1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to education; amending licensure requirements 
  1.3             for teachers of deaf and hard of hearing students; 
  1.4             amending Laws 1993, chapter 224, article 3, section 32.
  1.5   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.6      Section 1.  Laws 1993, chapter 224, article 3, section 32, 
  1.7   is amended to read: 
  1.8      Sec. 32.  [ASL GUIDELINES.] 
  1.9      (a) In determining appropriate licensure requirements for 
  1.10  teachers of deaf and hard of hearing students under Minnesota 
  1.11  Statutes, section 125.189, the board of teaching shall develop 
  1.12  the requirements according to the guidelines described in this 
  1.13  section. 
  1.14     (b) Each teacher must complete the American sign language 
  1.15  sign communication proficiency interview or a comparable 
  1.16  American sign language evaluation that the board of teaching, 
  1.17  the Minnesota association of deaf citizens, and the Minnesota 
  1.18  council for the hearing impaired accept as a means for 
  1.19  establishing the teacher's baseline level of American sign 
  1.20  language skills.  A teacher shall not be charged for this 
  1.21  evaluation. 
  1.22     (c) Each teacher must complete 60 continuing education 
  1.23  credits in American sign language, American sign language 
  1.24  linguistics, or deaf culture for every 120 continuing education 
  1.25  credits the teacher is required to complete to renew a teaching 
  2.1   license. 
  2.2      (d) ~~As a condition of obtaining~~ In order to obtain an 
  2.3   initial license to teach deaf and hard of hearing students, or 
  2.4   to apply for a Minnesota teaching license, after being licensed 
  2.5   to teach in another state, a person must demonstrate in the sign 
  2.6   communication proficiency interview an intermediate plus level 
  2.7   of proficiency in American sign language. 
  2.8      (e) Each teacher applying to renew a teaching license ~~and~~ 
  2.9   ~~each teacher holding a teaching license from another state who~~ 
  2.10  ~~wishes to apply for a Minnesota teaching license~~ must take the 
  2.11  American sign language sign communication proficiency interview 
  2.12  or a comparable American sign language evaluation every five 
  2.13  years until the teacher demonstrates a minimum, or survival 
  2.14  plus, level of proficiency in American sign language. 
  2.15     (f) A teacher working directly with students whose primary 
  2.16  language is American sign language should demonstrate at least 
  2.17  an advanced level of proficiency in American sign language.  The 
  2.18  board should not consider a minimum, or survival plus, level of 
  2.19  proficiency adequate for providing direct instruction to 
  2.20  students whose primary language is American sign language. 
  2.21     (g) To renew a teaching license, a teacher must comply with 
  2.22  paragraphs (c) and (e) in addition to other applicable board 
  2.23  requirements.  A teacher's ability to demonstrate a minimum, or 
  2.24  survival plus, level of proficiency in American sign language is 
  2.25  not a condition for renewing the teacher's license. 
  2.26     (h) A teacher who demonstrates an increased proficiency in 
  2.27  American sign language skill in the American sign language sign 
  2.28  communication proficiency interview or a comparable American 
  2.29  sign language evaluation shall receive credit toward completing 
  2.30  the requirements of paragraph (c).  The number of continuing 
  2.31  education credits the teacher receives is based on the teacher's 
  2.32  increased level of proficiency from the teacher's baseline level:
  2.33     (1) 35 continuing education credits for demonstrating an 
  2.34  intermediate level of proficiency; 
  2.35     (2) 40 continuing education credits for demonstrating an 
  2.36  intermediate plus level of proficiency; 
  3.1      (3) 45 continuing education credits for demonstrating an 
  3.2   advanced level of proficiency; 
  3.3      (4) 50 continuing education credits for demonstrating an 
  3.4   advanced plus level of proficiency; 
  3.5      (5) 55 continuing education credits for demonstrating a 
  3.6   superior level of proficiency; and 
  3.7      (6) 60 continuing education credits for demonstrating a 
  3.8   superior plus level of proficiency. 
  3.9      Sec. 2.  [EFFECTIVE DATE.] 
  3.10     Section 1 is effective the day following final enactment.