)  is not directed or approved by the school district
	at which the teacher is employed to attend the mathematics
	achievement academy.
	(g)  The agency shall develop a method for evaluating a
	mathematics achievement academy to determine the effectiveness of
	the academy, including whether the academy improves teaching
	practices and student math proficiency.  A school district or
	open-enrollment charter school shall provide any information
	requested by the agency for purposes of evaluating mathematics
	achievement academies under this subsection.
	(h)  In addition to the mathematics achievement academies
	developed under Subsection (a), the commissioner shall develop and
	make available mathematics interventionist academies for a teacher
	or other professional who provides mathematics interventions to
	students who require targeted instruction in foundational
	mathematics skills.
	(i)  The commissioner may establish an advisory board to
	assist the agency in fulfilling the agency's duties under this
	section. A recommendation of the advisory board shall be made
	available to the public. Chapter 2110, Government Code, does not
	apply to an advisory board established under this subsection.
	SECTION 5.06.  Subchapter C, Chapter 25, Education Code, is
	amended by adding Section 25.0816 to read as follows:
	Sec. 25.0816.  ADDITIONAL DAYS SCHOOL YEAR PLANNING GRANT
	PROGRAM. (a) From money appropriated or otherwise available for
	the purpose, the agency shall establish and administer a grant
	program to provide funding and technical assistance to school
	districts and open-enrollment charter schools to plan the school
	year and adjust operations as necessary to qualify for the
	incentive funding under Section 48.0051.
	(b)  In awarding grants under the program, the agency shall
	prioritize school districts and open-enrollment charter schools
	that seek to maximize incentive funding under Section 48.0051.
	(c)  The agency may solicit and accept gifts, grants, and
	donations for purposes of this section.
	SECTION 5.07.  Section 25.085(d), Education Code, is amended
	to read as follows:
	(d)  Unless specifically exempted by Section 25.086, a
	student enrolled in a school district must attend:
	(1)  an extended-year program for which the student is
	eligible that is provided by the district for students identified
	as likely not to be promoted to the next grade level or tutorial
	classes required by the district under Section 29.084;
	(2)  a reading intervention program [an accelerated
	reading instruction program] to which the student is assigned under
	Section 28.0064 [28.006(g)];
	(3)  an accelerated instruction program to which the
	student is assigned under Section 28.0211;
	(4)  a basic skills program to which the student is
	assigned under Section 29.086; or
	(5)  a summer program provided under Section 37.008(l)
	or Section 37.021.
	SECTION 5.08.  The heading to Section 28.006, Education
	Code, is amended to read as follows:
	Sec. 28.006.  KINDERGARTEN READING READINESS [DIAGNOSIS].
	SECTION 5.09.  Section 28.006, Education Code, is amended by
	amending Subsections (a), (b), (b-1), (c-2), (c-3), (d), (f), and
	(h) and adding Subsection (n) to read as follows:
	(a)  The commissioner shall develop recommendations for
	school districts for:
	(1)  administering reading instruments to measure
	students' foundational literacy skills in [diagnose student]
	reading development and comprehension;
	(2)  training educators in administering the reading
	instruments; and
	(3)  applying the results of the reading instruments to
	the instructional program.
	(b)  The commissioner shall adopt a [list of] reading
	instrument [instruments] that a school district shall [may] use at
	the beginning of the school year to measure a kindergarten
	student's foundational literacy skills in [diagnose student]
	reading development and comprehension.  A reading instrument
	adopted under this subsection may include other developmental
	skills as part of [For use in diagnosing the reading development and
	comprehension of kindergarten students, the commissioner shall
	adopt] a multidimensional assessment tool [that includes a reading
	instrument and tests at least three developmental skills, including
	literacy.  A multidimensional assessment tool administered as
	provided by this subsection is considered to be a reading
	instrument for purposes of this section.  A district-level
	committee established under Subchapter F, Chapter 11, may adopt a
	list of reading instruments for use in the district in a grade level
	other than kindergarten in addition to the reading instruments on
	the commissioner's list].  A [Each] reading instrument adopted by
	the commissioner [or a district-level committee] must be based on
	scientific research concerning foundational literacy skills in
	reading [skills] development and [reading] comprehension and[.  A
	list of reading instruments adopted under this subsection must]
	provide for measuring [diagnosing] the foundational literacy
	skills in reading development and comprehension of students,
	including students participating in a program under Subchapter B,
	Chapter 29.
	(b-1)  The commissioner may approve not more than two [an]
	alternative reading instruments [instrument] for use in measuring
	[diagnosing] the foundational literacy skills in reading
	development and comprehension of kindergarten students that
	complies with the requirements under Subsection (b).
	(c-2)  Not later than the 60th day after the beginning of the
	school year, each [Each] school district shall administer at the
	kindergarten level a reading instrument adopted by the commissioner
	under Subsection (b) or approved by the commissioner under
	Subsection (b-1).  The district shall administer the reading
	instrument in accordance with the commissioner's recommendations
	under Subsection (a)(1) and policies developed by commissioner
	rule.
	(c-3)  The commissioner by rule shall determine the
	performance on a [the] reading instrument adopted or approved under
	this section [Subsection (b)] that indicates kindergarten
	readiness.  Each reading instrument adopted or approved under this
	section must provide for the ability to compare the performance
	that indicates kindergarten readiness on that instrument with the
	performance that indicates kindergarten readiness on other
	instruments adopted or approved under this section.
	(d)  The superintendent of each school district shall:
	(1)  report to the commissioner and the board of
	trustees of the district at a public meeting of the board the
	results of a [the] reading instrument administered to students
	under this section [instruments];
	(2)  not later than the earlier of the 20th school day
	or the 30th [60th] calendar day after the date on which the results
	of a reading instrument are available, [was administered] report,
	in writing or electronically, to a student's parent or guardian the
	student's results on the instrument; and
	(3)  using the school readiness certification system
	provided to the school district in accordance with Section
	29.161(e), report electronically each student's raw score on the
	reading instrument to the agency for use in the school readiness
	certification system.
	(f)  The agency shall ensure [at least one] reading
	instruments adopted or approved [instrument for each grade level
	for which a reading instrument is required to be administered]
	under this section are [is] available to school districts at no
	cost.
	(h)  The school district shall make a good faith effort to
	ensure that the report [notice] required under Subsection (d)(2)
	[this section] is provided either in person or electronically [by
	regular mail] and that the report [notice] is clear and easy to
	understand and is written in English and in the parent or guardian's
	native language.
	(n)  Nothing in this section may be construed to circumvent
	or supplant federal or state law regarding a student who
	participates in a special education program under Subchapter A,
	Chapter 29, or a student who is suspected to have a disability and
	who may be eligible to participate in a special education program
	under that subchapter.
	SECTION 5.10.  Subchapter A, Chapter 28, Education Code, is
	amended by adding Sections 28.0063, 28.0064, 28.0065, and 28.0071
	to read as follows:
	Sec. 28.0063.  EARLY LITERACY AND NUMERACY INSTRUMENTS. (a)
	The commissioner shall adopt a list of reading and mathematics
	instruments approved or developed by the commissioner for use by
	school districts in kindergarten through grade three to measure
	students' foundational literacy skills in reading development and
	comprehension and foundational numeracy skills in mathematics.
	(b)  A reading or mathematics instrument adopted under
	Subsection (a) must:
	(1)  be based on scientific research concerning, as
	applicable:
	(A)  foundational literacy skills in reading
	development and comprehension; or
	(B)  foundational numeracy skills in mathematics;
	(2)  be capable of being administered at the beginning,
	middle, and end of the school year;
	(3)  be designed to assess the performance of students
	in, as applicable:
	(A)  the foundational literacy skills components
	of the essential knowledge and skills adopted under Section 28.002
	for language arts; or
	(B)  the foundational numeracy skills components
	of the essential knowledge and skills adopted under Section 28.002
	for mathematics;
	(4)  be capable of monitoring student progress in a
	manner that allows school district staff to identify specific
	foundational literacy or numeracy skills in need of targeted
	instruction;
	(5)  assess whether a student's skills identified as in
	need of targeted instruction indicate that the student is at risk,
	as determined by the agency, of not achieving satisfactory
	performance on the third grade reading or mathematics assessment
	administered under Section 39.023;
	(6)  for a reading instrument for students in
	kindergarten and first grade, include the applicable elements and
	criteria to serve as the required screenings for dyslexia and
	related disorders under Section 38.003; and
	(7)  for a reading instrument, allow a school district
	to generate a report regarding a student's reading progress,
	including progress from previous administrations of the same
	instrument, that is clear and easy to understand that may be
	distributed to the student's parent in English, Spanish, or, to the
	extent practicable, any other language spoken by the parent.
	(c)  The commissioner shall:
	(1)  update the list of reading and mathematics
	instruments adopted under Subsection (a) not less than once every
	four years;
	(2)  ensure the list adopted under Subsection (a)
	includes multiple reading and mathematics instruments;
	(3)  develop a process by which a school district may
	submit an instrument to the commissioner for approval; and
	(4)  make publicly available the criteria for the
	evaluation and approval of an instrument submitted to the
	commissioner.
	(d)  The instruments adopted or approved under this section
	shall be administered as follows:
	(1)  for kindergarten, at the middle and end of the
	school year;
	(2)  for first and second grade, at the beginning,
	middle, and end of the school year; and
	(3)  for third grade, at the beginning and middle of the
	school year.
	(e)  The commissioner shall align and determine
	comparability of the instruments administered under this section
	with the following instruments:
	(1)  an instrument adopted or approved under Section
	28.006 that is administered to a kindergarten student at the
	beginning of the school year; and
	(2)  a third grade assessment instrument adopted or
	developed under Section 39.023 that is administered at the end of
	the school year for a third grade student.
	(f)  If the commissioner determines that an interim
	assessment instrument adopted under Section 39.023(o) provides the
	same intended outcomes as an instrument adopted or approved under
	this section, the commissioner may substitute that interim
	assessment instrument for an instrument adopted or approved under
	this section.
	(g)  A school district shall administer to students in
	kindergarten through third grade a reading instrument and a
	mathematics instrument adopted under Subsection (a) in accordance
	with requirements and recommendations established by the
	commissioner under this section, including requirements or
	recommendations related to:
	(1)  administering the instruments;
	(2)  training staff on the instruments; and
	(3)  applying the results of the instruments to the
	district's instructional program.
	(h)  The superintendent of each school district shall:
	(1)  report to the commissioner and the board of
	trustees of the district at a public meeting of the board the
	results of a reading or mathematics instrument administered to
	students under this section; and
	(2)  not later than the earlier of the 20th school day
	or the 30th calendar day after the date on which the results of a
	reading or mathematics instrument are available, report, in writing
	or electronically, to a student's parent or guardian:
	(A)  the student's results on the instrument;
	(B)  for a reading instrument, the report
	described by Subsection (b)(7); and
	(C)  if the student is determined to be at risk for
	dyslexia or a related disorder based on the results of the reading
	instrument, information regarding that determination.
	(i)  The agency shall establish a list of reading and
	mathematics instruments adopted under Subsection (a) for which the
	agency has negotiated a price.  A school district is not required to
	use a method provided by Section 44.031 to purchase an instrument on
	the list established under this subsection.
	(j)  A student's parent or guardian may submit a written
	request to the administrator of the campus at which the student is
	enrolled to opt the student out of the administration of a reading
	or mathematics instrument required under this section.  A school
	district may not encourage or direct a parent or guardian to submit
	a written request under this subsection.
	(k)  The commissioner shall adopt rules as necessary to
	implement this section.
	(l)  Section 2001.0045, Government Code, does not apply to a
	rule adopted under this section.
	(m)  A school district may comply with the requirements of
	Subsection (g) by administering a reading or mathematics instrument
	selected by the board of trustees of the school district that meets
	the requirements of Subsection (b) until the commissioner adopts
	the list of reading and mathematics instruments under Subsection
	(a).  This subsection expires September 1, 2029.
	Sec. 28.0064.  EARLY LITERACY INTERVENTION FOR CERTAIN
	STUDENTS. (a)  If a student's results on two consecutive reading
	instruments administered under Section 28.0063 indicate that the
	student is at risk, as determined by the agency, of not achieving
	satisfactory performance in foundational literacy, a school
	district shall, as soon as practicable following the receipt of the
	student's results, provide reading interventions to the student.
	(b)  Reading interventions provided under Subsection (a)
	must:
	(1)  include targeted instruction in the foundational
	literacy skills identified as areas in need of targeted instruction
	by the reading instrument administered under Section 28.0063;
	(2)  ensure that the student receives the interventions
	during a period and at a frequency sufficient to address the areas
	described by Subdivision (1);
	(3)  include effective instructional materials
	designed for reading intervention;
	(4)  be provided by a person:
	(A)  with training in reading interventions and in
	the applicable instructional materials described by Subdivision
	(3); and
	(B)  under the oversight of the school district;
	(5)  to the extent possible, be provided by one person
	for the entirety of the student's reading intervention period; and
	(6)  meet any additional requirements adopted by the
	commissioner.
