1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to education; making changes to tiered licensure; providing for temporary 
1.3 	eligibility for licensure; appropriating money;amending Minnesota Statutes 2022, 
1.4 	sections 122A.182, subdivision 1, by adding a subdivision; 122A.183, subdivision 
1.5 	2, by adding a subdivision; repealing Minnesota Statutes 2022, section 122A.182, 
1.6 	subdivision 2.
1.7 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.8 	Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2022, section 122A.182, subdivision 1, is amended to read:
1.9 		Subdivision 1.Requirements. (a) The Professional Educator Licensing and Standards 
1.10 	Board must approve a request from a district or charter school to issue a Tier 2 license in a 
1.11 	specified content area to a candidate if:
1.12 	(1) the candidate meets the educational or professional requirements in paragraph (b) 
1.13 	or (c);
1.14 	(2) the candidate:
1.15 	(i) has completed the coursework required under subdivision 2 a state-approved teacher 
1.16 	preparation program;
1.17 	(ii) is enrolled in a Minnesota-approved teacher preparation program; or
1.18 	(iii) has a master's degree in the specified content area; and
1.19 	(3) the district or charter school demonstrates that a criminal background check under 
1.20 	section 122A.18, subdivision 8, has been completed on the candidate.
1.21 	(b) A candidate for a Tier 2 license must have a bachelor's degree to teach a class outside 
1.22 	a career and technical education or career pathways course of study.
2.1 	(c) A candidate for a Tier 2 license must have one of the following credentials in a 
2.2 	relevant content area to teach a class or course in a career and technical education or career 
2.3 	pathways course of study:
2.4 	(1) an associate's degree;
2.5 	(2) a professional certification; or
2.6 	(3) five years of relevant work experience.

2.7 	Sec. 2. Minnesota Statutes 2022, section 122A.182, is amended by adding a subdivision 
2.8 	to read:
2.9 		Subd. 2a.Temporary eligibility for renewal. For the 2023-2024, 2024-2025, and 
2.10 	2025-2026 school years only, the Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board 
2.11 	must approve an application to renew a Tier 2 license for an applicant that met the Tier 2 
2.12 	requirements in effect at the time the first Tier 2 license was issued. Nothing in this 
2.13 	subdivision modifies the renewal requirements in subdivision 3.

2.14 	Sec. 3. Minnesota Statutes 2022, section 122A.183, subdivision 2, is amended to read:
2.15 		Subd. 2.Coursework. A candidate for a Tier 3 license must meet the coursework 
2.16 	requirement by demonstrating one of the following:
2.17 	(1) completion of a Minnesota-approved teacher preparation program;
2.18 	(2) completion of a state-approved teacher preparation program that includes field-specific 
2.19 	student teaching equivalent to field-specific student teaching in Minnesota-approved teacher 
2.20 	preparation programs. The field-specific student teaching requirement does not apply to a 
2.21 	candidate that has two years of teaching experience;
2.22 	(3) submission of a content-specific licensure portfolio; or
2.23 	(4) a professional teaching license from another state, evidence that the candidate's 
2.24 	license is in good standing, and two years of teaching experience; or
2.25 	(5) three years of teaching experience under a Tier 2 license and evidence of summative 
2.26 	teacher evaluations that did not result in placing or otherwise keeping the teacher on an 
2.27 	improvement process pursuant to section 122A.40, subdivision 8, or section 122A.41, 
2.28 	subdivision 5.

3.1 	Sec. 4. Minnesota Statutes 2022, section 122A.183, is amended by adding a subdivision 
3.2 	to read:
3.3 		Subd. 2a.Temporary eligibility. A candidate for a Tier 3 license may meet the 
3.4 	coursework requirement under subdivision 2 if the candidate demonstrates three years of 
3.5 	teaching experience under a Tier 2 license and evidence of summative teacher evaluations 
3.6 	that did not result in placing or otherwise keeping the teacher on an improvement process 
3.7 	pursuant to section 122A.40, subdivision 8, or section 122A.41, subdivision 5. This 
3.8 	subdivision expires on December 31, 2026.

3.9 	Sec. 5. APPROPRIATIONS.
 3.10 		Subdivision 1.Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board. The sums 
3.11 	indicated in this section are appropriated from the general fund to the Professional Educator 
3.12 	Licensing and Standards Board for the fiscal years designated. Any balance in the first year 
3.13 	does not cancel but is available in the second year.
3.14 		Subd. 2.Pathway preparation grants. (a) For grants to support teachers holding a Tier 
3.15 	2 license and seeking a Tier 3 license:

3.16		$
	400,000
	.....
	2024
	
3.17		$
	400,000
	.....
	2025
	
3.18 	(b) The following are eligible for grants under this subdivision:
3.19 	(1) school districts;
3.20 	(2) charter schools;
3.21 	(3) service cooperatives; and
3.22 	(4) partnerships between one or more teacher preparation providers, school districts, or 
3.23 	charter schools.
3.24 	(c) Grant funds must be used to support teachers holding a Tier 2 license and seeking a 
3.25 	Tier 3 license through completion of a teacher preparation program or the licensure via 
3.26 	portfolio process. A grant recipient must provide teachers holding a Tier 2 license with 
3.27 	professional development, mentorship, and coursework aligned to state standards for teacher 
3.28 	licensure.
3.29 	(d) The Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board may collaborate with the 
3.30 	Department of Education and the Office of Higher Education to administer the grant program.
4.1 		Subd. 3.Licensure via portfolio online platform. To complete the licensure via portfolio 
4.2 	online platform to streamline the portfolio submission and review process:

4.3		$
	50,000
	.....
	2024
	
4.4 		Subd. 4.Alternative pathways support position. To fund a new position at the 
4.5 	Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board to support candidates through 
4.6 	alternative pathway programs, including the licensure via portfolio process and to support 
4.7 	districts, charter schools, and educational cooperatives to become alternative preparation 
4.8 	providers:

4.9		$
	150,000
	.....
	2024
	
4.10		$
	150,000
	.....
	2025

4.11 	Sec. 6. REPEALER.
 4.12 	Minnesota Statutes 2022, section 122A.182, subdivision 2, is repealed.

4.13 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective July 1, 2024.

APPENDIX 

Repealed Minnesota Statutes: H1224-1 

122A.182 TIER 2 LICENSE.Subd. 2.Coursework. 
(a) A candidate for a Tier 2 license must meet the coursework requirement by demonstrating completion of two of the following: 

(1) at least eight upper division or graduate-level credits in the relevant content area; 

(2) field-specific methods of training, including coursework; 

(3) at least two years of teaching experience in a similar content area in any state, as determined by the board; 

(4) a passing score on the pedagogy and content exams under section 122A.185; or 

(5) completion of a state-approved teacher preparation program. 

(b) For purposes of paragraph (a), "upper division" means classes normally taken at the junior or senior level of college which require substantial knowledge and skill in the field. Candidates must identify the upper division credits that fulfill the requirement in paragraph (a), clause (1).