SB 126 — Licensure for Experienced Out-of-State Teachers

SecondNOTE: Regular Session Seventy-fifth General Assembly STATE OF COLORADO REREVISED This Version Includes All Amendments Adopted in the Second House LLS NO.

26-0824.02This Lindybill Schaiblehas x4215been SENATEprepared BILLfor 26-126the SENATEsignatures SPONSORSHIPof Marchmanthe andappropriate Rich,legislative Amabile,officers Benavidez, Bridges, Bright, Carson, Catlin, Coleman, Cutter, Exum, Frizell, Gonzales J., Jodeh, Kipp, Kirkmeyer, Kolker, Mullica, Pelton B., Pelton R., Snyder, Wallace, Weissman HOUSE SPONSORSHIP Johnson and Lukens,the Boesenecker,Governor. Brown, Caldwell, Camacho, Clifford, Duran, Garcia Sander, Goldstein, Gonzalez R., Hamrick, Joseph, Keltie, Lieder, Lindsay, Marshall, McCluskie, McCormick, Nguyen, Phillips, Richardson, Rutinel, Smith, Stewart K., Story d n e 6 E a 0 U U , O i i H a p Senate Committees House Committees R A Education Education r g A BILL FOR AN ACT d 06 E a 2 C ONCERNING TEACHER LICENSURE FOR OUT -OF -STATE APPLICANTS .

STo Rdetermine 1whether Othe dGovernor hhas Hsigned 2the rbill eor ataken Billother Summaryaction non Mit, eplease Aconsult (Note:the legislative status sheet, the legislative history, or the Session Laws.

ThisSENATE summaryBILL applies26-126 toBY thisSENATOR(S) billMarchman as introduced and doesRich, notreflectanyamendmentsthatmaybesubsequentlyadopted.IfthisbillAmabile, passesBenavidez, thirdBridges, readingBright, inCarson, theCatlin, houseCutter, ofExum, introduction,Frizell, aGonzales billJ., summaryJodeh, thatKipp, dKirkmeyer, appliesKolker, toMullica, thePelton reengrossedB., versionPelton ofR., thisSnyder, billSullivan, willWallace, beWeissman, availableColeman; at d e 2 http://leg.colorado.gov.) E a 2 A U 7 N n h Current law provides that the department of education S a r (department)mayissuea professionalteacherlicensetoateacherwithat e a r M least 3 years of successful experience in teaching within the previous 7 3 years in another state or country for which the department has granted reciprocity.Thebilleliminatestherequirementthatanapplicanthavethe successful experience in teaching within the previous 7 years.

Thealso billREPRESENTATIVE(S) nJohnson dand 6Lukens, retainsBoesenecker, theBrown, requirementCaldwell, ofCamacho, atClifford, leastDuran, 3Garcia yearsSander, ofGoldstein, successfulGonzalez experienceR., inHamrick, eJoseph, 2Keltie, teaching.Lieder, Lindsay, Marshall, McCormick, Nguyen, Phillips, Richardson, Rutinel, Smith, Stewart K., Story, McCluskie.

EC RONCERNING 2TEACHER ALICENSURE nFOR 6OUT E-OF 2STATE hAPPLICANTS Shading. denotes HOUSE amendment.

Double underlining denotes SENATE amendment.

S e r Capital letters or bold & italic numbers indicate new material to be added to existing law.n M Dashes through the words or numbers indicate deletions from existing law.

m A The bill requires that the state board of education enter into interstate reciprocity agreements with states that participate in the "Interstate Teacher Mobility Compact" (Compact) and that, pursuant to the agreements, the department issue an initial teacher license within 30 days of receiving a complete teacher license application from a person licensed by a state that participates in the Compact when the applicant passes a criminal historyrecordcheckandmeets specified requirements, including holding a current teacher license issued by another state that requiredcompletionofabachelor'sdegreeorhigherandastate-approved teacherpreparationprogramoralternativecertificationprogram.Thebill also requires that the department publish an annual table showing how out-of-statelicenses correspond to Coloradoendorsementareas.Thebill repeals these requirements upon notification that the Compact's rules are in effect.

SECTION1.SECTION 1.

InColoradoRevisedStatutes,22-60.5-201,amendIn Colorado Revised Statutes, 22-60.5-201, amend (3)(b)(I)(B) and (3)(d);

(B)Capital Theletters applicant has had at least three years of successful, evaluated experience within the previous seven years as a teacher in an established elementary or secondarybold school& anditalic cannumbers provideindicate documentationnew ofmaterial suchadded experienceto onexisting formslaw; provided bythe department.