	(c)  A school district shall continue providing reading
	intervention to a student under this section until the earlier of
	the date on which:
	(1)  the student is no longer determined to be at risk,
	as determined by the agency, of not achieving satisfactory
	performance in foundational literacy on a reading instrument
	administered under Section 28.0063; or
	(2)  the student begins the fourth grade.
	(d)  In providing reading interventions under this section,
	a school district may not remove a student, except under
	circumstances for which a student enrolled in the same grade level
	who is not receiving reading interventions would be removed, from:
	(1)  instruction in the foundation curriculum and
	enrichment curriculum adopted under Section 28.002 for the grade
	level in which the student is enrolled; or
	(2)  recess or other physical activity that is
	available to other students enrolled in the same grade level.
	(e)  The agency shall approve one or more products that use
	an automated, computerized, or other augmented method for providing
	reading interventions.  The agency may approve a product under this
	subsection only if evidence indicates that the product is effective
	at promoting mastery of foundational literacy skills.
	(f)  Subject to appropriation, the agency shall ensure that
	at least one product approved under Subsection (e) is available to
	school districts at no or reduced cost.
	(g)  A student's parent or guardian may submit a written
	request to the administrator of the campus at which the student is
	enrolled to opt the student out of all or part of the reading
	intervention requirements under Subsection (b).  A school district
	may not encourage or direct a parent or guardian to submit a written
	request under this subsection that would allow the district to not
	provide reading interventions to the student.
	(h)  A school district must provide to the parent or guardian
	of a student receiving reading interventions under this section the
	notice required under Section 26.0081(d).
	(i)  Nothing in this section may be construed to prevent or
	discourage reading interventions for a student whose results on a
	reading instrument administered under Section 28.0063 indicate
	that the student is at risk, as determined by the agency, of not
	achieving satisfactory performance in foundational literacy.
	(j)  Nothing in this section may be construed to circumvent
	or supplant federal or state law regarding a student who
	participates in a special education program under Subchapter A,
	Chapter 29, or a student who is suspected to have a disability and
	who may be eligible to participate in a special education program
	under that subchapter.
	(k)  The commissioner shall adopt rules as necessary to
	implement this section, including rules that define appropriate
	standards for implementing reading interventions that meet the
	requirements of Subsection (b).
	(l)  Section 2001.0045, Government Code, does not apply to a
	rule adopted under this section.
	(m)  A school district is not required to comply with the
	requirements of this section until the commissioner adopts a list
	of reading and mathematics instruments under Section 28.0063 and
	designates the first school year that districts must comply with
	this section.  This subsection expires September 1, 2029.
	Sec. 28.0065.  ADAPTIVE VOCABULARY PILOT PROGRAM. (a)  The
	agency shall develop and implement an adaptive vocabulary
	assessment pilot program to assess vocabulary development in
	students in kindergarten through third grade.
	(b)  The agency may develop an assessment under the pilot
	program to assess students in grades other than grades described by
	Subsection (a).
	(c)  Nothing in this section may be construed to circumvent
	or supplant federal or state law regarding a student who
	participates in a special education program under Subchapter A,
	Chapter 29, or a student who is suspected to have a disability and
	who may be eligible to participate in a special education program
	under that subchapter.
	(d)  The commissioner may adopt rules as necessary to
	implement this section.
	Sec. 28.0071.  MATHEMATICS TRAINING FOR KINDERGARTEN
	THROUGH EIGHTH GRADE. (a)  Each school district and
	open-enrollment charter school shall ensure that:
	(1)  not later than the 2030-2031 school year, each
	classroom teacher that provides instruction in mathematics to
	students in kindergarten through eighth grade and each principal,
	assistant principal, mathematics instructional coach, and
	mathematics interventionist at a campus with one of those grade
	levels has attended a teacher mathematics achievement academy
	developed under Section 21.4553; and
	(2)  each classroom teacher and principal initially
	employed in a grade level or at a campus described by Subdivision
	(1) for the 2030-2031 school year or a subsequent school year has
	attended a teacher mathematics achievement academy developed under
	Section 21.4553 by the end of the teacher's or principal's first
	year of placement in that grade level or campus.
	(b)  The agency shall provide assistance to school districts
	and open-enrollment charter schools in complying with the
	requirements under this section.
	(c)  The agency shall:
	(1)  monitor the implementation of this section; and
	(2)  periodically report to the legislature on the
	implementation of this section and the effectiveness of this
	section in improving educational outcomes.
	(d)  The commissioner may adopt rules to implement this
	section.
	SECTION 5.11.  Subchapter B, Chapter 28, Education Code, is
	amended by adding Section 28.02111 to read as follows:
	Sec. 28.02111.  FIRST THROUGH THIRD GRADE SUPPLEMENTARY
	SUPPORTS. (a) The commissioner shall establish and administer a
	program designed to help improve student proficiency in reading by
	providing a grant in an amount provided under Section 48.317
	through which the student's parent may purchase tutoring services
	from agency-approved providers to:
	(1)  a student at or below the third grade level who,
	beginning in the first grade, is required to be provided reading
	interventions under Section 28.0064; and
	(2)  a student who is required to be provided
	accelerated instruction under Section 28.0211(a-1) based on the
	student's third grade performance.
	(b)  The agency shall approve as a provider of tutoring
	services under this section a classroom teacher employed by a
	school district or open-enrollment charter school who:
	(1)  holds a current teacher designation under Section
	21.3521; and
	(2)  submits the teacher's name to the agency to offer
	tutoring services designed to help improve student proficiency in
	reading.
	(c)  The agency shall:
	(1)  maintain a system of online accounts under which
	each student described by Subsection (a) is assigned an account for
	the student's parent to access the grant described by Subsection
	(a); and
	(2)  implement the program in a manner that ensures:
	(A)  ease of use for parents of students who are
	eligible for a grant under this section;
	(B)  fidelity of spending; and
	(C)  a parent of a student awarded a grant under
	this section is provided a period of one year from the date on which
	the grant is awarded to obtain services for which grant money may be
	used.
	(d)  A student may not receive more than one grant under
	Subsection (a)(1) and one grant under Subsection (a)(2) unless the
	legislature provides for additional grants by appropriation.
	(e)  The agency may reserve from the total amount of money
	available for purposes of the program an amount, not to exceed five
	percent of the total amount, to cover the agency's cost of
	administering the program.
	(f)  A school district or open-enrollment charter school in
	which a student who receives a grant under this section is enrolled
	remains subject to the requirements to provide reading
	interventions under Section 28.0064 and accelerated instruction
	under Section 28.0211, as applicable.
	(g)  A school district or open-enrollment charter school
	shall provide to the parent of a student described by Subsection (a)
	notice of the student's eligibility for a grant under this section,
	in a form and manner established by the agency.
	(h)  A decision by the commissioner regarding the program
	under this section is final and may not be appealed.
	(i)  The commissioner shall adopt rules as necessary to
	implement this section.
	SECTION 5.12.  Section 29.0031, Education Code, is amended
	by adding Subsection (e) to read as follows:
	(e)  A school district shall notify the parent of a student
	identified with dyslexia or a related disorder of the Talking Book
	Program administered by the Texas State Library and Archives
	Commission and other available audio book services.
	SECTION 5.13.  Section 29.153, Education Code, is amended by
	amending Subsections (b) and (g) and adding Subsections (g-1), (h),
	and (i) to read as follows:
	(b)  A child is eligible for enrollment in a prekindergarten
	class under this section if the child is at least three years of age
	and:
	(1)  is unable to speak and comprehend the English
	language;
	(2)  is educationally disadvantaged;
	(3)  is homeless, regardless of the residence of the
	child, of either parent of the child, or of the child's guardian or
	other person having lawful control of the child;
	(4)  is the child of an active duty member of the armed
	forces of the United States, including the state military forces or
	a reserve component of the armed forces, who is ordered to active
	duty by proper authority;
	(5)  is the child of a member of the armed forces of the
	United States, including the state military forces or a reserve
	component of the armed forces, who was injured or killed while
	serving on active duty;
	(6)  is or ever has been in:
	(A)  the conservatorship of the Department of
	Family and Protective Services following an adversary hearing held
	as provided by Section 262.201, Family Code; or
	(B)  foster care in another state or territory, if
	the child resides in this state; [or]
	(7)  is the child of a person eligible for the Star of
	Texas Award as:
	(A)  a peace officer under Section 3106.002,
	Government Code;
	(B)  a firefighter under Section 3106.003,
	Government Code; or
	(C)  an emergency medical first responder under
	Section 3106.004, Government Code; or
	(8)  is the child of a person employed as a classroom
	teacher at a public primary or secondary school in the school
	district that offers a prekindergarten class under this section.
	(g)  Before a school district or open-enrollment charter
	school may construct, repurpose, or lease a classroom facility, or
	issue bonds for the construction or repurposing of a classroom
	facility, to provide the prekindergarten classes required under
	this section, the district or school must:
	(1)  solicit and consider proposals for partnerships to
	provide those classes with community-based child-care providers
	who:
	(A) [(1)]  are a Texas Rising Star Program
	provider with a three-star certification or higher;
	(B) [(2)]  are nationally accredited;
	(C) [(3)]  are a Head Start program provider;
	(D) [(4)]  are a Texas School Ready! participant;
	or
	(E) [(5)]  meet the requirements under Section
	29.1532; and
	(2)  have received an official determination from a
	prekindergarten partnership intermediary designated under
	Subsection (g-1) that the providers from which the district or
	school has considered proposals under Subdivision (1) are unable to
	serve the students for whom the district or school plans to provide
	prekindergarten classes in the classroom facility to be
	constructed, repurposed, or leased.
	(g-1)  The commissioner shall designate at least four
	appropriate entities as prekindergarten partnership intermediaries
	to develop partnerships between school districts and
	open-enrollment charter schools and private prekindergarten
	providers. The agency shall develop guidelines for use by the
	prekindergarten partnership intermediaries regarding successful
	prekindergarten partnerships between school districts and
	open-enrollment charter schools and private prekindergarten
	providers.
	(h)  Notwithstanding any other law, a facility or location at
	which prekindergarten classes are provided by a school district or
	open-enrollment charter school in partnership with a private entity
	under this section:
	(1)  must comply with any municipal ordinance
	applicable to the operation of a private prekindergarten program;
	and
	(2)  may not be required to comply with any municipal
	ordinance applicable to the operation of a prekindergarten program
	by a school district or open-enrollment charter school.
	(i)  A partnership entered into between a school district or
	open-enrollment charter school and a private provider for a
	prekindergarten class under this section must provide for the
	provider to receive funding for each district or school student
	enrolled in the class in an amount that is not less than 85 percent
	of the amount of funding that the district or school receives for
	the student. Notwithstanding Section 7.056(e)(3)(I), the
	commissioner may waive the requirement under this subsection on
	request by a school district or open-enrollment charter school in
	accordance with Section 7.056.
	SECTION 5.14.  Section 29.1531, Education Code, is amended
	by amending Subsections (a) and (b) and adding Subsections (c) and
	(d) to read as follows:
	(a)  Except as provided by Subsection (c), a [A] school
	district may offer on a tuition basis or use district funds to
	provide:
	(1)  an additional half-day of prekindergarten classes
	to children who are eligible for classes under Section 29.153 and
	are under four years of age; and
	(2)  half-day and full-day prekindergarten classes to
	children not eligible for classes under Section 29.153.
	(b)  A district that offers a prekindergarten program on a
	tuition basis[:
	[(1)]  may not adopt a tuition rate for the program that
	is higher than necessary to cover the added costs of providing the
	program, including any costs associated with collecting,
	reporting, and analyzing data under Section 29.1532(c)[; and
	[(2)  must submit the proposed tuition rate to the
	commissioner for approval].
	(c)  A school district may offer a prekindergarten program on
	a tuition basis only if the district has received an official
	determination from a prekindergarten partnership intermediary
	designated under Section 29.153(g-1) that no private
	prekindergarten providers that meet the qualifications of Section
	29.153(g)(1)(A), (B), (C), or (D) are available to serve the
	students for whom the district plans to charge tuition.
	(d)  The commissioner may adopt rules under this section,
	including rules establishing the manner in which a prekindergarten
	partnership intermediary may determine whether a private
	prekindergarten provider is available.
