Regular Session 2023-2024 Senate Bill 0700 P.N. 1183

PRIOR PRINTER'S NO. 877

PRINTER'S NO. 1183

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

SENATE BILL

No.

700

Session of

2023

INTRODUCED BY BROOKS, DUSH, LAUGHLIN, BROWN, HUTCHINSON, MILLER,

HAYWOOD, SCHWANK, MASTRIANO, MUTH AND PENNYCUICK,

JUNE 14, 2023

SENATOR ARGALL, EDUCATION, AS AMENDED, OCTOBER 24, 2023

AN ACT

Amending the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), entitled "An

act relating to the public school system, including certain

provisions applicable as well to private and parochial

schools; amending, revising, consolidating and changing the

laws relating thereto," in certification of teachers, further

providing for Career and Technical Instructional Certificate;

and abrogating regulations.

The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

hereby enacts as follows:

Section 1. Section 1204.2(b) of the act of March 10, 1949

(P.L.30, No.14), known as the Public School Code of 1949, is

amended and the section is amended by adding a subsection

SUBSECTIONS to read:

Section 1204.2. Career and Technical Instructional

Certificate.--* * *

(b) [In addition to other requirements promulgated by the

State Board of Education, the State Board of Education shall

require an applicant to present evidence of at least four (4)

years of wage-earning experience in the occupation to be taught

in order for the Secretary of Education to grant the applicant a

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Career and Technical Intern Certificate under 22 Pa. Code §

49.151 (relating to eligibility and criteria).] Notwithstanding

any requirement promulgated by the State Board of Education, the

Department of Education shall issue a Career and Technical

Instructional I Certificate IN ADDITION TO OTHER REQUIREMENTS

PROMULGATED BY THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION, THE DEPARTMENT OF

EDUCATION SHALL ISSUE A CAREER AND TECHNICAL INTERN CERTIFICATE

UNDER 22 PA. CODE § 49.151 (RELATING TO ELIGIBILITY AND

CRITERIA) to an individual seeking a position with the primary

responsibility of teaching occupational skills in State-approved

career and technical education programs in the public schools of

this Commonwealth if the individual presents any of the

following:

(1) Evidence of A MINIMUM OF eight thousand (8,000) hours,

equivalent to four (4) years full-time, within their lifetime of

wage-earning experience in the occupational area to be taught

and satisfactory achievement on an approved occupational

assessment .

(2) EVIDENCE OF A MINIMUM OF FOUR THOUSAND (4,000) HOURS,

EQUIVALENT TO TWO (2) YEARS FULL-TIME, OF WAGE-EARNING

EXPERIENCE IN THE OCCUPATIONAL AREA TO BE TAUGHT PLUS A

BACCALAUREATE DEGREE.

(2) (3) Evidence of A MINIMUM OF eight thousand (8,000)

hours, equivalent to four (4) years full-time, within their

lifetime of experience as a volunteer firefighter or emergency

medical technician in the occupational area to be taught and

satisfactory achievement on an approved occupational assessment .

(3) (4) Evidence OF A MINIMUM of eight thousand (8,000)

hours, equivalent to four (4) years full-time, OF experience

within their lifetime teaching post-secondary courses AT A

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REGIONALLY ACCREDITED INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION in the

occupational area to be taught and satisfactory achievement on

an approved occupational assessment .

* * *

(B.1) IN ADDITION TO OTHER REQUIREMENTS PROMULGATED BY THE

STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION, THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION SHALL

ISSUE A CAREER AND TECHNICAL INSTRUCTIONAL I CERTIFICATE UNDER

22 PA. CODE § 49.142 (RELATING TO CAREER AND TECHNICAL

INSTRUCTIONAL I) TO AN INDIVIDUAL SEEKING A POSITION WITH THE

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITY OF TEACHING OCCUPATIONAL SKILLS IN STATE-

APPROVED CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS IN THE PUBLIC

SCHOOLS OF THIS COMMONWEALTH IF THE INDIVIDUAL PRESENTS ANY OF

THE FOLLOWING:

(1) EVIDENCE OF A MINIMUM OF EIGHT THOUSAND (8,000) HOURS,

EQUIVALENT TO FOUR (4) YEARS FULL-TIME, OF WAGE-EARNING

EXPERIENCE IN THE OCCUPATIONAL AREA TO BE TAUGHT.

(2) EVIDENCE OF A MINIMUM OF FOUR THOUSAND (4,000) HOURS,

EQUIVALENT TO TWO (2) YEARS FULL-TIME, OF WAGE-EARNING

EXPERIENCE IN THE OCCUPATIONAL AREA TO BE TAUGHT PLUS A

BACCALAUREATE DEGREE.

(3) EVIDENCE OF A MINIMUM OF EIGHT THOUSAND (8,000) HOURS,

EQUIVALENT TO FOUR (4) YEARS FULL-TIME, AS A VOLUNTEER

FIREFIGHTER OR EMERGENCY MEDICAL TECHNICIAN IN THE OCCUPATIONAL

AREA TO BE TAUGHT.

(4) EVIDENCE OF A MINIMUM OF EIGHT THOUSAND (8,000) HOURS,

EQUIVALENT TO FOUR (4) YEARS FULL-TIME, OF EXPERIENCE TEACHING

POST-SECONDARY COURSES AT A REGIONALLY ACCREDITED INSTITUTION OF

HIGHER EDUCATION IN THE OCCUPATIONAL AREA TO BE TAUGHT.

* * *

(f) As used in this section, the following words and phrases

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shall have the meanings given to them in this subsection unless

the context clearly indicates otherwise:

"Emergency medical technician" shall mean an individual who

is certified by the Department of Health as an emergency medical

technician.

"Satisfactory achievement" shall mean an acceptable level of

performance as determined by the State Board of Education on the

department-prescribed assessments required under 22 Pa. Code Ch.

49 (relating to certification of professional personnel).

"Volunteer firefighter" shall mean as follows:

(1) A person who is a member of:

(i) a fire company organized and existing under the laws of

this Commonwealth;

(ii) a fire police unit, rescue squad, ambulance corps or

other like organization affiliated with one or more fire

companies; or

(iii) a fire company or affiliated organization which

participates in the fire service but does not look to that

service as his or her primary means of livelihood.

(2) A person does not lose status as a volunteer firefighter

solely because he or she may also be a paid firefighter, so long

as the person is acting within the scope of his or her

responsibilities as a member of a volunteer fire company at the

pertinent time and not within the scope of his or her

responsibilities as a paid firefighter.

Section 2. The provisions of 22 Pa. Code §§ 49.142(a)(1) and

49.151(b) are abrogated.

Section 3 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.

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