Minnesota SF 3168: Teacher licensure requirements modifications

Bill Text

1.1 A bill for an act​
1.2 relating to education; modifying teacher licensure requirements; addressing teacher​
1.3 shortages; requiring rulemaking; amending Minnesota Statutes 2024, sections​
1.4 122A.06, subdivision 6; 122A.09, subdivision 9; 122A.091, subdivision 5;​
1.5 122A.181, subdivisions 1, 1a, 3, 4, 5; 122A.182, subdivisions 1, 2b, 3, 4.​
1.6 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:​
1.7 Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 122A.06, subdivision 6, is amended to read:​
1.8 Subd. 6.Shortage area."Shortage area" means:​
1.9 (1) licensure fields and economic development regions reported by the Professional​
1.10 Educator Licensing and Standards Board as experiencing a teacher shortage, including the​
1.11 number of assignments a school district is unable to fill with a licensed teacher by November​
1.12 1 of every even-numbered year; and​
1.13 (2) economic development regions where the aggregate percentage of Indigenous teachers​
1.14 and teachers of color in the region is lower than the aggregate percentage of kindergarten​
1.15 through grade 12 Indigenous students and students of color in that region. Only individuals​
1.16 who close the gap between these percentages qualify as filling a shortage by this definition.​
1.17 EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective July 1, 2025.​
1.18 Sec. 2. Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 122A.09, subdivision 9, is amended to read:​
1.19 Subd. 9.Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board must adopt rules.(a)​
1.20 The Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board must adopt rules subject to the​
1.21 provisions of chapter 14 to implement sections 120B.363, 122A.05 to 122A.09, 122A.092,​
1.22 122A.16, 122A.17, 122A.18, 122A.181, 122A.182, 122A.183, 122A.184, 122A.185,​
1​Sec. 2.​
25-04817 as introduced​03/12/25 REVISOR CR/CH​
SENATE​
STATE OF MINNESOTA​
S.F. No. 3168​NINETY-FOURTH SESSION​
(SENATE AUTHORS: DUCKWORTH)​
OFFICIAL STATUS​D-PG​DATE​
Introduction and first reading​1254​04/01/2025​
Referred to Education Policy​

2.1 122A.187, 122A.188, 122A.19, 122A.20, 122A.21, 122A.23, 122A.26, 122A.28, 122A.29,​
2.2 and 124D.72.​
2.3 (b) The board must adopt rules relating to fields of licensure and grade levels that a​
2.4 licensed teacher may teach, including a process for granting permission to a licensed teacher​
2.5 to teach in a field that is different from the teacher's field of licensure without change to the​
2.6 teacher's license tier level. A permission granted under this paragraph is valid for five years,​
2.7 except for a permission to teach special education. A permission in the field of special​
2.8 education is valid for three years.​
2.9 (c) If a rule adopted by the board is in conflict with a session law or statute, the law or​
2.10 statute prevails. Terms adopted in rule must be clearly defined and must not be construed​
2.11 to conflict with terms adopted in statute or session law.​
2.12 (d) The board must include a description of a proposed rule's probable effect on teacher​
2.13 supply and demand in the board's statement of need and reasonableness under section 14.131.​
2.14 (e) The board must adopt rules only under the specific statutory authority.​
2.15 (f) The board must adopt rules to provide a short-term provisional teaching license to​
2.16 an applicant who meets at least one of the following criteria during the 30 days that their​
2.17 application is reviewed by the board:​
2.18 (1) the applicant is a recent graduate from a state-approved teacher preparation program;​
2.19 (2) the applicant holds a valid out-of-state teaching license;​
2.20 (3) the applicant holds a lifetime substitute license; or​
2.21 (4) the applicant previously held a Minnesota teaching license in good standing.​
2.22 EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective July 1, 2025, except paragraph (f) is​
2.23 effective the day following final enactment.​
2.24 Sec. 3. Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 122A.091, subdivision 5, is amended to read:​
2.25 Subd. 5.Supply and demand report.The Professional Educator Licensing and Standards​
2.26 Board must submit a report to the education committees of the legislature by November 1,​
2.27 2025, and November 1 of each even-numbered year thereafter, on the supply and demand​
2.28 of teachers. The report must be made available on the board's website. The report must​
2.29 include data regarding:​
2.30 (1) retirement patterns;​
2.31 (2) teacher licensure;​
2​Sec. 3.​
25-04817 as introduced​03/12/25 REVISOR CR/CH​

3.1 (3) teacher diversity, including whether the state's teacher workforce reflects the diversity​
3.2 of the state's student population;​
3.3 (4) the teacher shortage, and the substitute teacher shortage, including patterns and​
3.4 shortages in licensure field areas and the economic development regions of the state the​
3.5 number of teachers hired in the preceding two years, the number of teachers hired at each​
3.6 licensure tier level, the number of assignments each school district was u