	SECTION 5.15.  Section 29.1543, Education Code, is amended
	to read as follows:
	Sec. 29.1543.  EARLY EDUCATION REPORTS.  The agency shall
	produce and make available to the public on the agency's Internet
	website annual district and campus-level reports containing
	information from the previous school year on early education in
	school districts and open-enrollment charter schools.  A report
	under this section must contain:
	(1)  the information required by Section 29.1532(c) to
	be reported through the Public Education Information Management
	System (PEIMS);
	(2)  a description of the [diagnostic] reading
	instruments administered in accordance with Section 28.006(c-2)
	[28.006(c) or (c-2)];
	(3)  the number of students who were administered a
	[diagnostic] reading instrument administered in accordance with
	Section 28.006(c-2) [28.006(c) or (c-2)];
	(4)  the number of students whose scores from a
	[diagnostic] reading instrument administered in accordance with
	Section 28.006(c-2) [28.006(c) or (c-2)] indicate kindergarten
	readiness in reading [proficiency];
	(5)  the number of kindergarten students who were
	enrolled in a prekindergarten program, including a program offered
	through a partnership under Section 29.153, in the previous school
	years [year] in the same district or school as the district or
	school in which the student attends kindergarten;
	(6)  the number and percentage of students who perform
	satisfactorily on the third grade reading or mathematics assessment
	instrument administered under Section 39.023, disaggregated by
	whether the student was eligible for free prekindergarten under
	Section 29.153;
	(7)  the number of students described by Subdivision
	(6) who attended kindergarten in the district, disaggregated by:
	(A)  whether the student met the kindergarten
	readiness standard on a [the] reading instrument adopted under
	Section 28.006;
	(B)  whether the student attended prekindergarten
	in the district, including a program offered through a partnership
	under Section 29.153; and
	(C)  the type of prekindergarten the student
	attended, if applicable; and
	(8)  the information described by Subdivisions (6) and
	(7) disaggregated by whether the student is educationally
	disadvantaged.
	SECTION 5.16.  Section 29.161(c), Education Code, is amended
	to read as follows:
	(c)  The system must:
	(1)  be reflective of research in the field of early
	childhood care and education;
	(2)  be well-grounded in the cognitive, social, and
	emotional development of young children;
	(3)  apply a common set of criteria to each program
	provider seeking certification, regardless of the type of program
	or source of program funding; and
	(4)  be capable of fulfilling the reporting and notice
	requirements of Section [Sections] 28.006(d) [and (g)].
	SECTION 5.17.  Section 29.167, Education Code, is amended by
	amending Subsections (b-1) and (b-3) and adding Subsection (b-4) to
	read as follows:
	(b-1)  Notwithstanding Subsection (b), each teacher for a
	prekindergarten class provided by an entity with which a school
	district contracts to provide a prekindergarten program must:
	(1)  be certified under Subchapter B, Chapter 21, to
	teach prekindergarten or supervised by a person who meets the
	requirements under Subsection (b); [and]
	(2)  have one of the following qualifications:
	(A)  at least two years' experience of teaching in
	a nationally accredited child care program or a Texas Rising Star
	Program and:
	(i)  a Child Development Associate (CDA)
	credential or another early childhood education credential
	approved by the agency; or
	(ii)  certification offered through a
	training center accredited by Association Montessori
	Internationale or through the Montessori Accreditation Council for
	Teacher Education; or
	(B)  a qualification described by Subsection
	(b)(2)(A), (D), (E), or (F); and
	(3)  when appropriate, be appropriately certified or be
	supervised by a person who is appropriately certified to provide
	effective instruction to emergent bilingual students, as defined by
	Section 29.052, enrolled in the prekindergarten program.
	(b-3)  Subsections (b-1), [and] (b-2), and (b-4) and this
	subsection expire September 1, 2029.
	(b-4)  Subsections (b-1) and (b-2) apply to any
	prekindergarten class provided by an entity with which a school
	district contracts to provide a prekindergarten program under
	Section 29.153.
	SECTION 5.18.  Sections 29.934(b) and (d), Education Code,
	are amended to read as follows:
	(b)  To apply to be designated as a resource campus under
	this section, the campus must have received an overall performance
	rating under Section 39.054 of D or F, or an overall performance
	rating under Section 39.054(a-4)(1) or 39.0546 of "Not Rated," for
	three [four] years over a 10-year period of time.
	(d)  To be designated as a resource campus, the campus must:
	(1)  implement a targeted improvement plan as described
	by Chapter 39A and establish a school community partnership team;
	(2)  adopt an accelerated campus excellence turnaround
	plan as provided by Section 39A.105(b) [except that a classroom
	teacher who satisfies the requirements for demonstrated
	instructional effectiveness under Section 39A.105(b)(3) must also
	hold a current designation assigned under Section 21.3521];
	(3)  be in a school district that has adopted an
	approved local optional teacher designation system under Section
	21.3521;
	(4)  satisfy certain staff criteria by:
	(A)  requiring a principal or teacher employed at
	the campus before the designation to apply for a position to
	continue at the campus;
	(B)  for a subject in the foundation curriculum
	under Section 28.002(a)(1):
	(i)  employing only teachers who have at
	least two [three] years of teaching experience; and
	(ii)  ensuring that at least 50 percent of
	teachers hold a current designation assigned under Section 21.3521;
	(C)  employing at least one school counselor for
	every 300 students; and
	(D)  employing at least one appropriately
	licensed professional to assist with the social and emotional needs
	of students and staff, who must be a:
	(i)  family and community liaison;
	(ii)  clinical social worker;
	(iii)  specialist in school psychology; or
	(iv)  professional counselor;
	(5)  implement a positive behavior program as provided
	by Section 37.0013;
	(6)  implement a family engagement plan as described by
	Section 29.168;
	(7)  develop and implement a plan to use high quality
	instructional materials;
	(8)  if the campus is an elementary or middle school
	campus, operate the campus for a school year that qualifies for
	funding under Section 48.0051; and
	(9)  annually submit to the commissioner data and
	information required by the commissioner to assess fidelity of
	implementation.
	SECTION 5.19.  Effective September 1, 2028, Section 29.934,
	Education Code, is amended by amending Subsection (b) and adding
	Subsection (b-1) to read as follows:
	(b)  To apply to be designated as a resource campus under
	this section, the campus must have received an overall performance
	rating under Section 39.054 of D or F, or an overall performance
	rating under Section 39.054(a-4)(1) of "Not Rated," for three
	[four] years over a 10-year period of time.
	(b-1)  Notwithstanding Subsection (b), a campus may apply to
	be designated as a resource campus under this section if the campus
	received an overall performance rating under Section 39.054 of D or
	F, or an overall performance rating under Section 39.054(a-4)(1) or
	former Section 39.0546 of "Not Rated," for three years over a
	10-year period of time.  This subsection expires September 1, 2033.
	SECTION 5.20.  Section 31.0752, Education Code, is amended
	to read as follows:
	Sec. 31.0752.  OPEN EDUCATION RESOURCE INSTRUCTIONAL
	MATERIAL SUPPORT PROGRAM. (a) The agency shall develop and
	maintain a program to assist school districts and open-enrollment
	charter schools in adopting and using open education resource
	instructional material made available under this subchapter,
	including by assisting districts and schools to:
	(1)  maintain the instructional flexibility of
	classroom teachers to address the needs of each student; and
	(2)  schedule instructional periods in a manner that
	allows classroom teachers sufficient time to effectively prepare
	and present instructional material within the teacher's normal work
	day.
	(b)  The agency shall engage in efforts to meet the demand
	from school districts and open-enrollment charter schools that
	request assistance under this section for the 2024-2025 or
	2025-2026 school year. A school district or open-enrollment
	charter school may apply assistance received under this subsection
	to offset the payment of costs related to implementing open
	education resource instructional material, regardless of whether
	the district or school incurred the cost before receiving the
	assistance.  This subsection expires September 1, 2027.
	SECTION 5.21.  Subchapter B-1, Chapter 31, Education Code,
	is amended by adding Section 31.0754 to read as follows:
	Sec. 31.0754.  COMMUNICATION REGARDING HIGH QUALITY
	INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS. (a) Notwithstanding Chapter 2113,
	Government Code, the commissioner may enter into contracts or
	agreements and engage in efforts to communicate information to
	parents, classroom teachers, school districts, and open-enrollment
	charter schools regarding the educational value, particularly the
	impact on reading and math achievement, of open education resource
	instructional materials made available under this subchapter,
	including activities to promote, market, and advertise the content
	included in and how to use those materials.
	(b)  The commissioner may use appropriated funds or funds
	appropriated for the development of open education resource
	instructional materials under this subchapter to pay for activities
	authorized under this section.
	SECTION 5.22.  Section 38.003, Education Code, is amended by
	amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsection (a-1) to read as
	follows:
	(a)  The State Board of Education shall identify the
	necessary criteria and elements that provide for universal
	screening [Students enrolling in public schools in this state shall
	be screened or tested, as appropriate,] for dyslexia and related
	disorders for students [at appropriate times in accordance with a
	program approved by the State Board of Education.  The program must
	include screening at the end of the school year of each student] in
	kindergarten and [each student in the] first grade.
	(a-1)  The criteria and elements identified under Subsection
	(a) must be included in the reading instruments adopted or approved
	under Section 28.0063 and administered in accordance with the
	timelines established under that section.
	SECTION 5.23.  Section 39.333, Education Code, is amended to
	read as follows:
	Sec. 39.333.  REGIONAL AND DISTRICT LEVEL REPORT. As part of
	the comprehensive biennial report under Section 39.332, the agency
	shall submit a regional and district level report covering the
	preceding two school years and containing:
	(1)  a summary of school district compliance with the
	student/teacher ratios and class-size limitations prescribed by
	Sections 25.111 and 25.112, including:
	(A)  the number of campuses and classes at each
	campus granted an exception from Section 25.112; and
	(B)  for each campus granted an exception from
	Section 25.112, a statement of whether the campus has been awarded a
	distinction designation under Subchapter G or has been identified
	as an unacceptable campus under Chapter 39A;
	(2)  a summary of the exemptions and waivers granted to
	campuses and school districts under Section 7.056 or 39.232 and a
	review of the effectiveness of each campus or district following
	deregulation;
	(3)  an evaluation of the performance of the system of
	regional education service centers based on the indicators adopted
	under Section 8.101 and client satisfaction with services provided
	under Subchapter B, Chapter 8; and
	(4)  [an evaluation of accelerated instruction
	programs offered under Section 28.006, including an assessment of
	the quality of such programs and the performance of students
	enrolled in such programs; and
	[(5)]  the number of classes at each campus that are
	currently being taught by individuals who are not certified in the
	content areas of their respective classes.
	SECTION 5.24.  Section 48.0051, Education Code, is amended
	by amending Subsections (a), (b), and (d) and adding Subsection
	(b-1) to read as follows:
	(a)  The [Subject to Subsection (a-1), the] commissioner
	shall adjust the average daily attendance of a school district or
	open-enrollment charter school under Section 48.005 in the manner
	provided by Subsection (b) if the district or school:
	(1)  provides the minimum number of minutes of
	operational and instructional time required under Section 25.081
	and commissioner rules adopted under that section over at least 175
	[180] days of instruction; and
	(2)  offers an additional 30 days of half-day
	instruction for students enrolled in prekindergarten through
	eighth [fifth] grade.
	(b)  Subject to Subsection (b-1), for [For] a school district
	or open-enrollment charter school described by Subsection (a), the
	commissioner shall increase the average daily attendance of the
	district or school under Section 48.005 by the amount that results
	from the quotient of the sum of attendance by students described by
	Subsection (a)(2) for each of the 30 additional instructional days
	of half-day instruction that are provided divided by 175 [180].
	(b-1)  For a school district or open-enrollment charter
	school described by Subsection (a) that provides at least 200 full
	days of instruction to students described by Subsection (a)(2), the
	commissioner shall increase the amount computed for the district or
	school under Subsection (b) by 50 percent.
	(d)  This section does not prohibit a school district from
	providing the minimum number of minutes of operational and
	instructional time required under Section 25.081 and commissioner
	rules adopted under that section over fewer than 175 [180] days of
	instruction.
	SECTION 5.25.  Subchapter A, Chapter 48, Education Code, is
	amended by adding Section 48.0052 to read as follows:
	Sec. 48.0052.  INCENTIVE FOR ADDITIONAL INSTRUCTIONAL DAYS
	FOR READING INTERVENTIONS. (a) The commissioner shall adjust the
	average daily attendance of a school district or open-enrollment
	charter school under Section 48.005 in the manner provided by
	Subsection (b) if the district or school:
	(1)  does not qualify for funding under Section
	48.0051;
	(2)  provides the minimum number of minutes of
	operational and instructional time required under Section 25.081
	and commissioner rules adopted under that section; and
	(3)  offers up to an additional 30 days of half-day
	instruction consisting of reading interventions described by
	Section 28.0064 for students who are required to be provided
	reading interventions under that section.
	(b)  For a school district or open-enrollment charter school
	described by Subsection (a), the commissioner shall increase the
	average daily attendance of the district or school under Section
	48.005 by 50 percent of the amount that results from the quotient of
	the sum of attendance by students described by Subsection (a)(3)
	for each of the additional instructional days of half-day
	instruction that are provided divided by 175.
