Directs the Teacher Standards and Practices Commission to establish by rule a substitute teaching license and a restricted substitute teaching license.

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83rd OREGON LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY--2025 Regular Session
Senate Bill 321
Printed pursuant to Senate Interim Rule 213.28 by order of the President of the Senate in conformance with pre-
session filing rules, indicating neither advocacy nor opposition on the part of the President (at the request
of Senate Interim Committee on Education)
SUMMARY
The following summary is not prepared by the sponsors of the measure and is not a part of the body thereof subject
to consideration by the Legislative Assembly. It is an editor’s brief statement of the essential features of the
measure as introduced. The statement includes a measure digest written in compliance with applicable readability
standards.
Digest: The Act would make the TSPC create by rule two types of licenses for people who want
to be a substitute teacher. The Act would make the TSPC create by rule a way for people with a
restricted substitute teaching license to get a regular substitute teaching license. (Flesch Readabil-
ity Score: 60.8).
Directs the Teacher Standards and Practices Commission to establish by rule a substitute
teaching license and a restricted substitute teaching license. Requires the commission to establish
by rule an expedited process for persons with a restricted substitute teaching license to obtain a
substitute teaching license.
Directs the commission, in consultation with the Oregon Substitute Teachers Association, to
report to the interim committees of the Legislative Assembly related to education no later than
December 15, 2025.
Declares an emergency, effective July 1, 2025.
A BILL FOR AN ACT
Relating to the licensure of substitute teachers; creating new provisions; amending ORS 342.125; and
declaring an emergency.
Be It Enacted by the People of the State of Oregon:
SECTION 1.
ORS 342.125 is amended to read:
342.125. (1) Teaching licenses shall be issued and renewed by the Teacher Standards and Prac-
tices Commission by the authority of the State of Oregon, subject to ORS 342.120 to 342.430 and the
rules of the commission.
(2) Notwithstanding any requirements prescribed for issuance of a license, a person whose ap-
plication for a license is pending may be employed in the public schools of this state for 90 calendar
days after the date of submission of the application if:
(a) The person is not ineligible for a license following background checks conducted by the
Teacher Standards and Practices Commission, including a criminal records check as provided in
ORS 181A.195 and a background check through an interstate clearinghouse of revoked and sus-
pended licenses;
(b) The school district has completed the review of the employment history of the person as
required by ORS 339.374;
(c) The person had not been employed as provided by this subsection during the previous 12
months with a pending application for the same license; and
(d) The person and the school district have complied with any other requirements established
by the commission by rule.
(3) Subject to ORS 342.130 and to subsection (4) of this section, licenses shall be of the following
types:
(a) Preliminary teaching license.
NOTE: Matter in boldfaced type in an amended section is new; matter [ italic and bracketed] is existing law to be omitted.
New sections are in boldfaced type.
LC 2301
SB 321
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(b) Professional teaching license.
(c) Distinguished teacher leader license.
(d) Preliminary personnel service license.
(e) Professional personnel service license.
(f) Preliminary administrative license.
(g) Professional administrative license.
(h) Reciprocal license.
(i) Legacy license.
(4)(a) The Teacher Standards and Practices Commission may establish other types of teaching
licenses as the commission considers necessary for operation of the public schools of the state and
may prescribe the qualifications for the licenses. However, no license established under the au-
thority of this subsection is required for a regular classroom teaching position in the public schools.
(b) The commission shall by rule establish a substitute teaching license and a restricted
substitute teaching license. The rules must provide:
(A) Eligibility criteria, application procedures and other requirements for issuance of a
substitute teaching license or a restricted substitute teaching license.
(B) An expedited process for persons with a restricted substitute teaching license to ob-
tain a substitute teaching license, based upon training, mentorship, classroom experience or
other work experience.
(5) Notwithstanding ORS 342.127, any person who has held a teaching license identified in sub-
section (3) of this section or established as provided by subsection (4)(a) of this section may, within
three years of retirement and without payment of any fees or any other additional requirements,
convert the teaching license into a substitute teaching license.
(6)(a) The Teacher Standards and Practices Commission shall establish a public charter school
teacher and administrator registry. The commission shall require the applicant and the public
charter school to jointly submit an application requesting registration as a public charter school
teacher or administrator.The application shall include:
(A) A description of the specific teaching or administrator position the applicant will fill;
(B) A description of the background of the applicant that is relevant to the teaching or admin-
istrator position, including any post-secondary education or other experience; and
(C) Documentation as required by the commission for the purposes of conducting a criminal re-
cords check as provided in ORS 181A.195 and a background check through an interstate clearing-
house of revoked and suspended licenses.
(b) Subject to the results of the criminal records check and background check and to informa-
tion received under ORS 342.143 (2), the commission shall approve the application for registration.
The commission may deny a request for registration only on the basis of the criminal records check,
the background check through an interstate clearinghouse of revoked and suspended licenses or the
information received under ORS 342.143 (2). The registration is valid for a term established by the
commission and, subject to information received under ORS 342.143 (2), may be renewed upon joint
application from the teacher or administrator and the public charter school.
(c) A registration as a public charter school teacher qualifies its holder to accept the teaching
position described in the application in the public charter school that submitted the application with
the holder of the registration.
(d) A registration as a public charter school administrator qualifies its holder to accept the ad-
ministrator position described in the application in the public charter school that submitted the
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SB 321
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application with the holder of the registration.
(7)(a) The Teacher Standards and Practices Commission shall adopt an expedited process for the
issuance of any license established pursuant to this section. The expedited process adopted under
this subsection may require the following:
(A) The showing of an urgent situation; and
(B) The joint request for the expedited process from the applicant for the license and:
(i) The school district superintendent or school district board;
(ii) The public charter school governing body; or
(iii) The education service district superintendent or board of directors of the education service
district.
(b) Except as provided by paragraph (c) of this subsection, the commission shall issue a license
as provided by this subsection within two working days after receiving a completed application.
(c) The commission may limit the number of applications the commission will accept under this
subsection from a school district or an education service district to not more than 100 applications
in a period of two working days.
(d) For purposes of this subsection, the commission may not distinguish between a school district
or an education service district involved in a labor dispute and any other school district or educa-
tion service district.
SECTION 2.
The Teacher Standards and Practices Commission, in consultation with the
Oregon Substitute Teachers Association, shall submit a report on the implementation of the
amendments to ORS 342.125 by section 1 of this 2025 Act in the manner provided by ORS
192.245, and may include recommendations for legislation, to the interim committees of the
Legislative Assembly related to education no later than December 15, 2025.
SECTION 3. Section 2 of this 2025 Act is repealed on January 2, 2026.
SECTION 4. This 2025 Act being necessary for the immediate preservation of the public
peace, health and safety, an emergency is declared to exist, and this 2025 Act takes effect
July 1, 2025.
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