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The descriptions of TCTA-initiated bills are of the bills as originally filed; please note that changes are possible at any point throughout the legislative process. We will periodically update this list with revisions as appropriate.

HB 359 McReynolds

TCTA-initiated legislation phasing in additional steps to the state minimum salary schedule over a 10-year period, up to step 30.

HB 362 Eissler SB 135 Wentworth

TCTA-initiated legislation providing that a school district's employment policy cannot restrict an employee from communicating directly with a school board member on a matter relating to the district's operations. The policy can prohibit such communication during working hours and communications relating to certain legal issues.

HB 439 Hochberg SB 1625 Watson

The bill died in the House Public Education Committee, but important sections have been added by amendment to other vehicles that are moving through the process.

A TCTA-initiated bill that provides various means of support for a regular classroom teacher of a child with a disability. These provisions include training upon request and prior to the placement of the student in the class; timely assistance from trained personnel in meeting the student’s needs; a copy of the student’s Individual Education Plan (IEP) prior to the student’s placement in the class; and the authority to participate in the student’s Admission, Review and Dismissal (ARD) committee. It also gives the teacher the authority to call for a staffing or intervention team meeting, and to call for a reconvening of the ARD committee of any child assigned to his/her classroom. The bill also requires that the teacher receive assistance from appropriately trained personnel in performing necessary medical tasks for the student if a student with a disability who has special health needs is assigned to a teacher's classroom, and in performing necessary tasks related to the student's hygiene and care, including diapering needs.

HB 468 Phillips

TCTA-initiated legislation providing for two "thirteenth checks" to be paid to retirees in January 2008 and January 2009, equal to the lesser of $1600 or the amount of the regular monthly check. The employee must have retired prior to September 1, 2006. The cost is estimated at $496 million and is paid through an appropriation out of general revenue.

HB 469 Phillips

A TCTA-initiated proposal to restore the calculation of TRS benefits that was changed in 2005. Under current law, benefits are based on the average of the employee's highest five years of salary; this bill would return the calculation to the highest three years of salary.

HB 517 Farabee

TCTA-initiated legislation that includes certified educational diagnosticians and speech language pathologists in the state minimum salary schedule.

HB 920 Eissler SB 1067 Shapiro

SB 1067 has passed the Senate and the House Public Education Committee, and is scheduled for House floor debate on Friday, May 18.

A TCTA-initiated bill providing that a student found to have engaged in serious criminal offenses may not be in a regular classroom but must enroll in a DAEP or JJAEP. Clarifies and strengthens the laws regarding prompt notification to school officials of such students.

HB 973 Eissler SB 816 Averitt

TCTA-initiated legislation ensuring that a person who resigns at the end of the school year is entitled to health insurance coverage and funding throughout the remainder of the contract year.

HB 974 Eissler SB 370 Shapiro

This bill has passed the House and Senate and is on the governor's desk.

TCTA-initiated legislation providing that a school district or district policy may not require an employee to assume liability for an act for which the employee is immune, or require an employee to pay for or replace property that was in the employee's possession due to an act within the scope of the employee's position. Specifies that a school board may not require an employee to pay for electronic textbooks or technological equipment that is damaged, stolen, misplaced or not returned.

HB 1622 Delisi

TCTA member-initiated legislation providing that district grievance policies must allow an employee to report a grievance against a supervisor to a different supervisor.

This TCTA member-initiated bill has passed the House and Senate and is on the Governor's desk.

HB 1684 McClendon

TCTA member-initiated bill providing that credit in a proportionate retirement system (such as ERS, Texas County & District Retirement System, Texas Municipal Retirement System, etc., will count for purposes of meeting the Rule of 80 for TRS-Care eligibility (the credit currently counts only toward retirement eligibility).

HB 1685 McClendon

TCTA member-initiated bill to grandfather employees retiring prior to August 31, 2005, from the surcharge that districts must pay for return-to-work retirees.

HB 1859 Bailey

A TCTA-initiated proposal requiring districts to pay instructional aides at least 50% of the salary paid to a teacher with the same years of experience.

HB 2529 Patrick, Diane

This bill has passed the House and is awaiting a hearing in the Senate Education Committee. It was also added as an amendment to the end-of-course bill, SB 1031, which has passed the House and Senate and is expected to be sent to a conference committee.

TCTA-initiated bill that restricts field testing for a campus to once every four years on a rotating basis and requires that field testing take place only after the spring administration of the state assessment.

HB 3527 Darby SB 1644 Shapiro

SB 1644 passed the Senate and House Public Education Committee and is awaiting placement on the House calendar.

TCTA-initiated legislation that allows regional teachers of the year to serve on their Regional Education Service Center boards and state-level teachers of the year to serve on the SBOE as non-voting members.

HB 3239 McClendon

A TCTA-initiated bill that gives members of the optional retirement program who are also eligible to participate in TRS the ability to make a one-time option to participate in the Teacher Retirement System.

SB 475 Uresti

TCTA-initiated bill restoring the calculation of TRS benefits based on the 3 highest years of salary instead of the 5 highest, and providing a modified 13th check in January 2008 and January 2009 in the amount of the retiree's normal monthly check or $1,600, whichever is lower.

SB 817 Averitt

Passed the Senate and the House Public Education Committee, currently awaiting placement on the House calendar.

A TCTA-initiated bill allowing employees to choose whether to use state personal leave or local leave as preferred; also provides that an employee who has sick leave accumulated under the previous laws prior to 1995 can use the sick leave or the state personal leave in the order preferred, provided that the leave used is appropriate to the purpose of the leave.

SB 895 Seliger

A TCTA-initiated bill that adds pre-kindergarten to the grades for which 22 to 1 class size limits apply.

SB 1039 Lucio

Passed the Senate and the House, should be on the governor's desk shortly.

A TCTA-initiated bill ensuring that return-to-work retirees who work into June as a result of the later start date will not lose their June pension check, as long as they work less than one-half of the month.

Web posted: 03/15/07