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Bill

HB 5175

Relating to the employment of classroom teachers in public schools and the waiver or payment of certain educator examination and certification fees.

89th Legislature (2025) Introduced by Diego Bernal

HB 5175 would waive or subsidize Texas educator certification examination fees to reduce financial barriers for classroom teacher employment and recruitment.

Referred to Public Education
#educationagency #texas(v9941) #education--primary&secondary--teachers(i0242) #salaries&expenses(i0745)
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Bill Summary · HB 5175

Legislative bill overview

HB 5175 addresses employment requirements and financial barriers for classroom teachers in Texas public schools by modifying examination and certification fee policies. The bill appears designed to either waive or provide payment assistance for educator certification exams that teachers must pass to obtain or maintain their teaching credentials.

Why is this important

Teacher certification exam fees can range from $100-$300+ per exam, creating financial barriers particularly for career-changers, underrepresented populations, and teachers from lower-income backgrounds. Removing these barriers could increase the teacher pipeline during a period of teacher shortages in Texas, while also potentially improving diversity in the educator workforce.

Potential points of contention

  • Cost allocation: Whether the state should bear exam fee costs versus requiring school districts or individual teachers to pay, and the fiscal impact to the state budget
  • Incentive concerns: Questions about whether fee waivers might encourage unqualified candidates to take exams, or conversely whether they're necessary to attract quality candidates to the profession
  • Implementation scope: Uncertainty about which exams are covered (initial certification, renewals, subject-specific tests) and whether waivers apply uniformly across all teachers or target specific shortage areas

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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