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83rd OREGON LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY--2025 Regular Session
Senate Bill 322
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 change the law in several ways to support substitute teachers in this
state. (Flesch Readability Score: 74.2).
Directs the Department of Education to enter into a contract with a third party to develop and
offer online professional development opportunities for substitute teachers in this state.
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.
Provides that certain substitute teachers are eligible to enroll in a health benefit plan offered
by the Oregon Educators Benefit Board. Requires the substitute teacher to pay 10 percent of the
premiums for the plan. Requires the substitute teacher’s chosen home district to administer the plan
for the substitute teacher and pay the remaining premiums, subject to reimbursement by the board.
Requires a district to maintain legacy health care benefits for substitute teachers who are not
eligible to enroll in a health benefit plan offered by the board.
Establishes the Office of Substitute Teachers in the Department of Education to develop, com-
municate and coordinate best practices and supports for substitute teachers.
Declares an emergency, effective July 1, 2025.
A BILL FOR AN ACT
Relating to substitute teachers; creating new provisions; amending ORS 342.125; and declaring an
emergency.
Be It Enacted by the People of the State of Oregon:
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR SUBSTITUTE TEACHERS
SECTION 1.
(1) The Department of Education shall enter into a contract with a training
provider experienced in online educator training to develop and offer annually online profes-
sional development modules for all substitute teachers in Oregon. The modules must address
but need not be limited to:
(a) Technology and educational tools.
(b) Classroom and behavior management.
(c) Special education.
(d) Equity, diversity and inclusion.
(e) Trauma-informed practices.
(2) The modules must be designed to provide tailored professional development for sub-
stitute teachers in Oregon with different levels of experience, including but not limited to:
(a) Zero to three years of classroom experience.
(b) Four to eight years of classroom experience.
(c) Nine or more years of classroom experience.
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 2328
SB 322
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(3) The department shall reimburse substitute teachers for the cost of participating in
any professional development module offered under this section.
SECTION 2.
(1) The Department of Education shall submit a report on the successes and
challenges of implementing 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 Legisla-
tive Assembly related to education no later than September 15, 2026.
(2) The report must address but need not be limited to:
(a) The number of substitute teachers who have completed a professional development
module offered under section 1 of this 2025 Act.
(b) A quality assessment of the modules by substitute teachers who have completed the
modules.
LICENSES FOR SUBSTITUTE TEACHERS
SECTION 3.
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.
(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-
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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
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
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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 4.
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 3 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.
HEALTH BENEFIT PLAN FOR SUBSTITUTE TEACHERS
SECTION 5. Sections 6 to 8 of this 2025 Act are added to and made a part of ORS 243.860
to 243.886.
SECTION 6. (1)(a) Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this subsection, a substitute
teacher employed by a common school district, union high school district or education ser-
vice district is eligible to enroll in a health benefit plan offered by the Oregon Educators
Benefit Board if the substitute teacher worked at least half-time at either a single common
school district, union high school district or education service district, or in aggregate at
multiple common school districts, union high school districts and education service districts
during the previous school year.
(b) The total cost of providing any health benefit plan offered by a district to a substitute
teacher under this section may not increase annually by more than the annual increase in
premium amounts paid for contracted health benefit plans that is permitted under ORS
243.866 (9)(b).
(2)(a) In order to enroll in a health benefit plan under this section, a substitute teacher
must select a home district for the duration of the benefit year under a process established
by each district. A home district selected under this subsection:
(A) Must be one at which the substitute teacher worked as a substitute teacher at:
(i) The time of the application; or
(ii) Any time during the previous benefit year, if the substitute teacher is not currently
working at a district but otherwise is eligible under this section; and
(B) Is responsible for:
(i) Determining whether the substitute teacher is eligible to enroll in a health benefit
plan under this section;
(ii) Determining, on an annual basis, whether a substitute teacher who was found to be
eligible to enroll in a health benefit plan under sub-subparagraph (i) of this subparagraph
continues to be eligible to enroll in a health benefit plan under this section;
(iii) Collecting the premiums for health benefit plans that must be paid by the substitute
teacher under subsection (3) of this section;
(iv) Paying the full cost of the insurance premiums for providing health benefit plans to
the substitute teacher, subject to reimbursement as described in subsection (4) of this sec-
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tion; and
(v) Administering and providing health benefit plans to the substitute teacher in the
manner described in this section.
(b) In order to enroll in a health benefit plan under this section, a substitute teacher
must provide the home district with all information necessary for the district to determine
the eligibility of the substitute teacher to enroll in the health benefit plan under this section.
