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SF0086 • 2025

Alternative teaching certificate.

AN ACT relating to the certification of teachers; modifying the duties of the professional teaching standards board; creating an alternative teacher certificate for K-12 teachers; establishing requirements for alternative certification; and providing for an effective date.

Children Education
Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor
Senator Laursen, D
Last action
2025-03-13
Official status
enrolled
Effective date
3/13/2025

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary does not provide details on what happens if an applicant fails to pass one or more required exams.

Alternative Teaching Certificate

This law creates an alternative teacher certification process for K-12 teachers who have completed a specific program and passed certain exams.

What This Bill Does

  • Creates an alternative teacher certification process for K-12 teachers in Wyoming.
  • Requires applicants to have a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university and pass specific examinations, including subject area, pedagogy, United States Constitution, and Wyoming Constitution examinations.
  • Limits the new certificate to subject areas and grade levels that the applicant has successfully completed.
  • Allows applicants who complete an approved program to apply directly for teaching jobs without needing a superintendent's request.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Teachers seeking certification in Wyoming
  • School districts hiring teachers

Terms To Know

Alternative Certification Program or Pathway
A program approved by the Professional Teaching Standards Board that allows individuals to become certified as teachers without following the traditional route of education and training.
Accredited College or University
An educational institution recognized for meeting certain standards of quality.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The law does not specify how long the alternative certification process will take.
  • It is unclear what happens if an applicant fails to pass one or more required exams.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

SF0086H2001

2nd reading • Representative Thayer

Adopted

Plain English: The amendment to SF0086 changes the wording related to teacher certification programs by replacing 'program' with 'pathway' in certain places and making other minor edits.

  • Replaces 'program' with 'or pathway' after specific lines on page 2 of the bill.
  • Deletes text after a mention of 'district' on line 20 of page 2.
  • The exact impact and meaning of replacing 'program' with 'pathway' is not fully explained in the amendment text, so its full implications are unclear.
SF0086H3001

3rd reading • Representative Thayer

Failed

Plain English: The amendment changes a requirement for obtaining an alternative teacher certificate by altering how applicants can qualify based on their enrollment status or completion of certain criteria.

  • Removes the phrase 'After successful completion of' and replaces it with 'If the applicant is enrolled in or has completed'.
  • The amendment text does not provide specific details about what applicants must be enrolled in or complete, so further context would be needed to understand the full impact.
SF0086H3002

3rd reading • Representative Ottman

Withdrawn

Plain English: The amendment adds a provision that people with advanced degrees are considered automatically eligible for alternative teacher certification in Kentucky.

  • Adds language to the bill stating that individuals holding an advanced degree, such as a master's, doctorate, or juris doctorate from an accredited institution, will be deemed qualified for alternative teaching certification without needing additional exams or program completion.
  • The amendment does not specify which K-12 subjects these degrees must relate to.
  • It is unclear if there are any limitations on the types of advanced degrees that qualify under this provision.
SF0086HW001

Committee of the Whole • Representative Jarvis

Failed

Plain English: The amendment removes references to accreditation status and specific text about applicants from the bill.

  • Removes the phrase 'accredited or non-accredited' from the bill.
  • Deletes the remaining part of a sentence that ends with 'applicant.'
  • The amendment does not provide enough context to explain fully what these changes mean in practice.
SF0086S2001

2nd reading • Senator Laursen, D

Adopted

Plain English: The amendment modifies the language in the bill to include both accredited and non-accredited institutions when referring to an alternative teaching certificate.

  • Adds 'accredited or non-accredited' after 'an' in the relevant section of the bill.
  • The amendment text is brief, so it's unclear what specific part of the bill this change affects beyond including both types of institutions.
SF0086S2002

2nd reading • Senator Laursen, D

Adopted

Plain English: The amendment allows applicants who complete an alternative teacher certification program to seek employment in a school district without needing a job offer from the superintendent first.

  • After completing an alternative teaching certificate program, teachers can apply for jobs at schools without waiting for permission from the superintendent.
  • The amendment does not specify what qualifies as an 'alternative certification program' or how these programs are regulated.
SF0086JC001

Conference Committee

S Adopted, H Adopted

Plain English: The amendment modifies the language related to alternative teacher certification requirements by changing references and conditions for applicants.

  • Changes 'program' to 'pathway' in several places.
  • Replaces 'After successful completion of' with 'If the applicant is enrolled in or has completed'.
  • Removes text after 'district' on page 2, line 20.
  • The amendment does not provide full context about what specific programs or pathways are being referred to.
  • It's unclear how the removal of certain lines will affect the overall requirements for alternative teacher certification.
SF0086SS001

Standing Committee • Senate Education Committee

Adopted

Plain English: The amendment modifies the bill to create a clearer and more specific alternative teacher certification process in Wyoming.

