Virginia-2020-HB725-Prefiled

20104011D
HOUSE BILL NO. 725 Offered January 8, 2020 Prefiled January 6, 2020 A BILL to amend and reenact §22.1-299 of the Code of Virginia, relating to teachers in certain schools for students with disabilities; provisional licenses; extension. ---------- Patron-- Reid ---------- Committee Referral Pending ----------

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That §22.1-299 of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted as follows:

§22.1-299. License required of teachers; provisional licenses; exceptions.

A. No teacher shall be regularly employed by a school board or paid from public funds unless such teacher holds a license or provisional license issued by the Board.

B. Notwithstanding the provision in §22.1-298.1 that the provisional license is limited to three years, the following exceptions shall apply:

1. If a teacher employed in the Commonwealth under a provisional license is activated or deployed for military service within a school year (July 1-June 30), an additional year shall be added to the teacher's provisional license for each school year or portion thereof during which the teacher is activated or deployed. The additional year shall be granted the year following the return of the teacher from deployment or activation.

2. The Board shall extend for at least one additional year, but for no more than two additional years, the three-year provisional license of a teacher upon receiving from the division superintendent (i) a recommendation for such extension and (ii) satisfactory performance evaluations for such teacher for each year of the original three-year provisional license.

3. The Board shall extend for at least one additional year, but for no more than two additional years, the three-year provisional license of a teacher employed in a school for students with disabilities that is licensed pursuant to Chapter 16 (§22.1-319 et seq.) upon receiving from the school administrator of such school (i) a recommendation for such extension and (ii) satisfactory performance evaluations for such teacher for each year of the original three-year provisional license.

C. In accordance with regulations prescribed by the Board, a person not meeting the requirements for a license or provisional license may be employed and paid from public funds by a school board temporarily as a substitute teacher to meet an emergency.