Provisions for educator licensing and standards modified, rulemaking authority for paraprofessional credentials modified, additional data sharing agreements provided, professional development requirements for mental health modified, and appropriation extended.

A bill for an act

relating to education; modifying provisions for educator licensing and standards;

modifying rulemaking authority for paraprofessional credentials; providing for

additional data sharing agreements; modifying professional development

requirements for mental health; extending an appropriation; amending Minnesota

Statutes 2024, sections 120B.363, subdivisions 1, 2; 122A.09, subdivision 9;

122A.18, subdivision 8; 122A.182, subdivision 1; 122A.187, subdivision 6;

Minnesota Statutes 2025 Supplement, sections 122A.18, subdivision 1; 122A.181,

subdivision 3; 122A.182, subdivision 3; Laws 2024, chapter 115, article 10, section

5, subdivision 2.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 120B.363, subdivision 1, is amended to read:

Subdivision 1.

Rulemaking.

The
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Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board
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commissioner
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must adopt rules to implement a statewide credential for education

paraprofessionals who assist a licensed teacher in providing student instruction. Any

paraprofessional holding this credential or working in a local school district after meeting

a state-approved local assessment is considered to be highly qualified under federal law.

Under this subdivision,
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the Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board, in

consultation with
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the commissioner
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,
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must adopt qualitative criteria for approving local

assessments that include an evaluation of a paraprofessional's knowledge of reading, writing,

and math and the paraprofessional's ability to assist in the instruction of reading, writing,

and math. The commissioner must approve or disapprove local assessments using these

criteria. The commissioner must make the criteria available to the public.

Sec. 2.

Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 120B.363, subdivision 2, is amended to read:

Subd. 2.

Training possibilities.

In adopting rules under subdivision 1, the
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board
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commissioner
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must consider including provisions that provide training in: students'

characteristics; teaching and learning environment; academic instruction skills; student

behavior; and ethical practices.

Sec. 3.

Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 122A.09, subdivision 9, is amended to read:

Subd. 9.

Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board must adopt rules.

(a)

The Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board must adopt rules subject to the

provisions of chapter
14
to implement sections
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120B.363
,
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122A.05
to
122A.09
,
122A.092
,

122A.16
,
122A.17
,
122A.18
,
122A.181
,
122A.182
,
122A.183
,
122A.184
,
122A.185
,

122A.187
,
122A.188
,
122A.19
,
122A.20
,
122A.21
,
122A.23
,
122A.26
,
122A.28
,
122A.29
,

and
124D.72
.

(b) The board must adopt rules relating to fields of licensure and grade levels that a

licensed teacher may teach, including a process for granting permission to a licensed teacher

to teach in a field that is different from the teacher's field of licensure without change to the

teacher's license tier level.

(c) If a rule adopted by the board is in conflict with a session law or statute, the law or

statute prevails. Terms adopted in rule must be clearly defined and must not be construed

to conflict with terms adopted in statute or session law.

(d) The board must include a description of a proposed rule's probable effect on teacher

supply and demand in the board's statement of need and reasonableness under section
14.131
.

(e) The board must adopt rules only under the specific statutory authority.

Sec. 4.

Minnesota Statutes 2025 Supplement, section 122A.18, subdivision 1, is amended

to read:

Subdivision 1.

Authority to license.

(a) The Professional Educator Licensing and

Standards Board must issue the following teacher licenses to applicants who meet the

qualifications prescribed by this chapter:

(1) Tier 1 license under section
122A.181
;

(2) Tier 2 license under section
122A.182
;

(3) Tier 3 license under section
122A.183
; and

(4) Tier 4 license under section
122A.184
.

(b) The Board of School Administrators must license supervisory personnel as defined

in section
122A.15, subdivision 2
, except for athletic coaches.

(c) The Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board and the Department of

Education must enter into a data sharing agreement to share:

(1) educational data at the E-12 level for the limited purpose of program approval and

improvement for teacher education programs. The program approval process must include

targeted redesign of teacher preparation programs to address identified E-12 student areas

of concern; and

(2) data in the staff automated reporting system for the limited purpose of managing and

processing funding to school districts and other entities. The board has authority to collect

and retain nonlicensed staff data on behalf of the Department of Education. The board must

share licensed and nonlicensed staff data with the department as outlined in the data sharing

agreement required under paragraph (d). The department may access and use the data as

required under federal or state law and for the purposes outlined in the data sharing

agreement.

