(a) Effective September 1, 2023, military veterans, peace officers, fire protection personnel, and emergency medical services personnel as defined in §234.3 of this title (relating to Definitions) shall be issued a one-time, nonrenewable, three-year temporary certificate for career and technology education if they meet the following:
  (1) has served in the armed forces of the United States and was honorably discharged, retired, or released from active duty; or
  (2) has served as a first responder and, while in good standing not because of pending or final disciplinary actions or a documented performance problem, retired, resigned, or separated from employment as a first responder; and
    (A) has an associate degree from an accredited institution of higher education and 48 months of active duty military service or service as a first responder; or
    (B) a bachelor's degree, which includes 60 semester credit hours completed at a public or private institution of higher education with a minimum grade point average of at least 2.50 on a four-point scale and military service or service as a first responder.
(b) A school district shall assign a mentor teacher to a classroom teacher who has been issued a temporary certificate to teach career and technology education under Texas Education Code (TEC), §21.0444, for at least two school years. A teacher assigned as a mentor must:
  (1) to the extent practicable, teach in the same school;
  (2) to the extent practicable, teach the same subject or grade level, as applicable; and
  (3) meet the qualifications prescribed by commissioner of education rules adopted under TEC, §21.458(b), or §153.1011 of Part 2 of this title (relating to Mentor Program Allotment).
(c) An individual who meets the qualifications specified in subsection (a) of this section and who is interested in obtaining the three-year, nonrenewable temporary certificate, may submit the following items to the Texas Education Agency staff:
  (1) a completed application;
  (2) verification of military veteran status or licensure as a peace officer, fire protection services personnel, or emergency medical services personnel; and
  (3) an official transcript showing degree conferred and conferral date, or successful completion of college coursework.
(d) A military veteran, peace officer, fire protection personnel, and emergency services personnel must enroll in a Texas-approved educator preparation program to complete requirements for issuance of the standard certificate.

Source Note: The provisions of this §234.9 adopted to be effective March 7, 2024, 49 TexReg 1278