	(c)  The agency shall assist school districts and
	open-enrollment charter schools in qualifying for the incentive
	under this section.
	(d)  The commissioner shall adopt rules necessary for the
	implementation of this section.
	SECTION 5.26.  Section 48.108, Education Code, is amended by
	amending Subsections (a), (b), and (c) and adding Subsection (a-1)
	to read as follows:
	(a)  For each student in average daily attendance in
	kindergarten through third grade, a school district is entitled to
	an annual allotment equal to the basic allotment multiplied by
	0.01.
	(a-1)  In addition to the allotment under Subsection (a), a
	school district is entitled to an annual allotment equal to the
	basic allotment multiplied by 0.1 for each student in average daily
	attendance in kindergarten through third grade who [0.1 if the
	student] is:
	(1)  educationally disadvantaged; or
	(2)  an emergent bilingual student, as defined by
	Section 29.052, and is in a bilingual education or special language
	program under Subchapter B, Chapter 29.
	(b)  Funds allocated under this section must be used to fund:
	(1)  the attendance of teachers employed by the
	district at teacher literacy achievement academies under Section
	21.4552 or teacher mathematics achievement academies under Section
	21.4553;
	(2)  prekindergarten programs under Subchapters E and
	E-1, Chapter 29; and
	(3)  programs and services designed to improve student
	performance in reading and mathematics in prekindergarten through
	third grade, including programs and services designed to assist the
	district in achieving the goals set in the district's early
	childhood literacy and mathematics proficiency plans adopted under
	Section 11.185.
	(c)  A school district is entitled to an allotment under each
	subdivision of Subsection (a-1) [(a)] for which a student
	qualifies.
	SECTION 5.27.  Subchapter C, Chapter 48, Education Code, is
	amended by adding Sections 48.1081 and 48.122 to read as follows:
	Sec. 48.1081.  DISTRIBUTION OF CERTAIN EARLY EDUCATION
	ALLOTMENT MONEY FOR PURPOSES OF FULL-DAY PREKINDERGARTEN. (a)
	This section applies only to money to which a school district is
	entitled under Section 48.108(a-1).
	(b)  Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter,
	from the total amount of money to which school districts are
	entitled under Section 48.108(a-1), the agency shall, instead of
	providing money to which this section applies to school districts
	in accordance with Section 48.108(a-1), distribute that money as
	follows:
	(1)  provide to each school district that operates a
	full-day program under Section 29.153(c), funding under this
	chapter based on one-half of the average daily attendance
	calculated under Section 48.005 for each student in that program;
	and
	(2)  if any amount remains after distributing money
	under Subdivision (1), provide to each school district an amount
	that is proportional to the district's entitlement under Section
	48.108(a-1).
	Sec. 48.122.  EARLY LITERACY INTERVENTION ALLOTMENT. (a)
	Except as provided by Subsections (b) and (c), for each enrolled
	student receiving reading interventions under Section 28.0064, a
	school district is entitled to an annual allotment of $250, or a
	greater amount provided by appropriation.
	(b)  A school district may not receive funding under this
	section for a student for which the district receives an allotment
	under Section 48.103.
	(c)  A school district may receive funding under this section
	for not more than 10 percent of students enrolled in the district in
	kindergarten through third grade.
	SECTION 5.28.  Subchapter G, Chapter 48, Education Code, is
	amended by adding Section 48.317 to read as follows:
	Sec. 48.317.  THIRD GRADE SUPPLEMENTARY SUPPORTS GRANT;
	FUNDING ADJUSTMENT. (a) A student to whom the agency provides a
	grant under Section 28.02111 is entitled to receive an amount of
	$400 for each grant for which the student is eligible under that
	section, or a greater amount provided by appropriation.
	(b)  A student may receive only one grant under Section
	28.02111(a)(1) and one grant under Section 28.02111(a)(2) unless
	the legislature provides for additional grants by appropriation.
	(c)  Subject to Subsection (d), beginning with the 2030-2031
	school year, the agency shall reduce the school district's
	entitlement under this chapter each school year by the total amount
	of grant money received by a student under Subsection (a) for each
	student who:
	(1)  fails to perform satisfactorily on the third grade
	reading assessment instrument administered under Section
	39.023(a);
	(2)  received and used a grant under Section 28.02111;
	and
	(3)  was enrolled in the district from kindergarten
	through third grade.
	(d)  For a student described by Subsection (c) who is
	eligible to participate in a school district's special education
	program under Section 29.003, the agency shall reduce the
	district's entitlement in accordance with Subsection (c) by
	one-half of the amount determined for the student under that
	subsection.
	(e)  Notwithstanding Section 7.057, a determination by the
	commissioner under this section is final and may not be appealed.
	SECTION 5.29.  The following provisions of the Education
	Code are repealed:
	(1)  Section 7.058;
	(2)  Sections 28.006(c), (c-1), (g), (g-1), (g-2), (i),
	(j), and (k); and
	(3)  Section 28.007.
	SECTION 5.30.  To the extent of any conflict between the
	changes made to the Education Code by this article and the changes
	made to the Education Code by another Act of the 89th Legislature,
	Regular Session, 2025, the changes made by this article prevail.
	SECTION 5.31.  (a)  Except as provided by Subsection (b) of
	this section, Sections 12.104, 21.4552, 21.4553, 25.085, 28.006,
	29.153, 29.1543, 29.167, 29.934, and 39.333, Education Code, as
	amended by this article, and Sections 28.0063, 28.0064, 28.0065,
	and 28.02111, Education Code, as added by this article, apply
	beginning with the 2025-2026 school year.
	(b)  Sections 29.153(g) and 29.1531, Education Code, as
	amended by this article, apply beginning with the 2027-2028 school
	year.
	SECTION 5.32.  (a) Sections 48.0051 and 48.108, Education
	Code, as amended by this article, and Sections 48.0052, 48.1081,
	48.122, and 48.317, Education Code, as added by this article, take
	effect September 1, 2025.
	(b)  Except as provided by Subsection (a) of this section or
	as otherwise provided by this article, this article takes effect
	immediately if this Act 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 article takes effect September
	1, 2025.
	ARTICLE 6.  COLLEGE, CAREER, AND MILITARY READINESS
	SECTION 6.01.  Section 4.002, Education Code, is amended to
	read as follows:
	Sec. 4.002.  PUBLIC EDUCATION ACADEMIC GOALS.  To serve as a
	foundation for a well-balanced and appropriate education:
	GOAL 1:  The students in the public education system
	will demonstrate exemplary performance in the reading and writing
	of the English language.
	GOAL 2:  The students in the public education system
	will demonstrate exemplary performance in the understanding of
	mathematics.
	GOAL 3:  The students in the public education system
	will demonstrate exemplary performance in the understanding of
	science.
	GOAL 4:  The students in the public education system
	will demonstrate exemplary performance in the understanding of
	social studies.
	GOAL 5: The students who graduate high school in the
	public education system will have the skills and credentials
	necessary to immediately enter this state's workforce.
	GOAL 6: The students who graduate high school in the
	public education system and who elect to pursue postsecondary
	education will be ready for postsecondary coursework without the
	need for remediation.
	SECTION 6.02.  Subchapter B, Chapter 7, Education Code, is
	amended by adding Sections 7.0405 and 7.043 to read as follows:
	Sec. 7.0405.  POSTING OF POSTSECONDARY OUTCOMES. (a)
	Subject to Subsection (b), the agency shall post on the agency's
	Internet website the following de-identified data, disaggregated
	by school district or open-enrollment charter school, high school
	campus, and annual cohort for the 10 most recent annual cohorts:
	(1)  for students who graduate from high school:
	(A)  the number and percentage of students who
	enroll in, enroll in remedial postsecondary coursework as part of,
	persist for at least one year in, or complete a postsecondary
	degree, certificate, or other credentialing program, disaggregated
	by program and postsecondary educational institution; and
	(B)  employment status, occupation, industry,
	wage, and county of employment and residence, as reported under
	Section 204.0025, Labor Code; and
	(2)  for students who did not graduate from high
	school:
	(A)  the highest grade level completed;
	(B)  the number of uncompleted credits required
	for the student to graduate;
	(C)  employment status, occupation, industry,
	wage, and county of employment and residence, as reported under
	Section 204.0025, Labor Code; and
	(D)  whether the student has earned a high school
	equivalency certificate.
	(b)  The agency shall post the data required under Subsection
	(a) in a manner that complies with the Family Educational Rights and
	Privacy Act of 1974 (20 U.S.C. Section 1232g) and may, if necessary
	to comply with that act, create a private portal for school district
	board of trustees or open-enrollment charter school governing body
	members, school administrators, and school counselors at a high
	school to access data for the member's, administrator's, or
	counselor's school district or open-enrollment charter school.
	(c)  The agency shall ensure the data posted under Subsection
	(a) is made available to:
	(1)  school district board of trustees and
	open-enrollment charter school governing body members and
	superintendents to assist in adopting college, career, and military
	readiness plans under Section 11.186; and
	(2)  school counselors at a high school to assist the
	counselors in performing the duties under Section 33.007.
	Sec. 7.043.  STATEWIDE GOAL FOR CAREER READINESS. (a) Using
	the data posted under Section 7.0405(a), the agency shall create a
	quantifiable statewide goal for public school students to achieve
	career readiness, including by attaining a workforce-aligned
	credential while in high school.
	(b)  The agency shall update the goal created under
	Subsection (a) at least once every five years.
	SECTION 6.03.  Section 11.186, Education Code, is amended by
	amending Subsections (b) and (c) and adding Subsections (d), (e),
	and (f) to read as follows:
	(b)  Each plan adopted under Subsection (a) must:
	(1)  identify annual goals for students in each group
	evaluated under the closing the gaps domain under Section
	39.053(c)(3);
	(2)  include an annual goal [goals] for aggregate
	student growth on each college, career, and military readiness
	indicator [indicators] evaluated under the student achievement
	domain under Section 39.053(c)(1);
	(3)  include specific annual goals for student
	completion of postsecondary credentials, including industry-based
	credentials, level one or level two certificates as defined by the
	agency, and associate degrees, while enrolled in high school;
	(4)  include annual goals for the outcomes of the
	district's annual graduates at one, three, and five years after
	graduation from high school, including goals for:
	(A)  the rate of enrollment at a postsecondary
	educational institution;
	(B)  the percentage of graduates who enroll at a
	postsecondary educational institution and do not require remedial
	postsecondary coursework;
	(C)  the rate of persistence at a postsecondary
	educational institution in each of the first two years of
	enrollment;
	(D)  the rate of completion of a postsecondary
	degree, certificate, or other credentialing program; and
	(E)  wages earned;
	(5)  assign at least one district-level administrator
	or employee of the regional education service center for the
	district's region to:
	(A)  coordinate implementation of the plan; and
	(B)  submit an annual report to the board of
	trustees, the agency, and the Legislative Budget Board on the
	district's performance and progress toward the goals set under the
	plan; and
	(6) [(4)]  be reviewed and approved by majority vote
	annually by the board of trustees at a public meeting.
	(c)  In identifying and including goals in each plan adopted
	under Subsection (a) as provided by Subsection (b), the board of
	trustees shall use longitudinal student outcomes data posted under
	Section 7.0405(a) and any other resources available to the board.
	(d)  A school district shall post the annual report described
	by Subsection (b)(5)(B) [(b)(3)(B)] on the district's Internet
	website and on the Internet website, if any, of each campus in the
	district not later than two weeks before the date of the public
	meeting at which the report is reviewed and approved as required by
	Subsection (b)(6).  The district shall update the annual report on
	each Internet website if any modifications are made to the report by
	the board of trustees.
	(e)  The commissioner by rule shall establish a deadline for
	the submission of the annual reports described by Subsection
	(b)(5)(B). The agency shall compile and make publicly accessible on
	the agency's Internet website the annual reports.
	(f)  The agency may evaluate the goals identified or included
	in an annual report described by Subsection (b)(5)(B) to determine
	whether those goals align with state secondary, postsecondary, and
	workforce goals.
	SECTION 6.04.  Section 28.0095, Education Code, is amended
	by adding Subsection (c-1) to read as follows:
	(c-1)  Notwithstanding Subsection (c)(1)(A), a student
	otherwise described by Subsection (c) is eligible to enroll at no
	cost in a dual credit course under the program if the student has
	graduated from high school but is:
	(1)  enrolled in a school district or open-enrollment
	charter school at a campus designated as a P-TECH school under
	Section 29.556 or in a school district participating in a
	partnership under Section 29.912; and
	(2)  completing a course of study offered through an
	articulation agreement or memorandum of understanding with an
	institution of higher education and the district or school
	described by Subdivision (1), as applicable, under the Pathways in
	Technology Early College High School (P-TECH) program under
	Subchapter N, Chapter 29, or the Rural Pathway Excellence
	Partnership (R-PEP) program under Section 29.912.