(d) The Board of School Administrators and the Department of Education must enter

into a data sharing agreement to share educational data at the E-12 level for the limited

purpose of program approval and improvement for education administration programs. The

program approval process must include targeted redesign of education administration

preparation programs to address identified E-12 student areas of concern.

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(e) The Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board and the Board of School

Administrators must enter into a data sharing agreement to share data in the staff automated

reporting system for the limited purpose of managing and processing administrative licenses,

including overseeing ethics and compliance. The board must share licensed staff data with

the Board of School Administrators as outlined in the data sharing agreement. The Board

of School Administrators may access and use the data as required under federal or state law

and for the purposes outlined in the data sharing agreement.

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(e)
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(f)
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For purposes of the data sharing agreements under paragraphs (c)
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and (d)
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to (e)
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,

the Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board, Board of School Administrators,

and Department of Education may share private data, as defined in section
13.02, subdivision

12
, on teachers and school administrators. The data sharing agreements must not include

educational data, as defined in section
13.32, subdivision 1
, but may include summary data,

as defined in section
13.02, subdivision 19
, derived from educational data.

Sec. 5.

Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 122A.18, subdivision 8, is amended to read:

Subd. 8.

Background studies.

(a) The Professional Educator Licensing and Standards

Board and the Board of School Administrators must initiate criminal history background

studies of all first-time applicants for educator and administrator licenses under their

jurisdiction. Applicants must include with their licensure applications:

(1) an executed criminal history consent form, including fingerprints; and

(2) payment to conduct the background study. The Professional Educator Licensing and

Standards Board must deposit payments received under this subdivision in an account in

the special revenue fund. Amounts in the account are annually appropriated to the

Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board to pay for the costs of background

studies on applicants for licensure.
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Any unexpended amounts from annual appropriations

for background studies may be transferred to the general fund for the board's operations.
new text end

(b) The background study for all first-time applicants for educator licenses must include

a review of information from the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, including criminal

history data as defined in section 13.87, and must also include a review of the national

criminal records repository. The superintendent of the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension

is authorized to exchange fingerprints with the Federal Bureau of Investigation for purposes

of the criminal history check.

(c) The Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board may initiate criminal

history background studies through the commissioner of human services according to section

245C.031
to obtain background study data required under this chapter.

Sec. 6.

Minnesota Statutes 2025 Supplement, section 122A.181, subdivision 3, is amended

to read:

Subd. 3.

Term of license and renewal.

(a) The Professional Educator Licensing and

Standards Board must issue an initial Tier 1 license for a term of one year. A Tier 1 license

may be renewed subject to paragraphs (b) to (d).

(b) The Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board must renew a Tier 1

license if:

(1) the district or charter school requesting the renewal demonstrates that it has posted

the teacher position but was unable to hire an acceptable teacher with a Tier 2, 3, or 4 license

for the position;

(2) the teacher holding the Tier 1 license took a content examination in accordance with

section
122A.185
and submitted the examination results to the teacher's employing district

or charter school within one year of the board approving the request for the initial Tier 1

license;

(3) the teacher holding the Tier 1 license participated in cultural competency training

consistent with section
120B.30, subdivision 8
, within one year of the board approving the

request for the initial Tier 1 license; and

(4) the teacher holding the Tier 1 license met the mental
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illness
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health
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training renewal

requirement under section
122A.187, subdivision 6
.

The requirement in clause (2) does not apply to a teacher that teaches a class in a career and

technical education or career pathways course of study.

(c) A Tier 1 license must not be renewed more than three times, unless the requesting

district or charter school can show good cause for additional renewals. A Tier 1 license

issued to teach (1) a class or course in a career and technical education or career pathway

course of study, or (2) in a shortage area, as defined in section
122A.06, subdivision 6
, may

be renewed without limitation.

