Interstate Teaching Mobility Act

I 116TH CONGRESS 2D SESSION H. R. 8551 To amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to authorize an interstate teaching application program. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OCTOBER 9, 2020 Mr. CARSON of Indiana introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and Labor A BILL To amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to authorize an interstate teaching application program. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Interstate Teaching 4 Mobility Act’’. 5 SEC. 2. PROGRAM FOR INTERSTATE TEACHING APPLICA- 6 TIONS. 7 Title II of the Elementary and Secondary Education 8 Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6601 et seq.) is amended by add- 9 ing at the end the following: 10 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:37 Oct 30, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H8551.IH H8551 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 2 •HR 8551 IH ‘‘PART D—INTERSTATE TEACHING 1 APPLICATIONS 2 ‘‘SEC. 2401. PROGRAM FOR INTERSTATE TEACHING APPLI- 3 CATIONS. 4 ‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary, in consulta- 5 tion with an eligible entity, may establish and carry out 6 a program to allow States to voluntarily participate in an 7 interstate teaching application process that allows teach- 8 ers who are licensed or certified in any participating 9 State— 10 ‘‘(1) to be eligible for licensure or certification 11 in other participating States without subsequently 12 completing additional licensure or certification re- 13 quirements; and 14 ‘‘(2) to be able to apply for open teaching posi- 15 tions in schools that receive funds under part A of 16 title I in other participating States, unless the open 17 position falls outside the applicant’s content area or 18 grade level for which the applicant is already li- 19 censed or certified. 20 ‘‘(b) PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS.—In carrying out a 21 program established under subsection (a), the Secretary, 22 in consultation with an eligible entity, shall— 23 ‘‘(1) create an application for eligible teachers 24 licensed or certified in a State participating in the 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:37 Oct 30, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H8551.IH H8551 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 3 •HR 8551 IH program who wish to teach in other States partici- 1 pating in the program; 2 ‘‘(2) require each participating State to recog- 3 nize a teaching licensure or certification of each such 4 teacher who meets the application requirements 5 under subsection (c)(1), and allow such teacher to 6 teach in an open teaching position described in sub- 7 section (a)(2), without requiring such teacher to 8 complete additional requirements for licensure or 9 certification; 10 ‘‘(3) ensure that participating States maintain 11 the eligibility requirements described in subsection 12 (d); 13 ‘‘(4) provide technical assistance to partici- 14 pating States; and 15 ‘‘(5) provide an electronic application process 16 for teachers to apply for the program. 17 ‘‘(c) PARTICIPATING TEACHERS.— 18 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Each teacher seeking to 19 participate in a program established under sub- 20 section (a) shall submit an application containing— 21 ‘‘(A) proof of an active teaching license or 22 certification in a participating State; 23 ‘‘(B) the teacher’s results on each of the 24 assessments described in subparagraphs (A) 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:37 Oct 30, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H8551.IH H8551 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 4 •HR 8551 IH through (C) of subsection (d)(1) that are re- 1 quired by the initial licensing or certifying par- 2 ticipating State; and 3 ‘‘(C) such other information as the Sec- 4 retary considers appropriate. 5 ‘‘(2) CONTRACT.—The eligible entity referred to 6 in subsections (a) and (b) shall collect and assist the 7 Secretary in reviewing the teacher applications sub- 8 mitted under paragraph (1). 9 ‘‘(d) PARTICIPATING STATES.—A State shall be eligi- 10 ble to participate in a program established under sub- 11 section (a) if— 12 ‘‘(1) such State, in awarding a teaching license 13 or certification to an individual, requires— 14 ‘‘(A) an assessment of the content knowl- 15 edge necessary for postsecondary education and 16 a career before a teacher begins teaching in a 17 classroom; 18 ‘‘(B) an assessment of pedagogical skills 19 necessary for postsecondary education and a ca- 20 reer before a teacher begins teaching in a class- 21 room; and 22 ‘‘(C) a performance assessment necessary 23 for postsecondary education and a career before 24 a teacher begins teaching in a classroom; and 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:37 Oct 30, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H8551.IH H8551 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 5 •HR 8551 IH ‘‘(2) the assessments described in paragraph 1 (1) and required by such State are identified as suf- 2 ficiently rigorous by an organization such as the 3 Council of Chief State School Officers. 4 ‘‘(e) REGULATIONS.—The Secretary may issue such 5 regulations as the Secretary considers necessary to carry 6 out this section. 7 ‘‘(f) DEFINITION.—In this section, the term ‘eligible 8 entity’ means an organization or other entity that provides 9 support to States and teachers in teacher certification and 10 licensure, approved by the Secretary.’’. 11 SEC. 3. CLERICAL AMENDMENT. 12 The table of contents for the Elementary and Sec- 13 ondary Education Act of 1965 is amended by inserting 14 after the item relating to section 2302 the following: 15 ‘‘PART D—INTERSTATE TEACHING APPLICATIONS ‘‘Sec. 2401. Program for interstate teaching applications.’’. Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:37 Oct 30, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H8551.IH H8551 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS