Bill Text: VA HB708 | 2024 | Regular Session | Prefiled

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Bill Title: National Teacher Certification Incentive Reward Program & Fund; eligibility, incentive grant awards.

Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 7-1)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2024-02-13 - Left in Appropriations [HB708 Detail]

Download: Virginia-2024-HB708-Prefiled.html

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24101941D
HOUSE BILL NO. 708 Offered January 10, 2024 Prefiled January 9, 2024 A BILL to amend and reenact §22.1-299.2 of the Code of Virginia, relating to National Teacher Certification Incentive Reward Program and Fund; eligibility; incentive grant awards. ---------- Patron-- Maldonado ---------- Committee Referral Pending ----------

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That §22.1-299.2 of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted as follows:

§22.1-299.2. National Board Certification Incentive Reward Program and Fund.

A. From such funds as may be appropriated for such purpose and from such gifts, donations, grants, bequests, and other funds as may be received on its behalf, there is hereby established the National Teacher Board Certification Incentive Reward Program (the "Program"), to be administered by the Board of Education, and a special nonreverting fund within the state treasury known as the National Teacher Board Certification Incentive Reward Program Fund (the "Fund"). The Fund shall be established on the books of the Comptroller, and any moneys remaining in the Fund at the end of the biennium shall not revert to the general fund but shall remain in the Fund. Interest earned on such funds shall remain in the Fund and be credited to it.

The State Treasurer shall manage the Fund, subject to the authority of the Board of Education to provide for its disbursement. The Fund shall be disbursed to award incentive grants to public school teachers obtaining staff who have obtained national certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards or who are candidates for initial national certification or maintenance of national certification (MOC) from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards to assist with the upfront costs of obtaining or maintaining such certification.

To the extent funds are available in the Fund, teachers B. Any candidate who is pursuing initial national certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards is eligible to apply to the Department for an incentive grant from the Fund pursuant to the Program to cover (i) half of the total initial national certification fee, equal to the sum of the cost of four components and the registration fee for initial national certification, to be disbursed upon initial registration for such certification and (ii) the remaining half of such total initial national certification fee to be disbursed upon successful achievement of initial national certification as verified by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards.

C. Any candidate who is pursuing MOC from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards is eligible to apply to the Department for an incentive grant from the Fund pursuant to the Program to cover the total MOC fee, equal to the sum of the cost of MOC and the registration fee for MOC, to be disbursed upon successful completion of the MOC process as verified by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards.

D. Any public school staff member who obtain has obtained national certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards shall receive an initial state-funded from the Fund pursuant to the Program an incentive grant award of $5,000 and a subsequent award of $2,500 $7,500 each year for the life of the certificate. Such annual incentive grant awards shall continue to be paid upon renewal maintenance of the certificate. The Board shall establish procedures for determining amounts of awards if the moneys in the Fund are not sufficient to award each eligible teacher the appropriate award amount such certification.

B. E. The Board may issue guidelines governing the Program as it deems necessary and appropriate.