EXEMPT
(Reprinted with amendments adopted on April 21, 2025)
FIRST REPRINT A.B. 49
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ASSEMBLY BILL NO. 49–COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
(ON BEHALF OF THE WASHOE COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT)
PREFILED NOVEMBER 19, 2024
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Referred to Committee on Education
SUMMARY—Revises provisions relating to educational personnel.
(BDR 34-519)
FISCAL NOTE: Effect on Local Government: No.
Effect on the State: Yes.
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EXPLANATION – Matter in bolded italics is new; matter between brackets [omitted material] is material to be omitted.
AN ACT relating to educational personnel; authorizing a person
who holds a license to teach in another state to be hired as
a teacher in this State on a certain provisional basis if he
or she satisfies certain requirements; requiring the
Commission on Professional Standards in Education to
prescribe certain regulations concerning the licensure of
teachers, school counselors, school nurses and school
social workers; requiring the Department of Education to
waive certain fees for licensure for certain substitute
teachers; eliminating the authority of the State Board of
Education to disapprove of regulations adopted by the
Commission; and providing other matters properly
relating thereto.
Legislative Counsel’s Digest:
Existing law creates the Commission on Professional Standards in Education 1
and requires the Commission to prescribe regulations for licensing teachers and 2
other educational personnel. (NRS 391.011, 391.019) Under existing law, such 3
regulations are required to provide for the reciprocal licensure of educational 4
personnel from other states. (NRS 391.032) Section 1 of this bill authorizes the 5
board of trustees of a school district or the governing body of a charter school to 6
employ as a teacher, on a provisional basis not to exceed 1 year, a person not 7
licensed as a teacher in this State if the person: (1) holds a license in good standing 8
from another state; (2) has submitted an application to receive a license to teach in 9
this State; and (3) has completed the background investigation the employing 10
school district is required to conduct. 11
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Section 2 of this bill requires that the regulations adopted by the Commission 12
also prescribe qualifications for a person to use work experience or a license in an 13
area of career and technical education to receive an endorsement in career and 14
technical education without repeating certain requirements. Additionally, section 2 15
requires such regulations to authorize a person who is employed by a public school 16
to provide support and other services relating to school counseling and is enrolled 17
in a program that would allow the person to obtain a license or endorsement as a 18
school counselor to simultaneously complete any required internship or practicum 19
hours for the purpose of obtaining such a license or endorsement. Section 2 also 20
requires such regulations to authorize a person to serve as a school nurse or school 21
social worker without the applicable endorsement if the person: (1) has applied for 22
such an endorsement and is awaiting the issuance or denial of the endorsement; and 23
(2) holds certain valid licenses issued by the State Board of Nursing or the Board of 24
Examiners for Social Workers, as applicable. Section 4 of this bill makes a 25
conforming change to authorize such a registered nurse to be employed as a school 26
nurse without an endorsement as a school nurse. 27
Section 3 of this bill requires a reduction in the fee for a license to teach for 28
certain applicants who are substitute teachers. 29
Existing law authorizes the State Board of Education to disapprove of any 30
regulation that is adopted by the Commission on Professional Standards in 31
Education. (NRS 391.027) Section 4.5 of this bill eliminates the authority of the 32
State Board to take such an action. Sections 2, 2.3 and 2.7 of this bill make 33
conforming changes to remove references to this authority in other provisions of 34
law. 35
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEVADA, REPRESENTED IN
SENATE AND ASSEMBLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Chapter 391 of NRS is hereby amended by adding 1
thereto a new section to read as follows: 2
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the board of 3
trustees of a school district or the governing body of a charter 4
school may, on a provisional basis not to exceed 1 year, employ as 5
a teacher a person who is not licensed to teach pursuant to this 6
chapter if the person: 7
1. Is licensed in good standing as a teacher in another state; 8
2. Has submitted an application for the issuance of a license 9
to teach pursuant to this chapter; 10
3. Is employed to teach in a position that corresponds to the 11
license of the teacher in the other state; 12
4. Complies with the requirements of NRS 391.104; and 13
5. Is not otherwise prohibited from being employed as a 14
teacher in this State. 15
Sec. 2. NRS 391.019 is hereby amended to read as follows: 16
391.019 1. [Except as otherwise provided in NRS 391.027, 17
the] The Commission shall adopt regulations: 18
(a) Prescribing the qualifications for licensing teachers and other 19
educational personnel and the procedures for the issuance and 20
renewal of those licenses. The regulations: 21
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(1) Must include, without limitation, the qualifications for 1