  • Adds an 'a' after 'creating' on page 1, line 9.
  • Removes unnecessary text about subparagraphs on page 1, line 10.
  • Specifies that an approved program must include passing exams in subject area, pedagogy, U.S. Constitution, and Wyoming Constitution on page 2, lines 11-13.
  • Limits the issuance of alternative certification to specific subjects and grade levels successfully completed by the applicant.
  • The amendment text does not provide details about how the exams are administered or scored.

Bill History

  1. 2025-03-13 LSO

    Assigned Chapter Number 143

  2. 2025-03-13 Governor

    Governor Signed SEA No. 0072

  3. 2025-03-04 House

    H Speaker Signed SEA No. 0072

  4. 2025-03-04 Senate

    S President Signed SEA No. 0072

  5. 2025-03-04 LSO

    Assigned Number SEA No. 0072

  6. 2025-02-27 House

    H Appointed JCC01 Members

  7. 2025-02-27 Senate

    S Appointed JCC01 Members

  8. 2025-02-27 Senate

    S Concur:Failed 1-27-3-0-0

  9. 2025-02-27 Senate

    S Received for Concurrence

  10. 2025-02-26 House

    H 3rd Reading:Passed 32-28-2-0-0

  11. 2025-02-25 House

    H 2nd Reading:Passed

  12. 2025-02-24 House

    H COW:Passed

  13. 2025-02-21 House

    H Placed on General File

  14. 2025-02-21 House

    H04 - Education:Recommend Do Pass 6-3-0-0-0

  15. 2025-02-10 House

    H Introduced and Referred to H04 - Education

  16. 2025-02-04 House

    H Received for Introduction

  17. 2025-02-03 Senate

    S 3rd Reading:Passed 31-0-0-0-0

  18. 2025-01-31 Senate

    S 2nd Reading:Passed

  19. 2025-01-30 Senate

    S 2nd Reading:Laid Back

  20. 2025-01-29 Senate

    S COW:Passed

  21. 2025-01-27 Senate

    S Placed on General File

  22. 2025-01-27 Senate

    S04 - Education:Recommend Amend and Do Pass 5-0-0-0-0

  23. 2025-01-16 Senate

    S Introduced and Referred to S04 - Education

  24. 2025-01-06 Senate

    S Received for Introduction

  25. 2025-01-03 LSO

    Bill Number Assigned

Official Summary Text

Bill Summary - 25LSO-0343

Bill No.:

SF0086

Effective:

Immediately

LSO No.:

25LSO-0343

Enrolled Act No.:

SEA No. 0072

Chapter No.:

143

Prime Sponsor:

Laursen, D

Catch Title:

Alternative teaching certificate.

Has Report:

No

Subject:

Alternative teaching certificate.

Summary/Major Elements:

This act requires the Wyoming Professional Teaching Standards Board (Board) to create an alternative certification of teachers, which is limited to the subject areas and grade levels an applicant has successfully completed.

To be eligible for an alternative certification under this act, a person must have a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university and have successfully completed an accredited or nonaccredited alternative certification program or pathway approved by the Board. The accredited or nonaccredited alternative certification program must, at a minimum, require passage of a subject area examination, pedagogy examination, United States Constitution examination, and Wyoming Constitution examination.

The above summary is not an official publication of the Wyoming Legislature and is not an official statement of legislative intent.

While the Legislative Service Office endeavored to provide accurate information in this summary, it should not be relied upon as a comprehensive abstract of the bill.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
25LSO-0343

ORIGINAL Senate

ENGROSSED
File No
.
SF0086

ENROLLED ACT NO. 72,

SENATE

SIXTY-EIGHTH LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WYOMING
2025 General Session

AN ACT relating to the certification of teachers; modifying the duties of the professional teaching standards board; creating an alternative teacher certificate for K-12 teachers; establishing requirements for alternative certification; and providing for an effective date.

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

Section 1
.

W.S. 21
‑
2
‑
802(a)(ii) by creating a new subparagraph (D) is amended to read:

21
‑
2
‑
802.

Powers and duties; teacher certification; suspension and revocation; certification fees; disposition of collected fees; required data submissions to department of education.

(a)

The board shall promulgate rules and regulations:

(ii)

In addition to paragraph (a)(i) of this section, the board shall by rule and regulation provide for:

(D)

Alternative certification of teachers that requires a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university and successful completion of an accredited or non‑accredited alternative certification program or pathway approved by the board that at a minimum requires passage of a subject area examination, pedagogy examination, United States Constitution examination and Wyoming Constitution examination. Issuance of this alternative certification shall be limited to the subject areas and grade levels successfully completed by the applicant. If the applicant is enrolled in or has completed an alternative certification program or pathway the applicant may apply for employment with a school district.

Section 2
.

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)

Speaker of the House

President of the Senate

Governor

TIME APPROVED: _________

DATE APPROVED: _________

I hereby certify that this act originated in the Senate.

Chief Clerk

1