	SECTION 6.05.  Section 29.182(b), Education Code, is amended
	to read as follows:
	(b)  The state plan must include procedures designed to
	ensure that:
	(1)  all secondary and postsecondary students have the
	opportunity to participate in career and technology education
	programs;
	(2)  the state complies with requirements for
	supplemental federal career and technology education funding;
	(3)  career and technology education is established as
	a part of the total education system of this state and constitutes
	an option for student learning that provides a rigorous course of
	study consistent with the required curriculum under Section 28.002
	and under which a student may receive specific education in a career
	and technology program that:
	(A)  incorporates competencies leading to
	academic and technical skill attainment;
	(B)  leads to:
	(i)  an industry-recognized license,
	credential, or certificate; or
	(ii)  at the postsecondary level, an
	associate or baccalaureate degree;
	(C)  includes opportunities for students to earn
	college credit for coursework; and
	(D)  includes, as an integral part of the program,
	participation by students and teachers in activities of career and
	technical student organizations supported by the agency and the
	State Board of Education; [and]
	(4)  a school district provides, to the greatest extent
	possible, to a student participating in a career and technology
	education program opportunities to enroll in dual credit courses
	designed to lead to a degree, license, or certification as part of
	the program; and
	(5)  a course of study offered under a Junior Reserve
	Officers' Training Corps program established under 10 U.S.C.
	Section 2031 is considered a career and technology education
	program.
	SECTION 6.06.  Sections 29.190(a-1), (b), and (c), Education
	Code, are amended to read as follows:
	(a-1)  A student may not receive more than two subsidies [one
	subsidy] under this section.
	(b)  A teacher is entitled to a subsidy under this section if
	the teacher passes a certification examination related to career
	and technology education [cybersecurity].
	(c)  On approval by the commissioner, the agency shall pay
	each school district an amount equal to the cost paid by the
	district for a certification examination under this section,
	including any costs paid for associated fingerprinting or criminal
	history record information review.  To obtain reimbursement for a
	subsidy paid under this section, a district must:
	(1)  pay the costs described by this subsection [fee
	for the examination]; and
	(2)  submit to the commissioner a written application
	on a form prescribed by the commissioner stating the amount of the
	costs [fee] paid under Subdivision (1) [for the certification
	examination].
	SECTION 6.07.  Subchapter Z, Chapter 29, Education Code, is
	amended by adding Section 29.9016 to read as follows:
	Sec. 29.9016.  MILITARY PATHWAY GRANT PROGRAM. (a)  The
	agency shall establish a grant program to provide money to school
	districts to implement a program under which the district:
	(1)  establishes a Junior Reserve Officers' Training
	Corps program under 10 U.S.C. Section 2031 for students enrolled in
	high school in the district;
	(2)  annually administers the Armed Services
	Vocational Aptitude Battery test to each student participating in
	the program described by Subdivision (1); and
	(3)  provides college and career counseling at least
	once per year to each student administered the Armed Services
	Vocational Aptitude Battery test under Subdivision (2) based on the
	results of the test.
	(b)  The amount of each grant awarded under the grant program
	is $50,000.
	(c)  The total amount of grants awarded under the grant
	program for a school year may not exceed $2 million.
	SECTION 6.08.  Section 29.912, Education Code, is amended by
	adding Subsection (c-1) and amending Subsection (j) to read as
	follows:
	(c-1)  A school district that has participated in the program
	may continue to participate in the program regardless of the number
	of students in average daily attendance in the district for the
	current school year.
	(j)  The commissioner shall make grants available for use by
	a coordinating entity for a two-year period to assist with costs
	associated with the planning, development, establishment, or
	expansion, as applicable, of partnerships under the program using
	[a portion of state funds allocated under Section 48.118 as well as]
	money appropriated for that purpose, federal funds, and any other
	funds available.  The commissioner may award a grant only to a
	coordinating entity that has entered into a performance agreement
	approved under Subsection (i) or, if in the planning stage, has
	entered into a memorandum of understanding to enter into a
	performance agreement, unless the source of funds does not permit a
	grant to the coordinating entity, in which case the grant shall be
	made to a participating school district acting as fiscal agent.
	Eligible use of grant funds shall include planning, development,
	establishment, or expansion of partnerships under the program.  The
	commissioner may use not more than 15 percent of the money allocated
	for the grants to cover the cost of administering grants awarded
	under the program and to provide technical assistance and support
	to partnerships under the program.  The total amount of grants
	awarded under this subsection for a school year may not exceed $5
	million.
	SECTION 6.09.  Section 33.007, Education Code, is amended by
	amending Subsection (b) and adding Subsection (d) to read as
	follows:
	(b)  During the first school year a student is enrolled in a
	high school or at the high school level in an open-enrollment
	charter school, and again during each year of a student's
	enrollment in high school or at the high school level, a school
	counselor shall provide information about postsecondary education
	to the student and the student's parent or guardian.  The
	information must include information regarding:
	(1)  the importance of postsecondary education,
	including career readiness and workforce training opportunities;
	(2)  the advantages of earning an endorsement and a
	performance acknowledgment and completing the distinguished level
	of achievement under the foundation high school program under
	Section 28.025;
	(3)  the disadvantages of taking courses to prepare for
	a high school equivalency examination relative to the benefits of
	taking courses leading to a high school diploma;
	(4)  financial aid eligibility;
	(5)  instruction on how to apply for federal financial
	aid;
	(6)  the center for financial aid information
	established under Section 61.0776;
	(7)  the automatic admission of certain students to
	general academic teaching institutions as provided by Section
	51.803;
	(8)  the eligibility and academic performance
	requirements for the TEXAS Grant as provided by Subchapter M,
	Chapter 56;
	(9)  the availability of programs in the district under
	which a student may earn college credit, including advanced
	placement programs, dual credit programs, joint high school and
	college credit programs, and international baccalaureate programs;
	(10)  the availability of education and training
	vouchers and tuition and fee waivers to attend an institution of
	higher education as provided by Section 54.366 for a student who is
	or was previously in the conservatorship of the Department of
	Family and Protective Services; [and]
	(11)  the availability of college credit awarded by
	institutions of higher education to veterans and military
	servicemembers for military experience, education, and training
	obtained during military service as described by the informational
	materials developed under Section 302.0031(h), Labor Code;
	(12)  opportunities to complete career training and
	obtain a postsecondary credential while enrolled in high school,
	whether at the student's campus, another campus in the school
	district or open-enrollment charter school, or an educational
	institution that partners with the district or school, including
	information regarding program costs, program completion rates, and
	the average wages of students who complete the program; and
	(13)  the outcomes of graduates from the campus and
	school district or open-enrollment charter school in which the
	student is enrolled, including completion rates and average wages
	based on postsecondary pathways available to those graduates at the
	campus, district, or school using data posted under Section
	7.0405(a).
	(d)  The agency shall make available to school counselors an
	annual online training regarding statewide trends identified in the
	data posted under Section 7.0405(a). The training must include
	information to assist school counselors in identifying the
	postsecondary outcomes for students at the counselor's campus and
	school district or open-enrollment charter school for purposes of
	performing the counselor's duties under this section.
	SECTION 6.10.  The heading to Section 39.0261, Education
	Code, is amended to read as follows:
	Sec. 39.0261.  COLLEGE PREPARATION AND CAREER READINESS
	ASSESSMENTS.
	SECTION 6.11.  Section 39.0261(a), Education Code, is
	amended to read as follows:
	(a)  In addition to the assessment instruments otherwise
	authorized or required by this subchapter:
	(1)  each school year and at state cost, a school
	district may administer to students in the spring of the eighth
	grade an established, valid, reliable, and nationally
	norm-referenced preliminary college preparation assessment
	instrument for the purpose of diagnosing the academic strengths and
	deficiencies of students before entrance into high school;
	(2)  each school year and at state cost, a school
	district may administer to students in the 10th grade an
	established, valid, reliable, and nationally norm-referenced
	preliminary college preparation assessment instrument for the
	purpose of measuring a student's progress toward readiness for
	college and the workplace; and
	(3)  high school students in the spring of the 11th
	grade or during the 12th grade may select and take once, at state
	cost:
	(A)  one of the valid, reliable, and nationally
	norm-referenced assessment instruments used by colleges and
	universities as part of their undergraduate admissions processes;
	[or]
	(B)  the assessment instrument designated by the
	Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board under Section 51.334; or
	(C)  a nationally recognized career readiness
	assessment instrument that measures foundational workforce skills
	approved by commissioner rule.
	SECTION 6.12.  Section 39.053, Education Code, is amended by
	amending Subsections (a), (c), and (f) and adding Subsections
	(c-4), (f-1), (f-2), (f-3), and (f-4) to read as follows:
	(a)  The commissioner shall adopt a set of indicators of the
	quality of learning and achievement, including the indicators under
	Subsection (c). The commissioner periodically shall review the
	indicators for the consideration of appropriate revisions and may,
	if the commissioner determines an indicator otherwise required
	under this subchapter is not valid or reliable, exclude the
	indicator from the set of indicators adopted under this section.
	(c)  School districts and campuses must be evaluated based on
	three domains of indicators of achievement adopted under this
	section that include:
	(1)  in the student achievement domain, indicators of
	student achievement that must include:
	(A)  for evaluating the performance of districts
	and campuses generally:
	(i)  an indicator that accounts for the
	results of assessment instruments required under Sections
	39.023(a), (c), and (l), as applicable for the district and campus,
	including the results of assessment instruments required for
	graduation retaken by a student, aggregated across grade levels by
	subject area, including:
	(a)  for the performance standard
	determined by the commissioner under Section 39.0241(a), the
	percentage of students who performed satisfactorily on the
	assessment instruments, aggregated across grade levels by subject
	area; and
	(b)  for the college readiness
	performance standard as determined under Section 39.0241, the
	percentage of students who performed satisfactorily on the
	assessment instruments, aggregated across grade levels by subject
	area; and
	(ii)  an indicator that accounts for the
	results of assessment instruments required under Section
	39.023(b), as applicable for the district and campus, including the
	percentage of students who performed satisfactorily on the
	assessment instruments, as determined by the performance standard
	adopted by the agency, aggregated across grade levels by subject
	area; and
	(B)  for evaluating the performance of high school
	campuses and districts that include high school campuses,
	indicators that account for:
	(i)  students who satisfy the Texas Success
	Initiative (TSI) college readiness benchmarks prescribed by the
	Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board under Section 51.334 on
	an assessment instrument in reading or mathematics designated by
	the coordinating board under that section;
	(ii)  students who satisfy relevant
	performance standards on advanced placement tests or similar
	assessments;
	(iii)  students who earn dual course credits
	in the dual credit courses;
	(iv)  students who demonstrate military
	readiness:
	(a)  through verified enlistment
	[enlist] in the armed forces of the United States or the Texas
	National Guard; or
	(b)  by achieving a passing score set
	by the commissioner on the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude
	Battery Test and successfully completing a Junior Reserve Officers'
	Training Corps program established under 10 U.S.C. Section 2031;
	(v)  students who earn industry
	certifications;
	(vi)  students admitted into postsecondary
	industry certification programs that require as a prerequisite for
	entrance successful performance at the secondary level;
	(vii)  students whose successful completion
	of a course or courses under Section 28.014 indicates the student's
	preparation to enroll and succeed, without remediation, in an
	entry-level general education course for a baccalaureate degree or
	associate degree;
	(viii)  students who successfully met
	standards on a composite of indicators that through research
	indicates the student's preparation to enroll and succeed, without
	remediation, in an entry-level general education course for a
	baccalaureate degree or associate degree;
	(ix)  high school graduation rates, computed
	in accordance with standards and definitions adopted in compliance
	with the Every Student Succeeds Act (20 U.S.C. Section 6301 et seq.)
	subject to the exclusions provided by Subsections (g), (g-1),
	(g-2), (g-3), and (g-4);
	(x)  students who successfully completed an
	OnRamps dual enrollment course;
	(xi)  students who successfully completed a
	practicum or internship approved by the State Board of Education;
	(xii)  students who are awarded an associate
	degree; and
	(xiii)  students who successfully completed
	a program of study in career and technical education;
	(2)  in the school progress domain, indicators for
	effectiveness in promoting student learning, which must include:
	(A)  for assessment instruments, including
	assessment instruments under Subdivisions (1)(A)(i) and (ii), the
	percentage of students who met the standard for improvement, as
	determined by the commissioner; and
	(B)  for evaluating relative performance, the
	performance of districts and campuses compared to similar districts
	or campuses; and
	(3)  in the closing the gaps domain, the use of
	disaggregated data to demonstrate the differentials among students
	from different racial and ethnic groups and [,] socioeconomic
	backgrounds[, and other factors, including:
	[(A)  students formerly receiving special
	education services;
	[(B)  students continuously enrolled; and
	[(C)  students who are mobile].
