1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to teachers; requiring stipends to be paid to student teachers; appropriating 
1.3 	money; proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 122A.
1.4 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.5 	Section 1. [122A.78] PAID STUDENT TEACHING.
1.6 		Subdivision 1.Establishment. (a) The commissioner of education must develop a system 
1.7 	to provide teacher candidates who are completing field-specific student teaching requirements 
1.8 	of a Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board-approved teacher preparation 
1.9 	program with a stipend during the student teaching period.
1.10 	(b) For purposes of this section, student teachers are considered temporary employees 
1.11 	and are not eligible to enroll in local bargaining units or eligible for locally bargained 
1.12 	benefits.
1.13 	(c) Minnesota districts and charter schools that host student teachers must provide student 
1.14 	teacher stipends under this section. One-half of the stipend must be paid at the beginning 
1.15 	of the student teaching experience. The other half of the stipend must be paid at the 
1.16 	conclusion of the student teaching experience. Host schools must be reimbursed by the 
1.17 	Department of Education as described in this section.
1.18 		Subd. 2.Paid student teaching formula. (a) By March 31 of each year, Professional 
1.19 	Educator Licensing and Standards Board-approved teacher preparation programs 
1.20 	collaborating with the Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board must provide 
1.21 	the commissioner of education with a projected number of student teachers for the following 
1.22 	school year.
2.1 	(b) Annually, the commissioner of education must establish a stipend amount per teacher 
2.2 	based on the projected number of student teachers and the available funds for the program. 
2.3 	The commissioner must establish a process to reimburse host schools for stipends paid to 
2.4 	student teachers.
2.5 		Subd. 3.Stipends not considered income for certain purposes. (a) Notwithstanding 
2.6 	any law to the contrary, payments under this section must not be considered income, assets, 
2.7 	or personal property for purposes of determining eligibility or recertifying eligibility for:
2.8 	(1) child care assistance programs under chapter 119B and early learning scholarships 
2.9 	under section 124D.165;
2.10 	(2) general assistance, Minnesota supplemental aid, and food support under chapter 
2.11 	256D;
2.12 	(3) housing support under chapter 256I;
2.13 	(4) Minnesota family investment program and diversionary work program under chapter 
2.14 	256J; and
2.15 	(5) economic assistance programs under chapter 256P.
2.16 	(b) The commissioner of human services must not consider a teacher stipend under this 
2.17 	section as income or assets when determining medical assistance eligibility under chapter 
2.18 	256B.

2.19 	EFFECTIVE DATE. Subdivisions 1 and 2 of this section are effective July 1, 2025, 
2.20 	and subdivision 3 is effective July 1, 2025, or upon federal approval, whichever is later.

2.21 	Sec. 2. APPROPRIATION.
 2.22 		Subdivision 1.Department of Education. The sum indicated in this section is 
2.23 	appropriated from the general fund to the Department of Education in the fiscal year 
2.24 	designated.
2.25 		Subd. 2.Paid student teaching. (a) To provide a stipend to student teachers under 
2.26 	Minnesota Statutes, section 122A.78:

2.27		$
	18,526,000
	.....
	2025
	
2.28 	(b) The base for fiscal year 2026 and later is $18,526,000.