(d)dashes Anthrough applicantwords for an initial teacher license who has three years or morenumbers ofindicate teachingdeletions experiencefrom inexisting anotherlaw stateand orsuch countrymaterial foris whichnot thepart department of education has granted reciprocity pursuant to this subsection (3) shall be licensed without having to demonstrate professional competencies pursuant to section 22-60.5-203 if such THE person meets all the otheract. qualifications for an initial teacher license or -2- 126 professional teacher license and iTHEuperson is qualified to teach in that state or country.

(6)(B) (a)The URSUANTapplicant TOhas SUBSECTIONhad (6)(c)OFat THISleast SECTIO,THEthree DEPARTMENTyears SHALLof ISSUEsuccessful, ANevaluated INITIALexperience TEACHERwithin LICENSEthe WITHINprevious THIRTYseven DAYSyears AFTERa RECEIVINGteacher Ain COMPLETEan TEACHERestablishedelementaryorsecondaryschoolandcanprovidedocumentation LICENSEof APPLICATIONsuch FROMexperience Aon PERSONforms LICENSEDprovided BYby Athe STATEdepartment. THAT PARTICIPATES IN THE "INTERSTATE TEACHER M OBILITC OMPACT "ESTABLISHEDINPART 44OF ARTICLE60 OFTITLE24WHENTHEAPPLICANTFORTHETEACHERLICENSE :

(I)(d) HOLDSAnapplicantforaninitialteacherlicensewhohasthreeyearsor ANmore UNENCUMBEREDof ELIGIBLEteaching LICENSEexperience ISSUEDin BYanother ANstate INTERSTATETEACHERMOBILITYCOMPACTSTATETHATISEQUIVALENTTOor ANcountry ELIGIBLEfor LICENSEwhich CNOLORADOthe ;departmentof educationhasgrantedreciprocitypursuanttothissubsection (3) shall be licensed without having to demonstrate professional competencies pursuant to section 22-60.5-203 if suchperson meets all theotherqualificationsforaninitialteacherlicense or professional teacher license and if suchE person is qualified to teach in that state or country.

(II)(6) S(a) NOTPURSUANT SUBJECT TO CURRENTSUBSECTION DISCIPLINARY(6)(c)OF ACTIONTHIS ,SECTION, SUSPENSION,INVESTIGATION,ORTHE RESTRICTION;ANDDEPARTMENT (III)SHALL HASISSUE SUCCESSFULLYAN COMPLETEDINITIAL TEACHER LICENSE WITHIN THIRTY DAYS AFTER RECEIVING A COLORADOCOMPLETE CRIMINALTEACHER HISTORYLICENSE RECORDAPPLICATION CHECKFROM PURSUANTA TOPERSON SECTION22-60.5-103.LICENSED BY A STATE THAT PARTICIPATES IN THE "INTERSTATE TEACHER M OBILITYC OMPACT " ESTABLISHED IN PART44 OFARTICLE 60 OF TITLE24 WHEN THE APPLICANT FOR THE TEACHER LICENSE :

(b)(I) THEH DEPARTMENTOLDS SHALLAN NOTUNENCUMBERED REQUIREELIGIBLE ADDITIONAL COURSEWORK EXAMINATIONS ,ORPROGRAMCOMPLETIONSBEYONDWHAT IS SPECIFIED IN SUBSECTIO(6)(a)(TO (6)(a)(IIOF THIS SECTION AS A CONDITION OF INITIAL LICENSE ISSUA,BUTISSUED THEBY DEPARTMENTAN MAYINTERSTATE REQUIRETEACHER ADDITIONALMOBILITY COURSEWORKCOMPACT ,STATE EXAMINATIONSTHAT ,ORIS PROGRAMEQUIVALENT COMPLETIONSTO ASAN AELIGIBLE CONDITION OF LICENSE RENEWA.INCOLORADO ;

(c)(II) TINOTSUBJECTTOCURRENTDISCIPLINARYACTION HE,SUSPENSION DEPARTMENT, SHALLINVESTIGATION DETERMINE,OR WHICHRESTRICTION;AND COLORADO(III) ENDORSEMENTH AREASAS MOSTSUCCESSFULLY CLOSELYCOMPLETED CORRESPONDA TOC THEOLORADO APPLICANTCRIMINAL SHISTORY OUTRECORD OF-STATECHECK LICENSEPURSUANT ANDTO SHALLSECTION ISSUE22-60.5-103. AN INITIAL LICENSE IN THOSE AREAS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THIS SECTIO.