	(c-4)  The agency shall study the college, career, and
	military readiness indicators adopted under Subsection (c) to
	determine the correlation of each indicator with postsecondary
	success, including the correlation of industry certifications with
	wages and available jobs. The value assigned to each indicator must
	be:
	(1)  based on the strength of the indicator's
	correlation with successful outcomes; and
	(2)  updated in accordance with Subsection (f-1).
	(f)  Annually, the commissioner shall define and may modify
	the state standards [standard for the current school year] for each
	[achievement] indicator adopted under this subchapter in
	[section.  In] consultation with educators, parents, and business
	and industry representatives, as necessary. The [, the]
	commissioner shall increase the rigor by which the commissioner
	determines the overall performance ratings under Section 39.054(a)
	[establish and modify standards] to continuously improve student
	performance to, not later than the 15th year after the date the
	commissioner modifies the performance standards under Subsection
	(f-1), achieve the goals of:
	(1)  eliminating achievement gaps based on race,
	ethnicity, and socioeconomic status; and
	(2)  ensuring [to ensure] this state ranks nationally
	[is a national leader] in the top five states in preparing students
	for postsecondary success and on the National Assessment of
	Educational Progress or its successor assessment.
	(f-1)  Beginning with the indicators adopted for the
	2027-2028 school year and as required to meet the goals under
	Subsection (f), the commissioner shall increase the scores needed
	to achieve performance standards on indicators adopted under this
	subchapter only every fifth school year unless an indicator adopted
	under Subsection (c) requires adjustment before that school year to
	ensure consistency of performance standards.
	(f-2)  To the extent practicable, for each of the two school
	years preceding a school year the commissioner increases a score
	under Subsection (f-1), the commissioner shall report, in a manner
	that can be reviewed by school administrators, the overall
	performance of school districts and campuses under that increased
	score.
	(f-3)  In reporting the performance of school districts and
	campuses on indicators adopted under this subchapter for a school
	year in which the score needed to achieve performance standards on
	one or more of those indicators was increased under Subsection
	(f-1), the commissioner shall include in the report an
	informational report on the performance of districts and campuses
	during the preceding school year under the increased score.
	(f-4)  Notwithstanding Subsection (f), the commissioner may
	define state standards for an indicator adopted under this
	subchapter for multiple school years provided that the commissioner
	annually affirms that those standards are applicable to the current
	school year.  The commissioner is not required to adopt the
	affirmation described by this subsection by rule.
	SECTION 6.13.  Subchapter C, Chapter 39, Education Code, is
	amended by adding Section 39.0531 to read as follows:
	Sec. 39.0531.  INDUSTRY CERTIFICATION LIST.  (a)  The agency
	shall maintain a list of industry certifications that are eligible
	for purposes of Section 39.053(c)(1)(B)(v). In developing the
	list, the agency shall consider the inventory of
	industry-recognized certifications developed under Section
	312.003, Labor Code.  The certifications must:
	(1)  be aligned to a program of study that, according to
	labor market data, prepares students for high-wage, high-skill,
	in-demand occupations;
	(2)  allow students to demonstrate mastery of the
	skills required for occupations within an approved program of
	study; and
	(3)  be obtained through an assessment of the knowledge
	and skills provided by or determined by an independent, third-party
	certifying entity using predetermined standards for knowledge,
	skills, and competencies.
	(b)  The agency shall review the eligibility of industry
	certifications under Subsection (a), including whether the
	programs of study for those certifications still meet the
	requirements under that subsection:
	(1)  in consultation with the advisory council
	established under Chapter 312, Labor Code; and
	(2)  to the extent practicable, concurrently with the
	modification of performance standards under Section 39.053(f-1).
	(c)  If, after reviewing an industry certification under
	Subsection (b), the agency determines the certification is no
	longer eligible for purposes of Section 39.053(c)(1)(B)(v) and
	should be removed from the list maintained under Subsection (a),
	the agency shall, to the extent practicable, post on the agency's
	Internet website information regarding the removal of the
	certification not later than two years before the date the agency
	intends to remove the certification from the list.
	(d)  During the three years following an agency's
	determination under Subsection (c) that an industry certification
	is no longer eligible for purposes of Section 39.053(c)(1)(B)(v), a
	school district may receive the benefit of achievement indicators
	based on that industry certification for purposes of Section
	39.053(c) only for a cohort of students who:
	(1)  were participating in the program of study aligned
	with that certification during the school year the agency
	determines the certification is no longer eligible; and
	(2)   earn the certification within the three-year
	period.
	SECTION 6.14.  Section 45.105(c), Education Code, is amended
	to read as follows:
	(c)  Local school funds from district taxes, tuition fees of
	students not entitled to a free education, other local sources, and
	state funds not designated for a specific purpose may be used for
	the purposes listed for state and county available funds and for
	purchasing appliances and supplies, paying insurance premiums,
	paying janitors and other employees, buying school sites, buying,
	building, repairing, and renting school buildings, including
	acquiring school buildings and sites by leasing through annual
	payments with an ultimate option to purchase, providing advising
	support as described by Section 48.0035(1), and educating students
	as described by Section 48.0035(2), and, except as provided by
	Subsection (c-1), for other purposes necessary in the conduct of
	the public schools determined by the board of trustees. The
	accounts and vouchers for county districts must be approved by the
	county superintendent. If the state available school fund in any
	municipality or district is sufficient to maintain the schools in
	any year for at least eight months and leave a surplus, the surplus
	may be spent for the purposes listed in this subsection.
	SECTION 6.15.  Subchapter A, Chapter 48, Education Code, is
	amended by adding Section 48.0035 to read as follows:
	Sec. 48.0035.  USE OF FUNDING FOR CERTAIN PURPOSES. A school
	district may use funding to which the district is entitled under
	this chapter to:
	(1)  provide district graduates, during the first two
	years after high school graduation, advising support toward the
	successful completion of a certificate or degree program at a
	public institution of higher education or a postsecondary
	vocational training program; and
	(2)  educate a student who has graduated from high
	school but is enrolled in the district in a program through which
	the student may earn dual credit, including the Pathways in
	Technology Early College High School (P-TECH) program under
	Subchapter N, Chapter 29, and the Rural Pathway Excellence
	Partnership (R-PEP) program under Section 29.912.
	SECTION 6.16.  Section 48.106, Education Code, is amended by
	amending Subsection (a-1) and adding Subsections (a-2) and (a-3) to
	read as follows:
	(a-1)  In addition to the amounts under Subsection (a), for
	each student in average daily attendance enrolled in a campus
	designated as a P-TECH school under Section 29.556, a district is
	entitled to $150 [$50 for each of the following in which the student
	is enrolled:
	[(1)  a campus designated as a P-TECH school under
	Section 29.556; or
	[(2)  a campus that is a member of the New Tech Network
	and that focuses on project-based learning and work-based
	education].
	(a-2)  A district is entitled to funding under Subsection
	(a-1) for a student who has graduated from high school but is
	enrolled in the district in a program offered under Subchapter N,
	Chapter 29, through which the student may earn dual credit. The
	district is not entitled to any other funding under this chapter for
	a student described by this subsection.
	(a-3)  Notwithstanding Subsection (a), the total amount that
	may be used to provide allotments under Subsection (a) for courses
	described by Subsection (b)(1)(A)(ii) for a school year may not
	exceed $20 million.  If the total amount of allotments to which
	school districts are entitled under Subsection (a) for those
	courses for a school year exceeds the amount permitted under this
	subsection, the commissioner shall proportionately reduce each
	district's allotment under Subsection (a).
	SECTION 6.17.  Sections 48.106(b)(1) and (1-a), Education
	Code, are amended to read as follows:
	(1)  "Approved career and technology education
	program":
	(A)  means:
	(i)  a sequence of career and technology
	education courses, including technology applications courses,
	authorized by the State Board of Education; and
	(ii)  courses offered under a Junior Reserve
	Officers' Training Corps program established under 10 U.S.C.
	Section 2031; and
	(B)  includes only courses that qualify for high
	school credit.
	(1-a)  "Approved program of study" means a course
	sequence that:
	(A)  provides students with the knowledge and
	skills necessary for success in the students' chosen careers,
	including the military; and
	(B)  is approved by the agency for purposes of the
	Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century
	Act (Pub. L. No. 115-224).
	SECTION 6.18.  Section 48.118, Education Code, is amended by
	adding Subsection (a-3) and amending Subsection (f) to read as
	follows:
	(a-3)  Notwithstanding Subsection (a), a school district
	described by Section 29.912(c-1) may receive funding under this
	section for up to 110 percent of the number of students who
	qualified under Subsection (a) for the school year immediately
	preceding the school year in which the district's enrollment first
	reached 1,600 or more.
	(f)  The total amount of state funding for allotments and
	outcomes bonuses under this section may not exceed $20 [$5] million
	per year.  If the total amount of allotments and outcomes bonuses to
	which school districts are entitled under this section exceeds the
	amount permitted under this subsection, the agency shall allocate
	state funding to districts under this section in the following
	order:
	(1)  [allotments under Subsection (a) for which school
	districts participating in partnerships prioritized under Section
	29.912(h) are eligible;
	[(2)]  allotments under Subsection (a) for which school
	districts that entered into a memorandum of understanding or letter
	of commitment regarding a multidistrict pathway partnership, as
	defined by commissioner rule, before May 1, 2023, are eligible;
	(2) [(3)]  allotments under Subsection (a) for which
	school districts that have entered into a performance agreement
	under Section 29.912 with a coordinating entity that is an
	institution of higher education, as defined by Section 61.003, are
	eligible;
	(3) [(4)]  allotments under Subsection (a) for which
	school districts with the highest percentage of students who are
	educationally disadvantaged, in descending order, are eligible;
	and
	(4) [(5)]  outcomes bonuses under Subsection (c) for
	which school districts with the highest percentage of students who
	are educationally disadvantaged, in descending order, are
	eligible.
	SECTION 6.19.  Section 48.152(a)(2), Education Code, is
	amended to read as follows:
	(2)  "New instructional facility" includes:
	(A)  a newly constructed instructional facility;
	(B)  a repurposed instructional facility; [and]
	(C)  a leased facility operating for the first
	time as an instructional facility with a minimum lease term of not
	less than 10 years; and
	(D)  a renovated portion of an instructional
	facility to be used for the first time to provide high-cost and
	undersubscribed career and technology education programs, as
	determined by the commissioner.
	SECTION 6.20.  Section 48.152(f), Education Code, is amended
	to read as follows:
	(f)  The amount appropriated for allotments under this
	section may not exceed $150 [$100] million in a school year.  If the
	total amount of allotments to which districts are entitled under
	this section for a school year exceeds the amount appropriated
	under this subsection, the commissioner:
	(1)  shall reduce each district's allotment under this
	section in the manner provided by Section 48.266(f); and
	(2)  for new instructional facilities described by
	Subsection (a)(2)(D), may remove a career and technology education
	program from the list of programs that qualify under that
	subsection.
	SECTION 6.21.  The heading to Section 48.155, Education
	Code, is amended to read as follows:
	Sec. 48.155.  COLLEGE PREPARATION AND CAREER READINESS
	ASSESSMENT REIMBURSEMENT.
	SECTION 6.22.  Section 48.156, Education Code, is amended to
	read as follows:
	Sec. 48.156.  CERTIFICATION EXAMINATION REIMBURSEMENT. (a)
	A school district is entitled to reimbursement for the amount of a
	subsidy paid by the district for not more than two [a student's]
	certification examinations per student [examination] under Section
	29.190(a), including costs paid for associated fingerprinting or
	criminal history record information review, as provided by Section
	29.190(c).
	(b)  Notwithstanding Subsection (a), the total amount that
	may be used for reimbursement under that subsection for a school
	year may not exceed $15 million, of which not more than $500,000 may
	be used to reimburse the costs of fingerprinting or criminal
	history record information review. If the total amount to which
	school districts are entitled under Subsection (a) exceeds the
	amount permitted under this subsection, the commissioner shall
	proportionately reduce each school district's entitlement under
	this section.
	SECTION 6.23.  (a)  This section takes effect only if S.B.
	1786, 89th Legislature, Regular Session, 2025, becomes law.
	(b)  Section 204.0025, Labor Code, is amended to read as
	follows:
	Sec. 204.0025.  ADDITIONAL WORKFORCE DATA REPORTING. The
	commission shall [It is the intent of the legislature that the
	commission, subject to the availability of federal funding or other
	resources for the purpose,] work with employers to enhance the
	reporting of employment and earnings data by employers to the
	commission as part of an employer's routine wage filings under this
	subtitle or commission rule and consistent with federal law and
	regulations. The enhanced wage filings must include information
	related to wage, industry, occupational field, full-time and
	part-time status, county of primary employment, remote work status,
	[occupation] and other important employment information necessary
	to conduct the assessment required under Section 302.0205 [that
	would improve the state's labor market information].
	SECTION 6.24.  (a)  This section takes effect only if S.B.
	1786, 89th Legislature, Regular Session, 2025, does not become law.
	(b)  Section 204.0025, Labor Code, is amended to read as
	follows:
	Sec. 204.0025.  ADDITIONAL WORKFORCE DATA REPORTING. The
	commission shall [It is the intent of the legislature that the
	commission, subject to the availability of federal funding or other
	resources for the purpose,] work with employers to enhance the
	reporting of employment and earnings data by employers to the
	commission as part of an employer's routine wage filings under this
	subtitle or commission rule and consistent with federal law and
	regulations. The enhanced wage filings must include information
	related to wage, industry, occupational field, full-time and
	part-time status, county of primary employment, remote work status,
	[occupation] and other important employment information that would
	improve the state's labor market information.
	SECTION 6.25.  The heading to Section 312.003, Labor Code,
	is amended to read as follows:
	Sec. 312.003.  INVENTORY OF CERTIFICATIONS [CREDENTIALS AND
	CERTIFICATES].
	SECTION 6.26.  Sections 312.003(a), (b), (c), and (d), Labor
	Code, are amended to read as follows:
	(a)  The advisory council shall develop an inventory of
	industry-recognized certifications [credentials and certificates]
	that may be earned by a public high school student through a career
	and technology education program and that:
	(1)  are aligned to state and regional workforce needs;
	[and]
	(2)  serve as an entry point to middle- and high-wage
	jobs; and
	(3)  meet the requirements of Section 39.0531(a),
	Education Code.
	(b)  The inventory must include for each certification
	[credential or certificate]:
	(1)  the associated career cluster;
	(2)  the awarding entity;
	(3)  the level of education required and any additional
	requirements for the certification [credential or certificate];
	(4)  any fees for obtaining the certification
	[credential or certificate]; and
	(5)  the average wage or salary for jobs that require or
	prefer the certification [credential or certificate].
	(c)  In developing the inventory, the advisory council may
	consult with local workforce boards, the Texas Workforce Investment
	Council, the Texas Economic Development and Tourism Office, the
	Texas Education Agency, and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating
	Board.
	(d)  The advisory council shall establish a process for
	developing the inventory, including the criteria for the inclusion
	of a certification [credential or certificate] in the inventory.
	SECTION 6.27.  Section 29.912(h), Education Code, is
	repealed.
	SECTION 6.28.  The Texas Education Agency shall first update
	the statewide goal for career readiness created under Section
	7.043(a), Education Code, as added by this article, in accordance
	with Subsection (b) of that section not later than the 2028-2029
	school year.
	SECTION 6.29.  Sections 28.0095(c-1) and 29.9016, Education
	Code, as added by this article, and Sections 29.190, 29.912,
	33.007(b), and 39.0261(a), Education Code, as amended by this
	article, apply beginning with the 2025-2026 school year.
	SECTION 6.30.  To the extent of any conflict between the
	changes made to the Education Code by this article and the changes
	made to the Education Code by another Act of the 89th Legislature,
	Regular Session, 2025, the changes made by this article prevail.
	SECTION 6.31.  The changes in law made by Section 39.053,
	Education Code, as amended by this article, and Section 39.0531,
	Education Code, as added by this article, apply to accountability
	ratings beginning with the 2027-2028 school year.
	SECTION 6.32.  (a) Except as provided by Subsection (b) of
	this section and as otherwise provided by this article, this
	article takes effect immediately if this Act 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 article takes
	effect September 1, 2025.
	(b)  The amendments by this article to Chapter 48, Education
	Code, take effect September 1, 2025.
	ARTICLE 7. CHANGES RELATED TO PUBLIC EDUCATION AND PUBLIC SCHOOL
	FINANCE
	SECTION 7.01.  Subchapter C, Chapter 7, Education Code, is
	amended by adding Section 7.0611 to read as follows:
	Sec. 7.0611.  FACILITY USAGE REPORT. (a) In this section,
	"instructional facility" has the meaning assigned by Section
	46.001.
	(b)  The agency by rule shall require each school district to
	annually report the following information in the form and manner
	prescribed by the agency:
	(1)  the square footage of each school district
	facility and the acreage of land on which each facility sits;
	(2)  the total student capacity for each instructional
	facility on a district campus;
	(3)  for each campus in the school district:
	(A)  the enrollment capacity of the campus and of
	each grade level offered at the campus; and
	(B)  the number of students currently enrolled at
	the campus and in each grade level offered at the campus;
	(4)  whether a school district facility is used by one
	or more campuses and the campus identifier of each campus that uses
	the facility;
	(5)  what each school district facility is used for,
	including:
	(A)  an instructional facility;
	(B)  a career and technology center;
	(C)  an administrative building;
	(D)  a food service facility;
	(E)  a transportation facility; and
	(F)  vacant land; and
	(6)  whether each school district facility is leased or
	owned.
	(c)  From the information submitted under Subsection (b),
	the agency shall produce and make available to the public on the
	agency's Internet website an annual report on school district land
	and facilities.  The agency may combine the report required under
	this section with any other required report to avoid multiplicity
	of reports.
	(d)  If the agency determines information provided under
	Subsection (b) would create a security risk, such information is
	considered confidential for purposes of Chapter 552, Government
	Code, and may not be disclosed in the annual report under Subsection
	(c).
	(e)  The commissioner may adopt rules as necessary to
	implement this section.  In adopting rules for determining the
	student capacity of a school district or district campus, the
	commissioner may consider the staffing, student-teacher ratio, and
	facility capacity of the district or campus.
	SECTION 7.02.  Section 12.106, Education Code, is amended by
	amending Subsections (a), (a-2), (d), (e), and (f) and adding
	Subsections (e-1), (e-2), and (f-1) to read as follows:
	(a)  A charter holder is entitled to receive for the
	open-enrollment charter school funding under Chapter 48 equal to
	the amount of funding per student in weighted average daily
	attendance to which the charter holder would be entitled for the
	school under that chapter if the school were a school district
	without a tier one local share for purposes of Section 48.266,
	excluding:
	(1)  the adjustment under Section 48.052;
	(2)  [,] the funding under Sections 48.101 and [,
	48.110,] 48.111; [, and 48.112,] and
	(3)  enrichment funding under Section 48.202(a) [, to
	which the charter holder would be entitled for the school under
	Chapter 48 if the school were a school district without a tier one
	local share for purposes of Section 48.266].
	(a-2)  In addition to the funding provided by Subsection (a),
	a charter holder is entitled to receive for the open-enrollment
	charter school an allotment per student in average daily attendance
	in an amount equal to the difference between:
	(1)  the product of:
	(A)  the quotient of:
	(i)  the total amount of funding provided to
	eligible school districts under Section 48.101(b) or (c); and
	(ii)  the total number of students in
	average daily attendance in school districts that receive an
	allotment under Section 48.101(b) or (c); and
	(B)  the sum of one and the quotient of:
	(i)  the total number of students in average
	daily attendance in school districts that receive an allotment
	under Section 48.101(b) or (c); and
	(ii)  the total number of students in
	average daily attendance in school districts statewide; and
	(2)  $300 [$125].
	(d)  Subject to Subsections [Subsection] (e) and (e-2), in
	addition to other amounts provided by this section, a charter
	holder is entitled to receive, for the open-enrollment charter
	school, an annual allotment [funding] per student in average daily
	attendance [in an amount] equal to [the guaranteed level of state
	and local funds per student per cent of tax effort under Section
	46.032(a) multiplied by] the lesser of:
	(1)  the state average interest and sinking fund tax
	rate imposed by school districts for the current year multiplied by
	the guaranteed level of state and local funds per student per cent
	of tax effort under Section 46.032(a); or
	(2)  the maximum amount of the basic allotment provided
	under Section 48.051 for the applicable school year multiplied by
	0.07 [a rate that would result in a total amount to which charter
	schools are entitled under this subsection for the current year
	equal to $60 million].
	(e)  Subject to Subsection (e-1), a [A] charter holder is not
	entitled to receive funding under Subsection (d) for an
	open-enrollment charter school [only] if the school has been
	assigned:
	(1)  an unacceptable [most recent overall] performance
	rating [assigned to the open-enrollment charter school] under
	Subchapter C, Chapter 39, for the two preceding school years;
	(2)  a financial accountability performance rating
	under Subchapter D, Chapter 39, indicating a financial performance
	lower than satisfactory for the two preceding school years; or
	(3)  any combination of the ratings described by
	Subdivisions (1) and (2) for the two preceding school years
	[reflects at least acceptable performance].
	(e-1)  Subsection (e) [This subsection] does not apply to a
	charter holder:
	(1)  during the first two years of the applicable
	open-enrollment charter school's operation; or
	(2)  that operates a school program located at a day
	treatment facility, residential treatment facility, psychiatric
	hospital, or medical hospital.
	(e-2)  A charter holder is entitled to receive funding under
	Subsection (d) for an open-enrollment charter school only if the
	governing body of the school annually certifies in writing to the
	agency that none of the following derives any financial benefit
	from a real estate transaction with the school:
	(1)  an administrator, officer, or employee of the
	school;
	(2)  a member of the governing body of the school or its
	charter holder; or
	(3)  a person related within the third degree by
	consanguinity or second degree by affinity, as determined under
	Chapter 573, Government Code, to a person described by Subdivision
	(1) or (2).
	(f)  Funds received by a charter holder under Subsection (d):
	(1)  notwithstanding any other law, may not be used to
	pay a salary, bonus, stipend, or any other form of compensation to a
	school superintendent or administrator serving as educational
	leader and chief executive officer of the school; and
	(2)  may only be used:
	(A) [(1)]  to lease an instructional facility;
	(B) [(2)]  to pay property taxes imposed on an
	instructional facility;
	(C) [(3)]  to pay debt service on bonds issued for
	a purpose for which a school district is authorized to issue bonds
	under Section 45.001(a)(1) or to pay for a purchase for which a
	school district is authorized to issue bonds under that section [to
	finance an instructional facility]; or
	(D) [(4)]  for any other purpose related to the
	purchase, lease, sale, acquisition, or maintenance of an
	instructional facility.
	(f-1)  The governing body of an open-enrollment charter
	school must comply with Chapter 551, Government Code, when
	considering the issuance of bonds.
	SECTION 7.03.  Section 29.054, Education Code, is amended by
	adding Subsection (e) to read as follows:
	(e)  Notwithstanding Section 29.066(c), the agency may
	require, for purposes of implementing Section 48.105, a school
	district that is granted an exception under this section to:
	(1)  include in the district's Public Education
	Information Management System (PEIMS) report additional
	information specified by the agency and relating to the alternative
	language education methods used by the district; and
	(2)  classify the alternative language education
	methods used by the district under the Public Education Information
	Management System (PEIMS) report as specified by the agency.
	SECTION 7.04.  Subchapter Z, Chapter 29, Education Code, is
	amended by adding Section 29.940 to read as follows:
	Sec. 29.940.  FEDERAL GRANT ADMINISTRATION. For a federal
	grant program under which the agency oversees and administers
	services to nonpublic schools, the agency shall follow federal
	disposition rules and procedures to dispose of equipment or
	supplies that are unused or no longer needed and were previously
	allocated to nonpublic schools participating in the grant program.
	SECTION 7.05.  Subchapter A, Chapter 48, Education Code, is
	amended by adding Section 48.011 to read as follows:
	Sec. 48.011.  COMMISSIONER AUTHORITY TO RESOLVE UNINTENDED
	CONSEQUENCES. (a)  Subject to Subsection (b), the commissioner
	may, as necessary to implement changes made by the legislature to
	public school finance, including under this chapter or Chapter 45,
	46, or 49, and school district ad valorem taxes:
	(1)  adjust a school district's entitlement if the
	funding formulas used to determine the district's entitlement
	result in an unanticipated loss, gain, or other result for a school
	district; and
	(2)  modify dates relating to the adoption of a school
	district's maintenance and operations tax rate and, if applicable,
	an election required for the district to adopt that tax rate.
	(b)  Before making an adjustment under Subsection (a), the
	commissioner shall notify and must receive approval from the
	Legislative Budget Board and the office of the governor.
	(c)  If the commissioner makes an adjustment under
	Subsection (a), the commissioner must provide to the legislature an
	explanation regarding the changes necessary to resolve the
	unintended consequences.
	(d)  This section expires September 1, 2027.
	SECTION 7.06.  Subchapter A, Chapter 48, Education Code, is
	amended by adding Section 48.014 to read as follows:
	Sec. 48.014.  NOTICE FOR SCHOOL DISTRICTS REGARDING RECOURSE
	FOR INVALID PROPERTY VALUES. (a)  This section applies only to a
	school district located in an appraisal district in which the
	comptroller has certified the preliminary findings of the school
	district property value study under Section 403.302(g), Government
	Code, and determined that a school district located in the
	appraisal district has an invalid local value, regardless of
	whether the district meets the definition of an eligible school
	district under Section 403.3011, Government Code.
