Senate Bill No. 47–Committee on Finance

CHAPTER........

Section 1. 1. There is hereby appropriated from the state general

fund to the Department of Education the sum of $20,000 for reimbursement

of certain costs of public school teachers related to acquiring certification

by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards.

2. If a public school teacher desires to obtain reimbursement from the

Department of Education for the costs that will be incurred in acquiring

certification by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, the

teacher shall file a statement of intended certification with the school district

or the governing body of the charter school by whom he is employed. The

statement must be filed at least 1 year before the teacher reasonably believes

that he will acquire the certification. Upon receipt of such a statement, the

school district or governing body shall forward a copy of the statement to

the Department of Education.

3. Upon certification, a public school teacher who has filed such a

statement may request reimbursement by submitting to the school district or

the governing body of the charter school by whom he is employed:

(a) A written statement indicating that the teacher understands that if he

does not teach in a public school in this state, including, without limitation,

a charter school, for at least 2 years after the date on which he receives the

reimbursement, he will be required to repay the reimbursement to the

Department of Education;

(b) Proof that he has acquired the certification; and

(c) A statement of the costs incurred by the teacher in acquiring the

certification.

4. A school district or the governing body of a charter school shall

verify the certification and the statement of costs submitted by a teacher

pursuant to subsection 3. Upon verification, the school district or governing

body shall notify the Department of Education of the certification and the

amount of verified costs and shall request the Department to reimburse the

teacher. Upon receipt of such a request, the Department shall cause the

teacher to be reimbursed if the teacher agrees to teach in a public school in

this state, including, without limitation, a charter school, for at least 2 years

after the date on which he receives the reimbursement. Such a

reimbursement must not exceed an amount equal to the actual verified costs

incurred by the teacher or $2,000, whichever is less, to the extent that

money is available from the appropriation made by subsection 1 for this

purpose or other sources.

5. Except as otherwise provided in this subsection, if a teacher who

receives a reimbursement pursuant to this section does not teach in a public

school in this state, including, without limitation, a charter school, for at

least 2 years after the date on which he received the reimbursement, the

teacher shall repay the full amount of the reimbursement to the Department

of Education. The teacher may request that the Department of Education

grant a waiver from the repayment required by this subsection. The

Department of Education may grant a wavier if the Department determines

that the teacher suffers from a hardship that warrants a waiver. The

Department of Education shall prescribe the procedures for the repayment

required by this subsection and the procedures for a teacher to request a

waiver from the repayment. The Department of Education shall use any

money that it receives pursuant to this subsection to reimburse the costs of

other teachers who acquire certification by the National Board of

Professional Teaching Standards.

6. The Department of Education shall not reimburse costs related to

certification acquired by a teacher before July 1, 1999.

Sec. 2. Any remaining balance of the appropriation made by subsection

1 of section 1 of this act must not be committed for expenditure after June

30, 2001, and reverts to the state general fund as soon as all payments of

money committed have been made.

Sec. 3. This act becomes effective upon passage and approval.

~