(c) No later than 30 days before the deadline to submit an application to enroll in a health
benefit plan under this section, each district must notify all substitute teachers who have
worked for the district during the current academic year and the previous academic year of:
(A) The eligibility requirements to enroll in a health benefit plan under this section;
(B) The health care benefits and associated costs available to eligible substitute teachers;
and
(C) Instructions on how substitute teachers may apply to enroll in a health benefit plan
under this section.
(3)(a) Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this subsection, a substitute teacher shall
pay 10 percent of all insurance premiums for health benefit plans.
(b) A district may provide by collective bargaining to pay for some or all of the insurance
premiums that must otherwise be paid by a substitute teacher under paragraph (a) of this
subsection. The district may not be reimbursed under subsection (4) of this section for the
costs the district incurs to provide health benefit plans under this paragraph.
(4)(a) Every three months a district may request reimbursement from the board for the
cost of paying insurance premiums for providing health benefit plans to each substitute
teacher who has selected the district as the substitute teacher’s home district under sub-
section (2) of this section.
(b) The board shall use moneys from the Substitute Teacher Insurance Fund established
under section 8 of this 2025 Act to fully reimburse each district for all documented costs
requested by the district under this subsection, except for any costs described in subsection
(3) of this section.
(5) Unless otherwise provided for by collective bargaining, a substitute teacher who is
eligible to enroll in a health benefit plan under subsection (1) of this section may receive
health care benefits only in the manner provided by this section.
(6) The board may adopt rules necessary to implement this section, including but not
limited to rules for:
(a) Determining a substitute teacher’s eligibility to enroll in a health benefit plan under
this section;
(b) The aggregation of hours worked at multiple districts; and
(c) The payment of premiums when a substitute teacher works at multiple districts.
SECTION 7.
A common school district, union high school district or education service
district that, on the effective date of this 2025 Act, provided health care benefits to substi-
tute teachers who are not eligible for health care benefits under section 6 of this 2025 Act:
(1) May not increase the eligibility requirements that must be met by a substitute
teacher who is not eligible for health care benefits under section 6 of this 2025 Act in order
for the substitute teacher to qualify for health care benefits from the district; and
(2) Must continue to provide comparable health care benefits to substitute teachers who
are not eligible for health care benefits under section 6 of this 2025 Act.
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SECTION 8.
The Substitute Teacher Insurance Fund is established in the State Treasury,
separate and distinct from the General Fund. Interest earned by the Substitute Teacher In-
surance Fund must be credited to the fund. The fund consists of moneys appropriated, allo-
cated, deposited or transferred to the fund by the Legislative Assembly or otherwise and
interest earned on moneys in the fund. The moneys in the fund are continuously appropri-
ated to the Oregon Educators Benefit Board for the purpose of reimbursing districts for the
cost of paying premiums for health benefit plans for substitute teachers under section 6 of
this 2025 Act.
SECTION 9. In addition to and not in lieu of any other appropriation, there is appropri-
ated to the Oregon Educators Benefit Board, for the biennium beginning July 1, 2025, out of
the General Fund, the amount of $_______, for deposit in the Substitute Teacher Insurance
Fund established under section 8 of this 2025 Act, for the purposes specified in section 6 of
this 2025 Act.
SECTION 10. (1) Except as provided in subsection (2) of this section, section 6 of this 2025
Act applies to health benefit plans offered to substitute teachers on or after October 1, 2025.
(2) To the extent that a conflict exists, the terms of collective bargaining agreements and
other contracts entered into before the effective date of this 2025 Act shall prevail over
section 6 of this 2025 Act.
OFFICE OF SUBSTITUTE TEACHERS
SECTION 11. (1) The Office of Substitute Teachers is established in the Department of
Education.
(2) The office shall:
(a) Develop, communicate and coordinate best practices for the recruitment, licensure,
professional development and retention of substitute teachers.
(b) Provide resources and support to school districts for the recruitment, retention and
engagement of substitute teachers.
REPEALS
SECTION 12.
(1) Section 2 of this 2025 Act is repealed on January 2, 2027.
(2) Section 4 of this 2025 Act is repealed on January 2, 2026.
CAPTIONS
SECTION 13. The unit captions used in this 2025 Act are provided only for the conven-
ience of the reader and do not become part of the statutory law of this state or express any
legislative intent in the enactment of this 2025 Act.
EFFECTIVE DATE
SECTION 14. 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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