AN ACT to amend and reenact section 15.1-13-12.1 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to the reporting requirements for a lifetime teaching license.
Summary
HB 1238 amends North Dakota’s lifetime teaching license law. Under current law, a teacher who has been licensed in the state for 30 years is eligible for lifetime licensure; the bill changes that threshold to 25 years. It also keeps in place the Education Standards and Practices Board’s authority to take disciplinary action against a lifetime license when warranted.
The bill also updates the reporting requirements for teachers who hold a lifetime license and are employed or intend to be employed as teachers. Instead of the existing reporting structure, those individuals must submit a report to the board at least once every five years, in the form prescribed by the board, at no cost to the license holder. The report must disclose whether the individual has violated a criminal statute since the last report or since the lifetime license was issued, and any other information that could lead to revocation or suspension of the license.
Impact
HB 1238 changes section 15.1-13-12.1 of the North Dakota Century Code by lowering the years-of-service requirement for lifetime teaching licensure from 30 to 25 and by clarifying the ongoing disclosure obligations for lifetime license holders. The bill affects the Education Standards and Practices Board, licensed teachers nearing retirement or already holding lifetime licenses, and the board’s ability to monitor fitness to teach and enforce discipline.
Sentiment
The bill appears to have broad bipartisan support and little visible opposition. It passed the House and Senate with large margins, including unanimous Senate approval, indicating general agreement with both the reduced service threshold and the updated reporting framework. The vote totals suggest the measure was viewed as a routine professional licensing update rather than a controversial policy change.
Contention
There is little evidence of major contention in the available record. The only likely points of discussion would be whether lowering the lifetime licensure threshold from 30 to 25 years is appropriate and whether the five-year reporting requirement is sufficient to protect students and maintain oversight. Any concerns would likely come from those focused on licensure standards and board oversight, but the strong vote totals indicate those concerns did not generate significant opposition.
AN ACT to amend and reenact section 15.1-13-12.1 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to the reporting requirements for a lifetime teaching license.
AN ACT to amend and reenact subsection 5 of section 15.1-13-26 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to denial of or immediate revocation of a teaching license for crimes against a child and sexual offenses.
AN ACT to amend and reenact section 15.1-21-02.10 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to a North Dakota scholarship for students interested in a teaching career; and to declare an emergency.
AN ACT to amend and reenact subsection 2 of section 43-37-02 and sections 43-37-04 and 43-37-13 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to licensure requirements of a speech-language pathology licensed assistant, temporary licensure, and investigation of an alleged violation.
AN ACT to amend and reenact subsections 7 and 8 of section 26.1-33.4-02 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to life settlement producer licenses and reporting requirements.