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HB0114 • 2024

Wyoming teacher shortage loan repayment program.

AN ACT relating to education; reauthorizing the Wyoming teacher shortage loan repayment program; modifying eligibility requirements; making conforming amendments; providing an appropriation; repealing a sunset date; and providing for an effective date.

Education
Did Not Pass

The latest official action shows that this bill did not move forward in that session.

Sponsor
Representative Henderson
Last action
2024-02-15
Official status
inactive
Effective date
3/1/2024

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide specific details about annual reporting requirements beyond mentioning that a report is required under W.S. 9-2-1014, but it does not specify the exact content or frequency of these reports in this bill's context.

Wyoming Teacher Shortage Loan Repayment Program

This act reauthorizes and modifies the Wyoming teacher shortage loan repayment program to help address shortages in special education, math, science, world languages, reading, and English as a second language teachers.

What This Bill Does

  • Reauthorizes the existing Wyoming teacher shortage loan repayment program.
  • Changes eligibility requirements for loans to include certification or endorsement in specific subjects like special education, math, science, world languages, reading, and English as a second language.
  • Allows recipients to repay their loans by teaching at least 50% of their working hours in these targeted areas.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Teachers enrolled in education programs at the University of Wyoming.
  • Wyoming public schools facing shortages in special education, math, science, world languages, reading, and English as a second language teachers.

Terms To Know

endorsement
An additional certification that allows a teacher to teach specific subjects or grades beyond their initial certification.
sunset date
A predetermined expiration date for a law, after which it is no longer in effect unless renewed.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill did not pass and was not enacted into law.
  • It only applies if the bill had passed and become effective on March 1, 2024.

Bill History

  1. 2024-02-15 House

    H Failed Introduction 39-22-1-0-0

  2. 2024-02-07 House

    H Received for Introduction

  3. 2024-02-05 LSO

    Bill Number Assigned

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
24LSO-0164
2024
STATE OF WYOMING
24LSO-0164
Numbered
2.0

HOUSE BILL NO. HB0114

Wyoming teacher shortage loan repayment program.

Sponsored by: Representative(s) Henderson, Allred, Berger, Clouston, Harshman, Niemiec, Northrup, Obermueller, Provenza and Sommers and Senator(s) Brennan, Pappas and Schuler

A BILL

for

AN ACT relating to education; reauthorizing the Wyoming teacher shortage loan repayment program; modifying eligibility requirements; making conforming amendments; providing an appropriation; repealing a sunset date; and providing for an effective date.

Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:

Section 1
.

W.S. 21
‑
7
‑
601(b)(i)(A), (B), (e), (g)(ii), (n) and (p)(intro) is amended to read:

21
‑
7
‑
601.

Wyoming teacher shortage loan repayment program; eligibility criteria; procedures; program reporting.

(b)

To qualify for a loan under this section, the applicant shall first:

(i)

Be enrolled in good standing in a teacher education program at the University of Wyoming leading to:

(A)

Certification as a
special education, math, science or world language
teacher; or

(B)

Eligibility for an additional
teaching
endorsement
.
to teach reading or English as a second language.

(e)

A recipient of a loan under this section may repay the loan without cash payment by teaching
at least fifty percent (50%) of his working hours as a teacher in special education, math, science, world language, reading or English as a second language
as a certified teacher in a Wyoming public school as provided in subsection (f) of this section. To qualify as repayment under this subsection, work shall be performed within the minimum amount of time necessary to repay the loan, plus two (2) years, which shall begin with the calendar month following the month in which the student completed the academic program.

(g)

Any recipient of a loan under this section who fails:

(ii)

To obtain employment
in the targeted occupation
for which the person received the education within two hundred forty (240) days after successfully obtaining the appropriate certification, shall commence cash repayment of the loan within two hundred eighty
‑
five (285) days after successfully obtaining the appropriate certification;

(n)

The community college commission shall annually review the loan program established under this section and report to the governor and the legislature in accordance with W.S. 9
‑
2
‑
1014, regarding program results, funds received and loans issued during the preceding academic year, together with the status of all outstanding loan commitments and repayments under the program.

The report required under this subsection shall include information submitted by the professional teaching standards board regarding the impact of the program on
identified
teacher
shortage areas
shortages
and recommendations for modifications to the program, including funding levels, to address
other identified
teacher shortage
in targeted
areas.

(p)

Notwithstanding
subsection (o)
any other provision
of
this section
the law
:

Section 2
.

W.S. 21
‑
7
‑
601(o) is repealed.

Section 3.

(a)

There is appropriated two million dollars ($2,000,000.00) from the general fund to the Wyoming community college commission for the period beginning July 1, 2024 and ending June 30, 2026.

This appropriation shall be used for the loan program established by W.S. 21
‑
7
‑
601, as amended by this act, and as authorized by subsection (b) of this section. This appropriation shall not be transferred or expended for any other purpose and any unexpended, unobligated funds remaining from this appropriation shall revert as provided by law on June 30, 2026. It is the intent of the legislature that this appropriation be included in the standard budget request for the commission for the immediately succeeding fiscal biennium.

(b)

Not more than fifteen percent (15%) of the amount appropriated under this section shall be used by the Wyoming community college commission for the administration of this program, including expenses of the commission, loan administration fees and marketing costs to advertise availability of the program.

Section 4.

This act is effective immediately upon completion of all acts necessary for a bill to become law as provided by Article 4, Section 8 of the Wyoming Constitution.

(END)

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HB0114