	(b)  For each school district to which this section applies
	and as soon as practicable after the comptroller has certified the
	preliminary findings of the school district property value study
	under Section 403.302(g), Government Code, the commissioner shall
	provide notice to the board of trustees of the district that
	includes information regarding the impact or possible impact of a
	final certification of an invalid local value on the district's
	finances, including:
	(1)  an estimate of the effect on the district's
	finances; and
	(2)  any right of recourse available to the district.
	(c)  Each school district shall annually report to the agency
	contact information for the members of the district's board of
	trustees for purposes of receiving the notice under this section.
	(d)  The commissioner shall coordinate with the comptroller
	to provide copies of the notice under this section to the board of
	directors of each applicable appraisal district.
	SECTION 7.07.  Section 48.051(a), Education Code, is amended
	to read as follows:
	(a)  For each student in average daily attendance, not
	including the time students spend each day in career and technology
	education programs or in special education programs in a setting
	[an instructional arrangement] other than a general education
	setting [mainstream or career and technology education programs],
	for which an additional allotment is made under Subchapter C, a
	school district is entitled to an allotment equal to the lesser of
	the amounts that result from the following formulas:
	(1)  A = $6,160 + GYIA; or [the amount that results from
	the following formula:]
	(2)  A = ($6,160 + GYIA) X TR/MCR
	where:
	"A" is the allotment to which a district is entitled;
	"GYIA" is the guaranteed yield increment adjustment
	determined under Section 48.2561;
	"TR" is the district's tier one maintenance and operations
	tax rate, as provided by Section 45.0032; and
	"MCR" is the district's maximum compressed tax rate, as
	determined under Section 48.2551.
	SECTION 7.08.  Section 48.101, Education Code, is amended to
	read as follows:
	Sec. 48.101.  SMALL AND MID-SIZED DISTRICT ALLOTMENT. (a)
	Small and mid-sized districts are entitled to an annual allotment
	in accordance with this section.  In this section:
	(1)  "AA" is the district's annual allotment per
	student in average daily attendance;
	(2)  "ADA" is the number of students in average daily
	attendance for which the district is entitled to an allotment under
	Section 48.051, other than students in average daily attendance who
	do not reside in the district and are enrolled in a full-time
	virtual program; and
	(3)  "BA" is the basic allotment determined under
	Section 48.051.
	(b)  A school district that has fewer than 1,600 students in
	average daily attendance is entitled to an annual allotment for
	each student in average daily attendance based on the following
	formula:
	AA = ((1,600 - ADA) X .00046 [.0004]) X BA
	(c)  A school district that offers a kindergarten through
	grade 12 program and has less than 5,000 students in average daily
	attendance is entitled to an annual allotment for each student in
	average daily attendance based on the formula, of the following
	formulas, that results in the greatest annual allotment:
	(1)  the formula in Subsection (b), if the district is
	eligible for that formula; or
	(2)  AA = ((5,000 - ADA) X .00003 [.000025]) X BA.
	(d)  Instead of the allotment under Subsection (b) or (c)(1),
	a school district that has fewer than 300 students in average daily
	attendance and is the only school district located in and operating
	in a county is entitled to an annual allotment for each student in
	average daily attendance based on the following formula:
	AA = ((1,600 - ADA) X .0005 [.00047]) X BA
	SECTION 7.09.  Section 48.105, Education Code, is amended by
	adding Subsections (a-1) and (a-2) and amending Subsection (b) to
	read as follows:
	(a-1)  The agency shall review school districts that offer
	alternative language education methods approved by the agency under
	Section 29.054(d) and approve districts to receive the allotment
	under Subsection (a-2) for that biennium in a manner that provides
	not more than $10 million total under the allotment to school
	districts in each biennium.  In approving school districts to
	receive the allotment under this subsection, the agency shall, to
	the extent possible, approve eligible school districts from a
	cross-section of this state.
	(a-2)  For each student in average daily attendance in an
	alternative language education method approved by the agency under
	Section 29.054(d), and offered by a school district approved to
	receive the allotment under Subsection (a-1), the district is
	entitled to an annual allotment equal to the basic allotment
	multiplied by:
	(1)  0.15 for an emergent bilingual student, as defined
	by Section 29.052, if the student is in an alternative language
	education method using a dual language immersion/one-way or two-way
	program model; and
	(2)  0.05 for a student not described by Subdivision
	(1), if the student is in an alternative language education method
	using a dual language immersion/one-way or two-way program model.
	(b)  At least 55 percent of the funds allocated under this
	section must be used in providing bilingual education or special
	language programs under Subchapter B, Chapter 29. A district's
	bilingual education or special language allocation may be used only
	for program and student evaluation, instructional materials and
	equipment, staff development, supplemental staff expenses, teacher
	salaries [salary supplements for teachers], incremental costs
	associated with providing smaller class sizes, and other supplies
	required for quality instruction.
	SECTION 7.10.  Section 48.115(a), Education Code, is amended
	to read as follows:
	(a)  Except as provided by Subsection (a-1), a school
	district is entitled to an annual allotment equal to the sum of the
	following amounts or a greater amount provided by appropriation:
	(1)  $20 [$10] for each student in average daily
	attendance, plus $1 for each student in average daily attendance
	per every $50 by which the district's maximum basic allotment under
	Section 48.051 exceeds $6,160, prorated as necessary; and
	(2)  $34,000 [$15,000] per campus.
	SECTION 7.11.  Section 48.202, Education Code, is amended by
	amending Subsection (a-1) and adding Subsection (e-2) to read as
	follows:
	(a-1)  For purposes of Subsection (a), the dollar amount
	guaranteed level of state and local funds per weighted student per
	cent of tax effort ("GL") for a school district is:
	(1)  [the greater of the amount of district tax revenue
	per weighted student per cent of tax effort available to a school
	district at the 96th percentile of wealth per weighted student or]
	the amount that results from multiplying the maximum amount of the
	basic allotment provided under Section 48.051 for the applicable
	school year [6,160, or the greater amount provided under Section
	48.051(b), if applicable,] by 0.02084 [0.016], for the first eight
	cents by which the district's maintenance and operations tax rate
	exceeds the district's tier one tax rate; and
	(2)  [subject to Subsection (f),] the amount that
	results from multiplying the maximum amount of the basic allotment
	provided under Section 48.051 for the applicable school year
	[$6,160, or the greater amount provided under Section 48.051(b), if
	applicable,] by 0.008, for the district's maintenance and
	operations tax effort that exceeds the amount of tax effort
	described by Subdivision (1).
	(e-2)  For purposes of this section, the total amount of
	maintenance and operations taxes collected by a school district not
	required to reduce its local revenue level under Section 48.257
	includes the amount of tax revenue received from a county-wide
	equalization tax.
	SECTION 7.12.  Subchapter F, Chapter 48, Education Code, is
	amended by adding Section 48.2561 to read as follows:
	Sec. 48.2561.  GUARANTEED YIELD INCREMENT ADJUSTMENT. (a)
	Not later than October 1 of each even-numbered year, for the
	subsequent state fiscal biennium, the agency shall determine the
	amount of the guaranteed yield increment adjustment for each state
	fiscal year of the biennium. The amount of the guaranteed yield
	increment adjustment is the difference between:
	(1)  the estimated cost to the state of maintaining the
	guaranteed level of state and local funds per weighted student per
	cent of tax effort under Section 48.202(a-1)(1) at the 96th
	percentile of wealth per weighted student for each year of the
	biennium; and
	(2)  the state cost of maintaining the guaranteed level
	of state and local funds per weighted student per cent of tax effort
	at the amount provided by Section 48.202(a-1)(1).
	(b)  Notwithstanding Subsection (a), the amount of the
	guaranteed yield increment adjustment for each state fiscal year of
	the state fiscal biennium beginning September 1, 2025, is $55.  This
	subsection expires September 1, 2027.
	SECTION 7.13.  Section 48.266, Education Code, is amended by
	amending Subsection (b) and adding Subsection (b-1) to read as
	follows:
	(b)  Except as provided by this subsection and subject to
	Subsection (b-1), the commissioner shall base the determinations
	under Subsection (a) on the estimates provided to the legislature
	under Section 48.269, or, if the General Appropriations Act
	provides estimates for that purpose, on the estimates provided
	under that Act, for each school district for each school year.  The
	commissioner shall reduce the entitlement of each district that has
	a final taxable value of property for the second year of a state
	fiscal biennium that is higher than the estimate under Section
	48.269 or the General Appropriations Act, as applicable.  A
	reduction under this subsection may not reduce the district's
	entitlement below the amount to which it is entitled at its actual
	taxable value of property.
	(b-1)  Periodically throughout the school year, the
	commissioner shall adjust the determinations made under Subsection
	(a) to reflect current school year estimates of a district's
	enrollment and average daily attendance, based on attendance
	reporting for each six-week interval.
	SECTION 7.14.  Section 48.283, Education Code, is amended to
	read as follows:
	Sec. 48.283.  ADDITIONAL STATE AID FOR CERTAIN DISTRICTS
	IMPACTED BY COMPRESSION.  A school district that received an
	adjustment under Section 48.257(b) as that subsection existed on
	September 1, 2024, for the 2022-2023 school year is entitled to
	additional state aid [for each school year] in an amount equal to
	[the amount of that adjustment for the 2022-2023 school year less]
	the difference, if the difference is greater than zero, between:
	(1)  [the amount to which the district is entitled
	under this chapter for the current school year; and
	[(2)]  the amount of state and local revenue that would
	have been available to [which] the district [would be entitled]
	under this chapter and Chapter 49 for the current school year if the
	district's maximum compressed tax rate had not been reduced under
	Section 48.2555, as added by S.B. 2, Acts of the 88th Legislature,
	2nd Called Session, 2023; and
	(2)  the amount of state and local revenue available to
	the district under this chapter and Chapter 49 for the current
	school year.
	SECTION 7.15.  Subchapter F, Chapter 48, Education Code, is
	amended by adding Section 48.284 to read as follows:
	Sec. 48.284.  ADDITIONAL STATE AID FOR REGIONAL INSURANCE
	COST DIFFERENTIALS. (a) In this section, "catastrophe area" and
	"first tier coastal county" have the meanings assigned by Section
	2210.003, Insurance Code.
	(b)  This section applies to a school district or
	open-enrollment charter school that has the following property
	located in a first tier coastal county or an area designated in 2024
	as a catastrophe area:
	(1)  the central administrative office of the district
	or school; and
	(2)  a majority of campuses of the district or school.
	(c)  A school district or open-enrollment charter school to
	which this section applies is entitled to additional state aid for
	each student in adjusted average daily attendance in an amount
	equal to one-third of the difference between, for the 2023-2024
	school year, or a different school year specified by appropriation:
	(1)  the total amount paid for property and casualty
	insurance by districts and schools in the county or catastrophe
	area described by Subsection (b) in which the district's or school's
	property is located divided by the total number of students in
	average daily attendance for all districts and schools in the
	county or catastrophe area; and
	(2)  the total amount paid for property and casualty
	insurance by districts and schools in the state divided by the total
	number of students in average daily attendance in the state.
	(d)  For purposes of Subsection (c), the average daily
	attendance of a school district that qualifies for, or an
	open-enrollment charter school that if the school were a school
	district would qualify for, an allotment under Section 48.101 is
	the district's or school's average daily attendance multiplied by
	the sum of one and:
	(1)  for a school district, the district's annual
	allotment per student in average daily attendance under that
	section divided by the basic allotment; or
	(2)  for an open-enrollment charter school, the
	school's allotment determined per student in average daily
	attendance under Section 12.106(a-2) divided by the basic
	allotment.
	SECTION 7.16.  Section 26.08(n), Tax Code, is amended to
	read as follows:
	(n)  For purposes of this section, the voter-approval tax
	rate of a school district is the sum of the following:
	(1)  the rate per $100 of taxable value that is equal to
	the district's maximum compressed tax rate, as determined under
	Section 48.2551, Education Code, for the current year;
	(2)  the greater of:
	(A)  the district's enrichment tax rate for the
	preceding tax year [, less any amount by which the district is
	required to reduce the district's enrichment tax rate under Section
	48.202(f), Education Code, in the current tax year]; or
	(B)  the rate of $0.05 per $100 of taxable value;
	and
	(3)  the district's current debt rate.
	SECTION 7.17.  The following provisions of the Education
	Code are repealed:
	(1)  Sections 48.104(j-1), (k), (l), (m), (n), and (o);
	and
	(2)  Section 48.202(f).
	SECTION 7.18.  To the extent of any conflict between the
	changes made to the Education Code by this article and the changes
	made to the Education Code by another Act of the 89th Legislature,
	Regular Session, 2025, the changes made by this article prevail.
	SECTION 7.19.  This article takes effect September 1, 2025.
	* * * * *