House File 119 - Introduced HOUSE FILE 119 BY LATHAM A BILL FOR An Act modifying provisions related to content specialist 1 authorizations and career and technical secondary 2 authorizations issued by the board of educational examiners 3 and including applicability provisions. 4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 5 TLSB 1197YH (5) 91 jda/jh

H.F. 119 Section 1. Section 256.146, subsection 12, Code 2025, is 1 amended to read as follows: 2 12. a. Adopt rules pursuant to chapter 17A to provide 3 for nontraditional preparation options for licensing persons 4 who hold a bachelor’s degree or higher from an accredited or 5 state-approved college or university, who do not meet other 6 requirements for licensure. The rules shall, at a minimum, 7 require the board to do all of the following: 8 a. (1) Issue a teacher intern license to an applicant 9 who has enrolled in a program established pursuant to section 10 256.16, subsection 1 , paragraph “m” . 11 b. (2) Allow a licensee who has attained a teacher intern 12 license pursuant to paragraph “a” subparagraph (1) to apply 13 for an initial teaching license if the school that employed 14 the licensee during the licensee’s completion of the program 15 established pursuant to section 256.16, subsection 1 , paragraph 16 “m” , and the higher education institution that operated the 17 program recommend that the licensee be allowed to apply for an 18 initial teaching license. 19 b. The rules adopted pursuant to paragraph “a” shall not 20 require an individual who holds a master’s degree or higher in 21 an endorsement area to convert the initial content specialist 22 authorization to a content specialist authorization. Instead, 23 the individual may continue to teach under the initial content 24 specialist authorization after the initial three-year period 25 so long as the individual is working under the direction of a 26 mentor teacher who holds a content specialist authorization. 27 Sec. 2. Section 256.146, subsection 26, Code 2025, is 28 amended to read as follows: 29 26. a. Adopt rules pursuant to chapter 17A that allow 30 an individual seeking a career and technical secondary 31 authorization to apply, and, if eligible, be issued the 32 secondary authorization prior to accepting an offer of 33 employment with a school. 34 b. The rules adopted pursuant to paragraph “a” shall not 35 -1- LSB 1197YH (5) 91 jda/jh 1/ 3

H.F. 119 require an individual who has an initial career and technical 1 secondary authorization to convert the initial career and 2 technical secondary authorization to a career and technical 3 secondary authorization. Instead, the individual may continue 4 to teach under the initial career and technical secondary 5 authorization after the initial three-year period so long as 6 the individual is working under the direction of an individual 7 who has a career and technical secondary authorization. 8 c. The rules adopted pursuant to paragraph “a” shall 9 require the board to issue an initial career and technical 10 secondary authorization to an applicant who is a community 11 college-employed instructor who meets the requirements 12 established in section 260C.48, subsection 1, paragraph “a” ; 13 provided, however, that such an applicant shall be disqualified 14 for any reason specified in subsection 13. 15 Sec. 3. APPLICABILITY. This Act applies to individuals 16 who apply to the board of educational examiners for an initial 17 content specialist authorization or an initial career and 18 technical secondary authorization before, on, or after the 19 effective date of this Act. 20 EXPLANATION 21 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 22 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 23 This bill modifies provisions related to content 24 specialist authorizations and career and technical secondary 25 authorizations issued by the board of educational examiners 26 (BOEE). 27 Current law requires the BOEE to adopt rules to provide 28 for nontraditional preparation options for licensing persons 29 who hold a bachelor’s degree or higher from an accredited or 30 state-approved college or university, who do not meet other 31 requirements for licensure. In accordance with this provision, 32 the BOEE has established by rule a content specialist 33 authorization, which is provided to applicants who have not 34 completed a teacher preparation program but who hold a master’s 35 -2- LSB 1197YH (5) 91 jda/jh 2/ 3

H.F. 119 degree or higher in an endorsement area. The bill provides 1 that such rules shall not require an individual who holds a 2 master’s degree or higher in an endorsement area to convert 3 the initial content specialist authorization to a content 4 specialist authorization. Instead, the individual may continue 5 to teach under the initial content specialist authorization 6 after the initial three-year period so long as the individual 7 is working under the direction of a mentor teacher who holds a 8 content specialist authorization. 9 These provisions apply to individuals who apply to the BOEE 10 for an initial content specialist authorization before, on, or 11 after the effective date of the bill. 12 Current law requires the BOEE to adopt rules related 13 to career and technical secondary authorizations. The 14 bill provides that such rules shall not require an 15 individual who has an initial career and technical secondary 16 authorization to convert the initial career and technical 17 secondary authorization to a career and technical secondary 18 authorization. Instead, the individual may continue to teach 19 under the initial career and technical secondary authorization 20 after the initial three-year period so long as the individual 21 is working under the direction of an individual who has a 22 career and technical secondary authorization. The bill also 23 provides that such rules shall require the BOEE to issue an 24 initial career and technical secondary authorization to an 25 applicant who is a community college-employed instructor who 26 meets the requirements established in Code section 260C.48 27 (standards for accrediting community college programs). 28 These provisions apply to individuals who apply to the BOEE 29 for an initial career and technical secondary authorization 30 before, on, or after the effective date of the bill. 31 -3- LSB 1197YH (5) 91 jda/jh 3/ 3