Connecticut SB 221: AN ACT CONCERNING ASPIRING EDUCATORS.

Bill Text

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General Assembly Substitute Bill No. 221
February Session, 2026

AN ACT CONCERNING ASPIRING EDUCATORS.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:

Section 1. Section 10-156ii of the general statutes is repealed and the 1
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2026): 2
(a) There is established an aspiring educators [diversity] scholarship 3
program administered by the Department of Education. The program 4
shall provide an annual scholarship to [diverse students] aspiring 5
educators who (1) graduated from a public high school in [an alliance 6
district, as defined in section 10-262u] this state, and (2) are enrolled in 7
a teacher preparation program at any four-year institution of higher 8
education. [A diverse student] An aspiring educator may receive an 9
annual scholarship in an amount up to ten thousand dollars for each 10
year such [diverse student] aspiring educator is enrolled and in good 11
standing in a teacher preparation program. As used in this section, 12
["diverse" has the same meaning as provided in section 10-156bb] 13
"aspiring educator" means an individual who is in a population 14
subgroup that is underrepresented in the teaching profession in this 15
state and for which such population subgroup has been identified as a 16
teacher shortage area by the Commissioner of Education pursuant to 17
section 10-8b, as amended by this act. 18
(b) Not later than January 1, [2023] 2027, the department shall, in 19

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consultation with the chairpersons of the joint standing committee of the 20
General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to education, 21
develop a policy concerning the administration of the scholarship. Such 22
policy shall include, but need not be limited to, provisions regarding (1) 23
any additional eligibility criteria, (2) payment and distribution of the 24
scholarships to [diverse students] aspiring educators through the 25
teacher preparation programs in which they are enrolled, and (3) the 26
notification of students in high school [in alliance districts] of the 27
scholarship program, including the opportunity to apply for a 28
scholarship under the program while enrolled in high school and prior 29
to graduation if such student will be enrolled in a teacher preparation 30
program during the following fall semester at a four-year institution of 31
higher education. 32
(c) For the fiscal years ending June 30, [2024] 2027, and each fiscal year 33
thereafter, the department shall annually award scholarships in 34
accordance with the provisions of this section and the guidelines 35
developed pursuant to subsection (b) of this section. 36
(d) The Commissioner of Education shall develop scholarship 37
repayment criteria for recipients who are not employed as a certified 38
teacher by a local or regional board of education in [the] this state 39
following graduation from a teacher preparation program. Any 40
amounts repaid to the department shall be deposited in the General 41
Fund. 42
(e) On or before March first of each year, the commissioner shall 43
determine if there are any unexpended funds appropriated for purposes 44
of this section for the fiscal year. If the commissioner determines that 45
there are unexpended funds, the commissioner may expend up to two 46
hundred fifty thousand dollars of such unexpended funds for the 47
purpose of implementing the plan to promote the teaching profession 48
developed pursuant to section 10-155m. 49
[(e)] (f) The department may accept gifts, grants and donations, from 50
any source, public or private, for the aspiring educators [diversity] 51

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scholarship program. 52
[(f)] (g) Not later than January 1, [2024] 2028, and annually thereafter, 53
the department shall develop a report that includes annual data on the 54
[race and ethnicity of the diverse] population subgroups of students 55
who receive a scholarship under the program and the teacher 56
preparation program in which they are enrolled. The department shall 57
submit such report to the joint standing committee of the General 58
Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to education, in 59
accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a. 60
Sec. 2. Section 10-8b of the general statutes is repealed and the 61
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2026): 62
(a) The Commissioner of Education shall annually, by December first, 63
[determine subject and geographic] identify the following areas in 64
which a teacher shortage exists: [and] (1) Subject, (2) geographic, and (3) 65
population subgroups that are underrepresented in the teaching 66
profession in this state. The commissioner shall certify such [shortages] 67
teacher shortage areas to the Connecticut Housing Finance Authority 68
for purposes of section 8-265pp. In [determining] identifying such 69
teacher [shortages] shortage areas, the commissi