Bill Text: TX SB2478 | 2023-2024 | 88th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to a student mental health apprenticeship retention and training (SMART) internship grant program.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2023-03-23 - Referred to s/c on Higher Education by Pres [SB2478 Detail]
Download: Texas-2023-SB2478-Introduced.html
| 88R5149 KJE-D | ||
| By: Zaffirini | S.B. No. 2478 | |
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| relating to a student mental health apprenticeship retention and | ||
| training (SMART) internship grant program. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Chapter 61, Education Code, is amended by adding | ||
| Subchapter RR to read as follows: | ||
| SUBCHAPTER RR. STUDENT MENTAL HEALTH APPRENTICESHIP RETENTION AND | ||
| TRAINING (SMART) INTERNSHIP GRANT PROGRAM | ||
| Sec. 61.9991. DEFINITION. In this subchapter, "program" | ||
| means the student mental health apprenticeship retention and | ||
| training (SMART) internship grant program. | ||
| Sec. 61.9992. ESTABLISHMENT AND ADMINISTRATION OF PROGRAM. | ||
| The board shall establish and administer a student mental health | ||
| apprenticeship retention and training (SMART) internship grant | ||
| program to provide grants to: | ||
| (1) assist persons in obtaining certification or | ||
| licensure necessary for employment as certain school mental health | ||
| professionals; and | ||
| (2) facilitate the employment of those persons by a | ||
| public elementary or secondary school in this state. | ||
| Sec. 61.9993. INTERNSHIP GRANTS. To be eligible to receive | ||
| an internship grant under the program, a person must: | ||
| (1) apply to the board in the form and manner | ||
| prescribed by board rule; | ||
| (2) be enrolled at an institution of higher education | ||
| in a degree or certificate program leading to: | ||
| (A) certification as a school counselor under | ||
| Subchapter B, Chapter 21; | ||
| (B) a license in school psychology under Section | ||
| 501.260, Occupations Code; or | ||
| (C) a social worker license under Chapter 505, | ||
| Occupations Code; | ||
| (3) be accepted into an internship program for school | ||
| counseling, school psychology, or social work, as applicable, at a | ||
| public primary or secondary school in this state at which at least | ||
| 50 percent of enrolled students are educationally disadvantaged, as | ||
| defined by Section 5.001; | ||
| (4) enter into an agreement with the board as provided | ||
| by Section 61.9994; and | ||
| (5) satisfy any other criteria prescribed by the | ||
| board. | ||
| Sec. 61.9994. AGREEMENT FOR INTERNSHIP PARTICIPANTS. To | ||
| qualify for an internship grant under the program, a person must | ||
| enter into a written agreement with the board as provided by this | ||
| section. The agreement must require the person to: | ||
| (1) obtain, within the period prescribed by board | ||
| rule, certification or licensure described by Section 61.9993(2), | ||
| as applicable; | ||
| (2) accept, during the first school year that begins | ||
| after the date the person becomes certified or licensed as provided | ||
| by Subdivision (1), an offer of full-time employment in the | ||
| applicable profession in a public elementary or secondary school in | ||
| this state; and | ||
| (3) be employed in the applicable profession at a | ||
| public elementary or secondary school in this state for at least | ||
| three school years. | ||
| Sec. 61.9995. INTERNSHIP GRANT AWARDS. (a) The board shall | ||
| award an internship grant to each eligible person in an amount equal | ||
| to $25 per hour for each hour spent interning in an internship | ||
| program described by Section 61.9993(3), not to exceed a total of | ||
| $15,000. | ||
| (b) The board may award to a person receiving an internship | ||
| grant under the program an additional grant for student loan | ||
| repayment assistance if the board determines that extenuating | ||
| circumstances justify the assistance. | ||
| Sec. 61.9996. REIMBURSEMENT; EXCEPTIONS. (a) An | ||
| internship grant program participant who fails to meet the | ||
| requirements of Section 61.9994 shall reimburse the board for the | ||
| amount of any grants received by the participant under the program. | ||
| (b) The board by rule shall establish exceptions to the | ||
| reimbursement requirement under this section for participants who | ||
| are unable to meet the requirements of Section 61.9994 as a result | ||
| of an unusual hardship. | ||
| Sec. 61.9997. SUPERVISOR GRANTS. The board shall award a | ||
| grant to each person who supervises an internship grant program | ||
| participant in an internship program described by Section | ||
| 61.9993(3) in an amount equal to $250 per participant supervised. | ||
| Sec. 61.9998. REPORT. Not later than September 1 of each | ||
| even-numbered year, the board shall submit to the legislature a | ||
| report on the program. The report must include an analysis of the | ||
| effectiveness of the program and any recommendations for | ||
| legislative or other action. | ||
| Sec. 61.9999. RULES. The board shall adopt rules necessary | ||
| for the administration of this subchapter. | ||
| SECTION 2. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board | ||
| shall adopt rules for the administration of Subchapter RR, Chapter | ||
| 61, Education Code, as added by this Act, as soon as practicable | ||
| after this Act takes effect. | ||
| SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives | ||
| a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as | ||
| provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this | ||
| Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this | ||
| Act takes effect September 1, 2023. | ||
