JUNIOR RESERVE OFFICER TRAINING CORPS TEACHER CERTIFICATION.

(a) The board shall establish a standard Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps teaching certificate to provide Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps instruction.

(b) To be eligible for a certificate under this section, a person must:

(1) hold a bachelor's degree from an institution of higher education that is, and at the time the person received the degree was, accredited or otherwise approved by an accrediting organization recognized by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board;

(2) satisfy the eligibility and testing requirements for certification as a Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps instructor established by the branch of service in which the person served; and

(3) complete an approved educator preparation program.

(c) The board shall propose rules to:

(1) approve educator preparation programs to prepare a person as a teacher for certification under this section; and

(2) establish requirements under which:

(A) a person's training and experience acquired during the person's military service serves as proof of the person's demonstration of subject matter knowledge if that training and experience is verified by the branch of service in which the person served; and

(B) a person's employment by a school district as a Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps instructor before the person was enrolled in an educator preparation program or while the person is enrolled in an educator preparation program is applied to satisfy any student teaching, internship, or field-based experience program requirement.

(d) A person is not required to hold a certificate established under this section to be employed by a school district as a Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps instructor.