Signed by Governor Kate Brown

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that establishes new policies, guidelines, and regulations regarding teachers, education and funding.

Highlights:

• Authorizes the Department of Education to require school districts and private schools to send fingerprint information for criminal background checks after providing a contract and offer of employment for the following people (Sec. 1, Pgs. 1 & 2):

• A part-time or full-time contractor or employee of a contractor who has direct unsupervised contact with students of a school district or private school;

• A newly hired part-time or full-time employee of a school district or private school;

• A community college faculty member providing instruction at an early childhood education program site or k-12 school site during the regular school day; and

• A person who is an employee of a public charter school.

• Requires the Department of State Police to conduct the background checks and authorizes school districts and private schools to pay for the related costs by deducting pay from the checked employee in the method requested by that employee (Sec. 1, Pg. 1).

• Authorizes the Department of Education to forgo a criminal background check of the previously specified individuals if the person is one of the following (Sec. 1, Pg. 2):

• If the person had a criminal background at a previous school district or private school employer and has not lived outside of the state between then and their current attempt at employment with a school district or private school;

• If the person had a criminal background check conducted by the Teacher Standards and Practices Commission within the previous 3 years; or 

• If the person remained continuously licensed and registered with the Commission.

• Requires the Department of Education to develop a process and criteria for determining violations of the above standards, and false reporting of criminal history (Sec. 1, Pg. 2).

• Prohibits school districts from hiring, continuing employment, contracting with, or allowing a contractor to assign someone to the school district if said person refuses to consent to be fingerprinted and have a criminal background check conducted or the person has been convicted of a crime listed in prior laws (Sec. 1, Pg. 2).

• Requires that the Teacher Standards and Practices Commission conduct a review of its process for licensing out-of-state educators to simplify the process and encourage said educators to become licensed in the state, and that the Commission shall provide a report of the necessary changes no later than September 1, 2022 (Sec. 2).

• Requires that the Commission create new rules that reduce or suspend the professional development requirements to become licensed, registered, and certified by the Commission, to be adopted for license renewals requested between January 1, 2022 and December 31, 2023 (Sec. 4).

• Requires that the Department of Education and the Teacher Standards and Practices Commission jointly evaluate the possibilities for creating a new online portal for all levels of the educator application and employment process in the state and provide a report no later than September 1, 2023 (Sec. 5).

• Requires that the State Board of Education adopt new rules by which the Department of Education can distribute grants for the purpose of recruiting and retaining personnel in education (Sec. 7).

• Increases the General Fund appropriation made to the Department of Education for the period ending June 30, 2023 for K-12 grant-in-aid programs by $78,162,971, for the purposes of implementing the previous section (Sec. 8).

• Requires the State Board of Education to adopt new rule by which the Department of Education can provide reimbursements to substitute teachers and instructional assistants for personal costs incurred for training (Sec. 10).

• Appropriates $19,540,743 of the General Fund for the prior section (Sec. 11).

• Requires the Board to suspend any unessential reporting requirements not required by federal law for school and education service districts until June 30, 2023 (Secs. 12 & 13).

• Requires the Commission to establish a workforce data system in partnership with the University of Oregon to track needs of K-12 educator workforce (Sec. 16).

• Appropriates $1,623,093 to the Department of Education and $353,193 to the Commission from the General Fund for the implementation of this act (Secs. 19 & 20).

Full Bill Text

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that establishes new policies, guidelines, and regulations regarding teachers, education and funding.

Highlights:

• Authorizes the Department of Education to require school districts and private schools to send fingerprint information for criminal background checks after providing a contract and offer of employment for the following people (Sec. 1, Pgs. 1 & 2):

• A part-time or full-time contractor or employee of a contractor who has direct unsupervised contact with students of a school district or private school;

• A newly hired part-time or full-time employee of a school district or private school;

• A community college faculty member providing instruction at an early childhood education program site or k-12 school site during the regular school day; and

• A person who is an employee of a public charter school.

• Requires the Department of State Police to conduct the background checks and authorizes school districts and private schools to pay for the related costs by deducting pay from the checked employee in the method requested by that employee (Sec. 1, Pg. 1).

• Authorizes the Department of Education to forgo a criminal background check of the previously specified individuals if the person is one of the following (Sec. 1, Pg. 2):

• If the person had a criminal background at a previous school district or private school employer and has not lived outside of the state between then and their current attempt at employment with a school district or private school;

• If the person had a criminal background check conducted by the Teacher Standards and Practices Commission within the previous 3 years; or 

• If the person remained continuously licensed and registered with the Commission.

• Requires the Department of Education to develop a process and criteria for determining violations of the above standards, and false reporting of criminal history (Sec. 1, Pg. 2).

• Prohibits school districts from hiring, continuing employment, contracting with, or allowing a contractor to assign someone to the school district if said person refuses to consent to be fingerprinted and have a criminal background check conducted or the person has been convicted of a crime listed in prior laws (Sec. 1, Pg. 2).

• Requires that the Teacher Standards and Practices Commission conduct a review of its process for licensing out-of-state educators to simplify the process and encourage said educators to become licensed in the state, and that the Commission shall provide a report of the necessary changes no later than September 1, 2022 (Sec. 2).

• Requires that the Commission create new rules that reduce or suspend the professional development requirements to become licensed, registered, and certified by the Commission, to be adopted for license renewals requested between January 1, 2022 and December 31, 2023 (Sec. 4).

• Requires that the Department of Education and the Teacher Standards and Practices Commission jointly evaluate the possibilities for creating a new online portal for all levels of the educator application and employment process in the state and provide a report no later than September 1, 2023 (Sec. 5).

• Requires that the State Board of Education adopt new rules by which the Department of Education can distribute grants for the purpose of recruiting and retaining personnel in education (Sec. 7).

• Increases the General Fund appropriation made to the Department of Education for the period ending June 30, 2023 for K-12 grant-in-aid programs by $78,162,971, for the purposes of implementing the previous section (Sec. 8).

• Requires the State Board of Education to adopt new rule by which the Department of Education can provide reimbursements to substitute teachers and instructional assistants for personal costs incurred for training (Sec. 10).

• Appropriates $19,540,743 of the General Fund for the prior section (Sec. 11).

• Requires the Board to suspend any unessential reporting requirements not required by federal law for school and education service districts until June 30, 2023 (Secs. 12 & 13).

• Requires the Commission to establish a workforce data system in partnership with the University of Oregon to track needs of K-12 educator workforce (Sec. 16).

• Appropriates $1,623,093 to the Department of Education and $353,193 to the Commission from the General Fund for the implementation of this act (Secs. 19 & 20).

Full Bill Text

Full Bill Text