licensing teachers and administrators pursuant to an alternative route 2
to licensure which provides that the required education and training 3
may be provided by any qualified provider which has been approved 4
by the Commission, including, without limitation, institutions of 5
higher education and other providers that operate independently of 6
an institution of higher education. The regulations adopted pursuant 7
to this subparagraph must: 8
(I) Establish the requirements for approval as a qualified 9
provider; 10
(II) Require a qualified provider to be selective in its 11
acceptance of students; 12
(III) Require a qualified provider to provide in-person or 13
virtual supervised, school-based experiences and ongoing support 14
for its students, such as mentoring and coaching; 15
(IV) Significantly limit the amount of course work 16
required or provide for the waiver of required course work for 17
students who achieve certain scores on tests; 18
(V) Allow for the completion in 2 years or less of the 19
education and training required under the alternative route to 20
licensure; 21
(VI) Provide that a person who has completed the 22
education and training required under the alternative route to 23
licensure and who has satisfied all other requirements for licensure 24
may apply for a regular license pursuant to sub-subparagraph (VII) 25
regardless of whether the person has received an offer of 26
employment from a school district, charter school or private school; 27
and 28
(VII) Upon the completion by a person of the education 29
and training required under the alternative route to licensure and the 30
satisfaction of all other requirements for licensure, provide for the 31
issuance of a regular license to the person pursuant to the provisions 32
of this chapter and the regulations adopted pursuant to this chapter. 33
(2) Must require an applicant for a license to teach middle 34
school or junior high school education or secondary education to 35
demonstrate proficiency in a field of specialization or area of 36
concentration by successfully completing course work prescribed by 37
the Department or completing a subject matter competency 38
examination prescribed by the Department with a score deemed 39
satisfactory. 40
(3) Must not prescribe qualifications which are more 41
stringent than the qualifications set forth in NRS 391.0315 for a 42
licensed teacher who applies for an additional license in accordance 43
with that section. 44
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(4) Must prescribe qualifications for the receipt of a 1
secondary license with an endorsement in career and technical 2
education that authorize an applicant to use work experience or a 3
license in an area of career and technical education to satisfy 4
requirements on the application if he or she has previously listed 5
the information on an application for such a license that is no 6
longer valid. 7
(b) Identifying fields of specialization in teaching which require 8
the specialized training of teachers. 9
(c) Except as otherwise provided in NRS 391.125, requiring 10
teachers to obtain from the Department an endorsement in a field of 11
specialization to be eligible to teach in that field of specialization. 12
(d) Setting forth the educational requirements a teacher must 13
satisfy to qualify for an endorsement in each field of specialization. 14
(e) Setting forth the qualifications and requirements for 15
obtaining a license or endorsement to teach American Sign 16
Language, including, without limitation, being registered with the 17
Aging and Disability Services Division of the Department of Health 18
and Human Services pursuant to NRS 656A.100 to engage in the 19
practice of sign language interpreting in a primary or secondary 20
educational setting. 21
(f) Requiring teachers and other educational personnel to be 22
registered with the Aging and Disability Services Division pursuant 23
to NRS 656A.100 to engage in the practice of sign language 24
interpreting in a primary or secondary educational setting if they: 25
(1) Provide instruction or other educational services; and 26
(2) Concurrently engage in the practice of sign language 27
interpreting, as defined in NRS 656A.060. 28
(g) Prescribing course work on parental involvement and family 29
engagement. The Commission shall: 30
(1) Work in cooperation with the Office of Parental 31
Involvement and Family Engagement created by NRS 385.630 in 32
developing the regulations required by this paragraph. 33
(2) Establish standards for professional development training 34
which may be used to satisfy any course work requirement 35
prescribed pursuant to this paragraph. 36
(h) Establishing the requirements for obtaining an endorsement 37
on the license of a teacher, administrator or other educational 38
personnel in cultural competency. 39
(i) Authorizing the Superintendent of Public Instruction to issue 40
a license by endorsement to an applicant who holds an equivalent 41
license or authorization issued by a governmental entity in another 42
country if the Superintendent determines that the qualifications for 43
the equivalent license or authorization are substantially similar to 44
those prescribed pursuant to paragraph (a). 45
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(j) Establishing the requirements for obtaining an endorsement 1
on the license of a teacher, administrator or other educational 2
personnel in teaching courses relating to financial literacy. 3
(k) Authorizing a person who is employed as a paraprofessional 4
and enrolled in a program to become a teacher to complete an 5
accelerated program of student teaching in the same or a 6
substantially similar area in which the person is employed as a 7
paraprofessional while remaining employed as a paraprofessional. 8
(l) Requiring the Department to accept a program of student 9
teaching or other teaching experience completed in another state or 10
foreign country by an applicant for a license if the Department 11
determines that the program or experience substantially fulfills the 12
standards of a program of student teaching in this State. 13
(m) Authorizing a person who is employed by a public school to 14
provide support or other services relating to [school] : 15
(1) School psychology, if the person does not hold a license 16
or endorsement as a school psychologist but is enrolled in a program 17
that would allow the person to obtain such a license or endorsement, 18
to complete a program of internship in school psychology while 19
remaining employed in such a position. 20
(2) School counseling, if the person does not hold a license 21
or endorsement as a school counselor but is enrolled in a program 22
that would allow the person to obtain such a license or 23
endorsement, to complete any required program of internship or 24
practicum hours to obtain such a license or endorsement while 25
remaining employed in such a position. 26
(n) Authorizing a person who has applied for an endorsement 27
as a school nurse or school social worker to, during the pendency 28
of such application: 29
(1) Serve as a school nurse without an endorsement as a 30
school nurse if he or she holds a valid license as a registered nurse 31
issued by the State Board of Nursing; or 32
(2) Serve as a school social worker without an endorsement 33
as a school social worker if he or she holds a valid license as a 34
social worker issued by the Board of Examiners for Social 35
Workers. 36
(o) To carry out the provisions of NRS 391B.010. 37
2. [Except as otherwise provided in NRS 391.027, the] The 38
Commission may adopt such other regulations as it deems necessary 39
for its own government or to carry out its duties. 40
3. Any regulation which increases the amount of education, 41
training or experience required for licensing: 42
(a) Must, in addition to the requirements for publication in 43
chapter 233B of NRS, be publicized before its adoption in a manner 44
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reasonably calculated to inform those persons affected by the 1
change. 2
(b) Must not become effective until at least 1 year after the date 3
it is adopted by the Commission. 4
(c) Is not applicable to a license in effect on the date the 5
regulation becomes effective. 6
Sec. 2.3. NRS 391.021 is hereby amended to read as follows: 7
391.021 1. [Except as otherwise provided in NRS 391.027, 8
the] The Commission shall adopt regulations governing 9
examinations for the initial licensing of teachers and other 10
educational personnel. The regulations adopted by the Commission 11
must ensure that the examinations test the ability of the applicant to 12
teach and the applicant’s knowledge of each specific subject he or 13
she proposes to teach. 14
2. When adopting regulations pursuant to subsection 1, the 15
Commission shall consider including any alternative means of 16
demonstrating competency for persons with a disability or health-17
related need that the Commission determines are necessary and 18
appropriate. 19
3. The regulations adopted by the Commission pursuant to 20
subsection 1 must authorize an applicant to be exempt from any 21
requirement to pass a competency test in basic reading, writing and 22
mathematics if the applicant submits to the Department evidence 23
that, after not passing a competency test in basic reading, writing 24
and mathematics at the level of competence specified by the 25
Commission, the applicant began and completed, with a grade of B 26
or better, a course of study approved by the Department in each 27
subject area of the competency test that the applicant did not pass at 28
the level of competence specified by the Commission. 29
4. Teachers and educational personnel from another state who 30
obtain a reciprocal license pursuant to NRS 391.032 or 391B.010 31
are not required to take the examinations for the initial licensing of 32
teachers and other educational personnel described in this section or 33
any other examination for initial licensing required by the 34
regulations adopted by the Commission. 35
Sec. 2.7. NRS 391.032 is hereby amended to read as follows: 36
391.032 1. [Except as otherwise provided in NRS 391.027, 37
the] The Commission shall: 38
(a) Adopt regulations which provide for the issuance of 39
provisional licenses to teachers and other educational personnel 40
before completion of all courses of study or other requirements for a 41
license in this State. 42
(b) Adopt regulations which provide for the reciprocal licensure 43
of educational personnel from other states including, without 44
limitation, for the reciprocal licensure of persons who hold a license 45
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to teach special education. Such regulations must include, without 1
limitation, provisions: 2
(1) For the reciprocal licensure of persons who obtained a 3
license pursuant to an alternative route to licensure which the 4
Department determines is as rigorous or more rigorous than the 5
alternative route to licensure prescribed pursuant to subparagraph 6
(1) of paragraph (a) of subsection 1 of NRS 391.019. 7
