HBA-SEB H.B. 3660 76(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 3660
By: Maxey
Pensions and Investments
3/25/1999
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Current law entitles career or technology education teachers to salary step
credit for up to two years of work experience as if it were teaching
experience in public schools if such experience is required for
certification in a career technology field.  Those teachers, however, may
not purchase credit in the Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS) for the
years for which they are given salary step credit.  H.B. 3660 authorizes a
certified career or technology education teacher to establish credit in TRS
for up to two years of related work experience.   

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does
not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state
officer, department, agency, or institution. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends Subchapter E, Chapter 823, Government Code, by adding
Section 823.404, as follows: 

Sec. 823.404.  WORK EXPERIENCE BY CAREER OR TECHNOLOGY TEACHER. Authorizes
an eligible member of the Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS) to
establish equivalent membership service credit for employment for which
the member is entitled to salary step credit under Section 21.403(b),
Education Code, which entitles a certified career or technology teacher to
a salary step for each year of work experience in a related field for up to
two years.  Authorizes a member to establish credit by depositing a
specific amount with TRS.  Requires TRS, after a member makes the deposit,
to grant the member one year of equivalent membership service credit for
each year of service approved.  

SECTION 2.  Amends Section 823.004(a), Government Code, to require credit
for work experience in a career or technology field to be computed on a
September 1 through August 31 school year. 

SECTION 3.  Amends Section 825.307(a), Government Code, to make conforming
and nonsubstantive changes. 

SECTION 4.  Effective date: September 1, 1999.

SECTION 5.  Emergency clause.