SB0136A -1- SB 136
New Text Underlined [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED]
33-LS0521\S
SENATE BILL NO. 136
IN THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA
THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE - FIRST SESSION
BY SENATOR OLSON
Introduced: 4/24/23
Referred: Education
A BILL
FOR AN ACT ENTITLED
"An Act relating to teacher certificates and teacher preparation programs; and 1
providing for an effective date." 2
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 3
* Section 1. AS 14.20.020(b) is amended to read: 4
(b) A person is not eligible for a teacher certificate unless that person has 5
received at least a baccalaureate degree from an institution of higher education 6
accredited nationally or by a recognized regional accrediting association or approved
7
by the commissioner and, if applicable, has passed the examination or examinations 8
required by (i) of this section. However, this subsection is not applicable to 9
(1) persons employed in the state public school system on 10
September 1, 1962; 11
(2) persons issued an emergency certificate during a situation that, in 12
the judgment of the commissioner, requires the temporary issuance of a certificate to a 13
person not otherwise qualified. 14 33-LS0521\S
SB 136 -2- SB0136A
New Text Underlined [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED]
* Sec. 2. AS 14.20.020(c) is amended to read: 1
(c) The board may establish by regulation additional requirements for the 2
issuance of certificates. The regulations must allow the board to issue a teacher 3
certificate to a person who has successfully completed a teacher preparation 4
program approved under (m) of this section. The board shall require teachers to 5
submit fingerprints and the fees required by the Department of Public Safety under 6
AS 12.62.160 for criminal justice information and a national criminal history record 7
check. The board shall submit the fingerprints and fees to the Department of Public 8
Safety for a report of criminal justice information under AS 12.62 and a national 9
criminal history record check under AS 12.62.400. The department shall establish by 10
regulation the fees to be charged for each certificate and for other charges assessed 11
against teachers as part of certification. In establishing the fees to be charged, the 12
department shall establish the fee levels so that the total amount of the fees collected 13
relating to the certification of teachers approximately equals, when added to the other 14
fees collected from teachers, the actual regulatory costs for certifying and disciplining 15
teachers in the state. The department shall annually review each fee level to determine 16
whether the regulatory costs are approximately equal to fee collections. If the review 17
indicates that fee collections and regulatory costs are not approximately equal, the 18
department shall calculate fee adjustments to the fees for certification of teachers and 19
adopt regulations under this subsection to implement the adjustments. In January of 20
each year, the department shall report on all fee levels and revisions for the previous 21
year under this subsection to the office of management and budget. The department 22
shall consider the board's recommendations concerning the fee levels and regulatory 23
costs before revising fee schedules to comply with this subsection. In this subsection, 24
"regulatory costs" means costs of the department that are attributable to regulation of 25
the teaching profession, including the portion of the expenses of the board that are 26
attributable to the regulation of the teaching profession and the expenses of the 27
Professional Teaching Practices Commission. 28
* Sec. 3. AS 14.20.020 is amended by adding a new subsection to read: 29
(m) The board shall establish standards for the approval of teacher preparation 30
programs. The standards must 31 33-LS0521\S
SB0136A -3- SB 136
New Text Underlined [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED]
(1) be comparable to the standards for approving teacher preparation 1
programs through a national organization recognized by the Council for Higher 2
Education Accreditation or an organization approved by the commissioner; and 3
(2) allow the board to approve a teacher preparation program offered 4
by an organization that has operated a teacher preparation program for at least five 5
years and that operates a teacher preparation program in at least five states. 6
* Sec. 4. AS 14.20.022(b) is amended to read: 7
(b) To be eligible for a subject-matter expert limited teacher certificate, a 8
person shall 9
(1) hold at least a baccalaureate degree from an institution of higher 10
education accredited by a recognized regional or national accrediting association or 11
approved by the commissioner and 12
(A) have majored or minored in the subject that the person will 13
be teaching; or 14
(B) have at least five years of experience in the subject matter 15
that the person will be teaching; 16
(2) have submitted fingerprints and the fees required by the 17
Department of Public Safety under AS 12.62.160 for criminal justice information and 18
a national criminal history record check to the department; the department must have 19
submitted the fingerprints and fees to the Department of Public Safety for a report of 20
criminal justice information under AS 12.62 and a national criminal history record 21
check under AS 12.62.400 and the person must have been found by the department to 22
be suitable for employment as a teacher under AS 14.20.020(f); and 23
(3) be currently enrolled in an approved 24
(A) post-baccalaureate teacher education program at a 25
nationally or regionally accredited institution meeting the requirements of 26
AS 14.20.020(b) that provides for completion of the regular teacher certificate 27
education requirements within two years after receipt of a subject-matter 28
expert limited teacher certificate under this section; or 29
(B) a teacher preparation program approved under 30
AS 14.20.020(m). 31 33-LS0521\S
SB 136 -4- SB0136A
New Text Underlined [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED]
* Sec. 5. This Act takes effect July 1, 2023. 1