(2) Which provide for the licensure of persons pursuant to 8
the Interstate Teacher Mobility Compact enacted in NRS 391B.010. 9
2. A person who is a member of the Armed Forces of the 10
United States, a veteran of the Armed Forces of the United States or 11
the spouse of such a member or veteran of the Armed Forces of the 12
United States and who has completed the equivalent of an 13
alternative route to licensure program in another state may obtain a 14
license as if such person has completed the alternative route to 15
licensure program of this State. 16
3. The Commission shall adopt regulations requiring the 17
Superintendent of Public Instruction to issue a provisional license to 18
teach if: 19
(a) The Superintendent determines that the applicant is 20
otherwise qualified for the license; and 21
(b) The applicant: 22
(1) Graduated with a bachelor’s degree or higher but is 23
awaiting conferment of the degree; or 24
(2) Satisfies the requirements for conditional licensure 25
through an alternative route to licensure. 26
4. A person who is issued a provisional license must complete 27
all courses of study and other requirements for a license in this State 28
which is not provisional within 3 years after the date on which a 29
provisional license is issued. 30
Sec. 3. NRS 391.040 is hereby amended to read as follows: 31
391.040 1. The Commission shall fix fees of not less than 32
$100 for the: 33
(a) Initial issuance of a license, which must include the fees for 34
processing the fingerprints of the applicant by the Central 35
Repository for Nevada Records of Criminal History and the Federal 36
Bureau of Investigation; and 37
(b) Renewal of a license, which must include the fees for 38
processing the fingerprints of the applicant for renewal by the 39
Central Repository for Nevada Records of Criminal History and the 40
Federal Bureau of Investigation. 41
2. The fee for issuing a duplicate license is the same as for 42
issuing the original. 43
3. The portion of each fee which represents the amount charged 44
by the Federal Bureau of Investigation for processing the 45
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fingerprints of the applicant must be deposited with the State 1
Treasurer for credit to the appropriate account of the Department of 2
Public Safety. The remaining portion of the money received from 3
the fees must be deposited with the State Treasurer for credit to the 4
appropriate account of the Department of Education. 5
4. The Department of Education [may] : 6
(a) May waive any fee for the initial issuance of a license, the 7
renewal of a license or the issuance of a duplicate license for an 8
applicant or licensee who is a veteran of the Armed Forces of the 9
United States, an applicant or licensee who is a member of the 10
Armed Forces of the United States who is on active duty or an 11
applicant or licensee who is the spouse of such a veteran or member 12
of the Armed Forces of the United States. 13
(b) Shall waive all or part of the fee for the initial issuance of a 14
license to teach for an applicant who holds a license or 15
endorsement as a substitute teacher and who paid the fee to apply 16
for and be issued such a license or endorsement within 1 year 17
preceding the date on which the applicant submits the application 18
for the initial issuance of a license to teach. The amount of the fee 19
waiver pursuant to this paragraph must equal the amount paid by 20
the applicant for the license or endorsement as a substitute 21
teacher. 22
Sec. 4. NRS 391.291 is hereby amended to read as follows: 23
391.291 1. The provision of nursing services in a school 24
district by school nurses and other qualified personnel must be 25
under the direction and supervision of a chief nurse who is a 26
registered nurse as provided in NRS 632.240 and who: 27
(a) Holds an endorsement to serve as a school nurse issued 28
pursuant to regulations adopted by the Commission; or 29
(b) Is employed by a state, county, city or district health 30
department and provides nursing services to the school district in the 31
course of that employment. 32
2. [A] Except as otherwise provided in regulations adopted by 33
the Commission pursuant to NRS 391.019, a school district shall 34
not employ a person to serve as a school nurse unless the person 35
holds an endorsement to serve as a school nurse issued pursuant to 36
regulations adopted by the Commission. 37
3. The chief nurse shall ensure that each school nurse: 38
(a) Coordinates with the principal of each school to designate: 39
(1) Employees of the school who are authorized to 40
administer auto-injectable epinephrine; and 41
(2) If the school has obtained an order for an opioid 42
antagonist pursuant to subsection 2 of NRS 386.870, at least two 43
employees of the school who are authorized to administer the opioid 44
antagonist. 45
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(b) Provides the employees so designated with training 1
concerning the proper storage and administration of auto-injectable 2
epinephrine or opioid antagonists, as applicable. 3
4. As used in this section, “opioid antagonist” has the meaning 4
ascribed to it in NRS 453C.040. 5
Sec. 4.5. NRS 391.027 is hereby repealed. 6
Sec. 5. This act becomes effective on July 1, 2025. 7
TEXT OF REPEALED SECTION
391.027 Approval or disapproval of Commission’s
regulations by State Board of Education.
1. The State Board may disapprove any regulation adopted by
the Commission.
2. A regulation shall be deemed approved if the State Board
does not disapprove the regulation within 90 days after it is adopted
by the Commission.
H