Arkansas 2025 Regular Session

Arkansas House Bill HB1023 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	Stricken language would be deleted from and underlined language would be added to present law.
2	2	TNL010 11/20/2024 9:02:41 AM TNL010
3	3	State of Arkansas 1
4	4	95th General Assembly A Bill 2
5	5	Regular Session, 2025 HOUSE BILL 1023 3
6	6	4
7	7	By: Representative A. Collins 5
8	8	6
9	9	7
10	10	For An Act To Be Entitled 8
11	11	AN ACT TO AMEND THE STATE TEACHER EDUCATION PROGRAM; 9
12	12	TO AMEND THE ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS FOR LOAN 10
13	13	FORGIVENESS UNDER THE STATE TEACHER EDUCATION 11
14	14	PROGRAM; TO AMEND THE LOAN REPAYMENT AMOUNTS UNDER 12
15	15	THE STATE TEACHER EDUCATION PROGRAM; AND FOR OTHER 13
16	16	PURPOSES. 14
17	17	15
18	18	16
19	19	Subtitle 17
20	20	TO AMEND THE STATE TEACHER EDUCATION 18
21	21	PROGRAM; AND TO AMEND THE ELIGIBILITY 19
22	22	REQUIREMENTS FOR LOAN FORGIVENESS AND 20
23	23	THE LOAN REPAYMENT AMOUNTS UNDER THE 21
24	24	STATE TEACHER EDUCATION PROGRAM. 22
25	25	23
26	26	BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS: 24
27	27	25
28	28	SECTION 1. Arkansas Code § 6 -81-1604(b), concerning the standards for 26
29	29	loan repayments under the State Teacher Education Program, is amended to read 27
30	30	as follows: 28
31	31	(b) The division shall adopt standards for awarding the loan 29
32	32	repayments to a public school teacher with an Arkansas teacher's license an 30
33	33	applicant who is eligible to participate in the program under § 6 -81-1605 31
34	34	teaching in a: 32
35	35	(1) Subject area with a teacher shortage; or 33
36	36	(2) Geographic area with teacher shortage . 34
37	37	35
38	38	SECTION 2. Arkansas Code § 6 -81-1605 is amended to read as follows: 36 HB1023
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41	41	6-81-1605. Eligibility. 1
42	42	To be eligible for the State Teacher Education Program, an applicant 2
43	43	shall: 3
44	44	(1) Teach full-time at: 4
45	45	(A) At a public school district in a subject area or 5
46	46	geographic area with a teacher shortage, as identified by the Division of 6
47	47	Higher Education in consultation with the Division of Elementary and 7
48	48	Secondary Education; or 8
49	49	(B) In a public early childhood education program that 9
50	50	serves children whose ages may range from birth through prekindergarten; 10
51	51	(2) Hold Either: 11
52	52	(A) Hold a valid Arkansas teacher's license ; or 12
53	53	(B) Hold a birth through prekindergarten teaching 13
54	54	credential from the Division of Child Care and Early Childhood Education of 14
55	55	the Department of Human Services ; and 15
56	56	(3)(A) Meet additional continuing eligibility criteria 16
57	57	established by the Division of Higher Education. 17
58	58	(B) An individual who has earned a teaching license upon 18
59	59	the successful completion of an alternative educator preparation program is 19
60	60	an eligible student under this section. 20
61	61	21
62	62	SECTION 3. Arkansas Code § 6 -81-1606(a), concerning loan repayments 22
63	63	under the State Teacher Education Program, is amended to read as follows: 23
64	64	(a)(1) The State Teacher Education Program shall be used to provide a 24
65	65	loan repayment for federal student loans in the amount of six thousand 25
66	66	dollars ($6,000) ten thousand dollars ($10,000) per year for a maximum of 26
67	67	three (3) five (5) years for a licensed teacher who graduated from a teacher 27
68	68	education program after April 2004 and teaches in a public school in this 28
69	69	state or successfully completed an alternative educator preparation program 29
70	70	after April 2004 and teaches in a public school in the State Teacher 30
71	71	Education Program: 31
72	72	(A) In a subject area designated by the Division of Higher 32
73	73	Education in consultation with the Division of Elementary and Secondary 33
74	74	Education as having a critical shortage of teachers; and 34
75	75	(B) Located in a geographical area of the state designated 35
76	76	by the Division of Higher Education in consultation with the Division of 36 HB1023
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79	79	Elementary and Secondary Education as having a critical shortage of teachers 1
80	80	an individual who is eligible to participate in the program under § 6 -81-2
81	81	1605. 3
82	82	(2) A licensed teacher who is given intensive support status 4
83	83	under the Teacher Excellence and Support System, § 6 -17-2801 et seq., shall 5
84	84	be ineligible for receipt of funds under the State Teacher Education Program 6
85	85	program for the school year. 7
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