(d) Starting July 1, 2027, a Tier 1 licensed early childhood education teacher, elementary

education teacher, special education teacher who is responsible for teaching reading,

kindergarten through grade 12 English as a second language teacher, grade 4 through 12

classroom teacher responsible for foundational reading skills instruction, teacher who

provides instruction to students in a state-approved alternative program, or a teacher who

is responsible for selecting literacy curriculum materials for grades 6 through 12, must

demonstrate progress toward meeting the evidence-based literacy training requirements of

section
120B.123, subdivision 5a
, for their second licensure renewal.

Sec. 7.

Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 122A.182, subdivision 1, is amended to read:

Subdivision 1.

Requirements.

The Professional Educator Licensing and Standards

Board must approve an application for a Tier 2 license in a specified content area if:

(1) the application has been submitted jointly by the applicant and the district;

(2) the application has been paid for by the district or the applicant;

(3) the applicant holds a bachelor's degree, unless specifically exempt by statute or rule;

(4) the district demonstrates that a criminal background check under section
122A.18
,

subdivision 8, has been completed for the applicant; and

(5) the applicant:

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(i) has completed a state-approved teacher preparation program;

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(ii)
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(i)
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is enrolled in a Minnesota-approved teacher preparation program;
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or
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(ii) is enrolled in a Minnesota-approved teacher preparation program with equivalent

student teaching requirements; or

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(iii) has a master's degree in the specified content area.

Sec. 8.

Minnesota Statutes 2025 Supplement, section 122A.182, subdivision 3, is amended

to read:

Subd. 3.

Term of license and renewal.

(a) The Professional Educator Licensing and

Standards Board must issue an initial Tier 2 license for a term of two years. A Tier 2 license

may be renewed three times.

(b) Before a Tier 2 license is renewed for the first time, a teacher holding a Tier 2 license

must participate in cultural competency training consistent with section
120B.30, subdivision

8
, and mental
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illness
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health
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training under section
122A.187, subdivision 6
.

(c) Starting July 1, 2027, a Tier 2 licensed early childhood education teacher, elementary

education teacher, special education teacher who is responsible for teaching reading,

kindergarten through grade 12 English as a second language teacher, grade 4 through 12

classroom teacher responsible for foundational reading skills instruction, teacher who

provides instruction to students in a state-approved alternative program, or a teacher who

is responsible for selecting literacy curriculum materials for grades 6 through 12, must

demonstrate that they have made progress toward completing the evidence-based literacy

training requirements of section
120B.123, subdivision 5a
, for the first renewal of their

initial license.

(d) The board must issue rules setting forth the conditions for additional renewals after

the initial license has been renewed three times.

Sec. 9.

Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 122A.187, subdivision 6, is amended to read:

Subd. 6.

Mental
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illness
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health
new text end
.

The Professional Educator Licensing and Standards

Board must adopt rules that require all licensed teachers renewing a teaching license under

sections
122A.181
to
122A.184
to include in the renewal requirements
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at least one hour of

suicide prevention best practices training
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focused professional development of at least five

hours in student mental health and wellness
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in each licensure renewal period based on

nationally recognized evidence-based programs and practices, among the continuing

education credits required to renew a license under this subdivision. Initial training must

include understanding the key warning signs
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and characteristics
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of early-onset mental illness

in children and adolescents,
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and
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including how to address mental health concerns where a

child may pose a threat to themselves or others.
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During subsequent licensure renewal periods,

training must include a more in-depth understanding of students' mental illness trauma,

accommodations for students' mental illness, parents' roles in addressing students' mental

illness, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders,
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suicide prevention,
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autism, the requirements of

section
125A.0942
governing restrictive procedures, and de-escalation methods, among

other similar topics.
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This subdivision does not allow or require teachers to diagnose or create

treatment plans for mental illness.
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Sec. 10.

Laws 2024, chapter 115, article 10, section 5, subdivision 2, is amended to read:

Subd. 2.

Information technology costs.

(a) For information technology costs of the

Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board:

$

2,767,000

.....

2025

(b) This is a onetime appropriation and is available until June 30,
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2027
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2029
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.

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EFFECTIVE DATE.

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This section is effective the day following final enactment.

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