PRINTER'S NO. 1087
No. 921 Session of 2007
INTRODUCED BY D. EVANS, ROEBUCK, FREEMAN, GALLOWAY, JOSEPHS,
W. KELLER, KING, KORTZ, LEACH, McILHATTAN, MELIO, MYERS,
M. O'BRIEN, PALLONE, PARKER, PAYTON, PRESTON, READSHAW,
SOLOBAY, STURLA, TANGRETTI, THOMAS, WALKO AND YOUNGBLOOD,
MARCH 29, 2007
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS, MARCH 29, 2007
AN ACT
1 Amending the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), entitled "An
2 act relating to the public school system, including certain
3 provisions applicable as well to private and parochial
4 schools; amending, revising, consolidating and changing the
5 laws relating thereto," providing for signing bonuses for
6 certain first-year teachers; and making an appropriation.
7 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
8 hereby enacts as follows:
9 Section 1. The act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known
10 as the Public School Code of 1949, is amended by adding a
11 section to read:
12 Section 1142.2. Teacher Signing Bonuses.--(a) The
13 Department of Education shall establish a program that awards
14 one-time signing bonuses to teachers who:
15 (1) Are hired to fill a vacancy in a critical shortage area.
16 Positions in critical shortage areas shall be certified by the
17 department on an annual basis.
18 (2) Are properly certificated by the department to teach.
1 (3) Are in the first year of full-time teaching.
2 (4) Agree to teach in a critical shortage area for at least
3 five (5) years.
4 (b) An eligible teacher shall receive a signing bonus equal
5 to twenty per centum (20%) of the teacher's starting salary to
6 be paid to the teacher over a five-year period as follows as
7 long as the teacher continues to teach in the critical shortage
8 area:
9 (1) Year one, five per centum (5%).
10 (2) Year two, ten per centum (10%).
11 (3) Year three, twenty per centum (20%).
12 (4) Year four, twenty-five per centum (25%).
13 (5) Year five, forty per centum (40%).
14 (c) A teacher who receives a signing bonus through false or
15 misleading information or who otherwise improperly receives a
16 signing bonus shall be required to refund to the Department of
17 Education the amount of signing bonus received.
18 (d) The Department of Education shall administer the program
19 under this section and shall adopt such regulations, policies,
20 procedures and forms as are necessary and not inconsistent with
21 this section.
22 Section 2. The sum of $4,000,000, or as much thereof as may
23 be necessary, is hereby appropriated to the Department of
24 Education for the fiscal year July 1, 2007, to June 30, 2008, to
25 carry out the provisions of section 1142.2 of the act.
26 Section 3. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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