(d)(b) ETHE ACHDEPARTMENT YEARSHALL ,THENOT DEPARTMENTREQUIRE SHALLADDITIONAL PUBLISHCOURSEWORK A,EXAMINATIONS TABLE,OR SHOWINGPROGRAM HOWCOMPLETIONS LICENSESBEYOND FROMWHAT EACHIS STATESPECIFIED THATIN HASSUBSECTIONS6)(a)(ITO ENTERED(6)(a)(IIIOF INTOTHIS ANSECTION -3-AS 126A INTERSTATECONDITION RECIPROCALOF AGREEMENTINITIAL WITHLICENSE ISSUANCE , BUT THE DEPARTMENT CORRESPONDMAY TOREQUIRE CADDITIONAL OLORADOCOURSEWORK ENDORSEMENT, AREASEXAMINATIONS , OR PROGRAM COMPLETIONS AS A CONDITION OF LICENSE RENEWAL .

(e)(c) THISTHE SUBSECTIO(6)WILLDEPARTMENT BESHALL REPEALEDDETERMINE IFWHICH THECOLORADO DEPARTMENTENDORSEMENT BEGINSAREAS ISSUINGMOST LICENSESCLOSELY PURSUANTCORRESPOND TO THE "INTERSTATEAPPLICANT TEACHERS MPAGE OBILITYC2-SENATE OMPACT",ESTABLISHEDBILL IN26-126 PART44OFOUT ARTICLE60OF-STATE OFLICENSE TITLEAND 24.TSHALL HEISSUE COMMISSIONERAN OFINITIAL EDUCATIONLICENSE SHALLIN NOTIFYTHOSE THEAREAS REVISOR OF STATUTES IN WRITINGACCORDANCE WHENWITH THETHIS CONDITIONSECTION SPECIFIED(d) INECHYEAR THISTHEDEPARTMENTSHALLPUBLISHATABLESHOWING SUBSECTIONHOW (6)(e)HASLICENSES OCCURREDFROM BYEACH EMAILINGSTATE THETHAT NOTICEHAS TOENTERED REVISOROFSTATUTESINTO GAAN @INTERSTATE COLEG.GOV.THEREPEALTAKESEFFECTUPONRECIPROCAL THEDATEIDENTIFIEDINTHENOTICEORUPONTHEDATEOFTHENOTICETOAGREEMENT WITH THE REVISOROFSTATUTESIFTHEDEPARTMENT NOTICECORRESPOND DOESNOTTO SPECIFYADIFFERENTCOLORADO DATEENDORSEMENT AREAS .

(e) THIS SUBSECTION(6)WILL BE REPEALED IF THE DEPARTMENT BEGINS ISSUING LICENSES PURSUANT TO THE "NTERSTATE T EACHER M OBILITYCOMPACT ",ESTABLISHEDINPART 44 OFARTICLE 60OFTITLE 24.

THE COMMISSIONER OF EDUCATION SHALL NOTIFY THE REVISOR OF STATUTESINWRITINGWHENTHE CONDITIONSPECIFIEDINTHISSUBSECTION (6)(e) HAS OCCURRED BY EMAILING THE NOTICE TO REVISOROFSTATUTES GA @ COLEG.GOV.

THE REPEAL TAKES EFFECT UPON THE DATE IDENTIFIED IN THE NOTICE OR UPON THE DATE OF THE NOTICE TO THE REVISOR OF STATUTES IF THE NOTICE DOES NOT SPECIFY A DIFFERENT DATE .

on the day following the expiration of the ninety-dayperiodafterfinaladjournmentofthegeneralassembly(Augustninety-dayperiod after final adjournment of the general assembly(August 12, 2026, if adjournment sine die is on May 13, 2026);

except that, if a referendumreferendumpetitionisfiledpursuanttosection1(3)ofarticleVofthestate petition is filed pursuant to section 1 (3) of article V of the state constitution against this act or an item, section, or part of this act within such period, then the act, item, section, or part will not take effect unless approvedPAGE by3-SENATE theBILL people26-126 atapprovedbythepeopleatthegeneralelectiontobeheldinNovember2026 the general election to be held in November 2026 and, in such case, will take effect on the date of the official declaration of the vote thereon by the governor.

-4-____________________________ 126____________________________ James Rashad Coleman, Sr.

Julie McCluskie PRESIDENT OF SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE THE SENATE OF REPRESENTATIVES ____________________________ ____________________________ Esther van Mourik Vanessa Reilly SECRETARY OF CHIEF CLERK OF THE HOUSE THE SENATE OF REPRESENTATIVES APPROVED________________________________________ (Date and Time) _________________________________________ Jared S.

Polis GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF COLORADO PAGE 4-SENATE BILL 26-126