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SENATE BILL 26-126
BY SENATOR(S) Marchman and Rich, Amabile, Benavidez, Bridges,
Bright, Carson, Catlin, Cutter, Exum, Frizell, Gonzales J., Jodeh, Kipp,
Kirkmeyer, Kolker, Mullica, Pelton B., Pelton R., Snyder, Sullivan,
Wallace, Weissman, Coleman;
also REPRESENTATIVE(S) Johnson and Lukens, Boesenecker, Brown,
Caldwell, Camacho, Clifford, Duran, Garcia Sander, Goldstein,
Gonzalez R., Hamrick, Joseph, Keltie, Lieder, Lindsay, Marshall,
McCormick, Nguyen, Phillips, Richardson, Rutinel, Smith, Stewart K.,
Story, McCluskie.
CONCERNING TEACHER LICENSURE FOR OUT-OF-STATE APPLICANTS.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado:
SECTION 1. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 22-60.5-201, amend
(3)(b)(I)(B) and (3)(d); and add (6) as follows:
22-60.5-201. Types of teacher licenses issued - term - rules -
notice to revisor of statutes - repeal.
(3) (b) (I) The department of education may issue a professional
teacher license to any applicant from another state if:
NOTE: This bill has been prepared for the signatures of the appropriate legislative
officers and the Governor. To determine whether the Governor has signed the bill
or taken other action on it, please consult the legislative status sheet, the legislative
history, or the Session Laws.
________
Capital letters or bold & italic numbers indicate new material added to existing law; dashes
through words or numbers indicate deletions from existing law and such material is not part of
the act.
(B) The applicant has had at least three years of successful,
evaluated experience within the previous seven years as a teacher in an
established elementary or secondary school and can provide documentation
of such experience on forms provided by the department.
(d) An applicant for an initial teacher license who has three years or
more of teaching experience in another state or country for which the
department of education has granted reciprocity pursuant to this subsection
(3) shall be licensed without having to demonstrate professional
competencies pursuant to section 22-60.5-203 if such THE person meets all
the other qualifications for an initial teacher license or professional teacher
license and if such THE person is qualified to teach in that state or country.
(6) (a) P URSUANT TO SUBSECTION (6)(c) OF THIS SECTION , THE
DEPARTMENT SHALL ISSUE AN INITIAL TEACHER LICENSE WITHIN THIRTY
DAYS AFTER RECEIVING A COMPLETE TEACHER LICENSE APPLICATION FROM
A PERSON LICENSED BY A STATE THAT PARTICIPATES IN THE "INTERSTATE
TEACHER MOBILITY COMPACT" ESTABLISHED IN PART 44 OF ARTICLE 60 OF
TITLE 24 WHEN THE APPLICANT FOR THE TEACHER LICENSE:
(I) H OLDS AN UNENCUMBERED ELIGIBLE LICENSE ISSUED BY AN
INTERSTATE TEACHER MOBILITY COMPACT STATE THAT IS EQUIVALENT TO
AN ELIGIBLE LICENSE IN COLORADO;
(II) IS NOT SUBJECT TO CURRENT DISCIPLINARY ACTION, SUSPENSION,
INVESTIGATION, OR RESTRICTION; AND
(III) H AS SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED A COLORADO CRIMINAL
HISTORY RECORD CHECK PURSUANT TO SECTION 22-60.5-103.
(b) T HE DEPARTMENT SHALL NOT REQUIRE ADDITIONAL
COURSEWORK, EXAMINATIONS, OR PROGRAM COMPLETIONS BEYOND WHAT
IS SPECIFIED IN SUBSECTIONS (6)(a)(I) TO (6)(a)(III) OF THIS SECTION AS A
CONDITION OF INITIAL LICENSE ISSUANCE , BUT THE DEPARTMENT MAY
REQUIRE ADDITIONAL COURSEWORK , EXAMINATIONS , OR PROGRAM
COMPLETIONS AS A CONDITION OF LICENSE RENEWAL.
(c) T HE DEPARTMENT SHALL DETERMINE WHICH COLORADO
ENDORSEMENT AREAS MOST CLOSELY CORRESPOND TO THE APPLICANT 'S
PAGE 2-SENATE BILL 26-126
OUT-OF-STATE LICENSE AND SHALL ISSUE AN INITIAL LICENSE IN THOSE
AREAS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THIS SECTION.
(d) EACH YEAR, THE DEPARTMENT SHALL PUBLISH A TABLE SHOWING
HOW LICENSES FROM EACH STATE THAT HAS ENTERED INTO AN INTERSTATE
RECIPROCAL AGREEMENT WITH THE DEPARTMENT CORRESPOND TO
COLORADO ENDORSEMENT AREAS.
(e) T HIS SUBSECTION (6) WILL BE REPEALED IF THE DEPARTMENT
BEGINS ISSUING LICENSES PURSUANT TO THE "INTERSTATE TEACHER
MOBILITY COMPACT", ESTABLISHED IN PART 44 OF ARTICLE 60 OF TITLE 24.
THE COMMISSIONER OF EDUCATION SHALL NOTIFY THE REVISOR OF
STATUTES IN WRITING WHEN THE CONDITION SPECIFIED IN THIS SUBSECTION
(6)(e) HAS OCCURRED BY EMAILING THE NOTICE TO
REVISOROFSTATUTES.GA@COLEG.GOV. THE REPEAL TAKES EFFECT UPON
THE DATE IDENTIFIED IN THE NOTICE OR UPON THE DATE OF THE NOTICE TO
THE REVISOR OF STATUTES IF THE NOTICE DOES NOT SPECIFY A DIFFERENT
DATE.
SECTION 2. Act subject to petition - effective date. This act
takes effect at 12:01 a.m. on the day following the expiration of the
ninety-day period after final adjournment of the general assembly (August
12, 2026, if adjournment sine die is on May 13, 2026); except that, if a
referendum petition is filed pursuant to section 1 (3) of article V of the state
constitution against this act or an item, section, or part of this act within
such period, then the act, item, section, or part will not take effect unless
PAGE 3-SENATE BILL 26-126
approved by the people at the general election to be held in November 2026
and, in such case, will take effect on the date of the official declaration of
the vote thereon by the governor.
____________________________ ____________________________
James Rashad Coleman, Sr. Julie McCluskie
PRESIDENT OF SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE
THE SENATE OF REPRESENTATIVES
____________________________ ____________________________
Esther van Mourik Vanessa Reilly
SECRETARY OF CHIEF CLERK OF THE HOUSE
THE SENATE OF REPRESENTATIVES
APPROVED________________________________________
(Date and Time)
_________________________________________
Jared S. Polis
GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF COLORADO
PAGE 4-SENATE BILL 26-126