The bill, H.B. No. 2499, amends Section 21.403 of the Education Code to establish new provisions regarding the placement of certain public school employees on the minimum salary schedule. Specifically, it introduces a new subsection (e) that entitles employees who are classroom teachers, full-time librarians, full-time school counselors, or full-time school nurses with less than five years of experience to receive salary step credit equivalent to at least five years of experience. This entitlement applies if the employee is hired within one year of earning their degree and is employed by the district from which they graduated high school, as well as at a district campus located in a county with a population of 150,000 or less.

The provisions of this bill will take effect starting with the 2025-2026 school year. Additionally, the bill stipulates that it will become effective immediately if it receives a two-thirds majority vote from all elected members in both houses; otherwise, it will take effect on September 1, 2025.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: Education Code 21.403 (Education Code 21)