I 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 8551 

To amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to authorize 

an interstate teaching application program. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

OCTOBER 9, 2020 

Mr. CARSON of Indiana introduced the following bill; which was referred to 

the Committee on Education and Labor 

A BILL 

To amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act 

of 1965 to authorize an interstate teaching application 

program. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Interstate Teaching 

5 Mobility Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. PROGRAM FOR INTERSTATE TEACHING APPLICA7 TIONS. 

8 Title II of the Elementary and Secondary Education 

9 Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6601 et seq.) is amended by add10 ing at the end the following: 


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1 ‘‘PART D—INTERSTATE TEACHING 

2 APPLICATIONS 

3 ‘‘SEC. 2401. PROGRAM FOR INTERSTATE TEACHING APPLI4 CATIONS. 

5 ‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary, in consulta6 tion with an eligible entity, may establish and carry out 

7 a program to allow States to voluntarily participate in an 

8 interstate teaching application process that allows teach9 ers who are licensed or certified in any participating 

10 State— 

11 ‘‘(1) to be eligible for licensure or certification 

12 in other participating States without subsequently 

13 completing additional licensure or certification re14 quirements; and 

15 ‘‘(2) to be able to apply for open teaching posi16 tions in schools that receive funds under part A of 

17 title I in other participating States, unless the open 

18 position falls outside the applicant’s content area or 

19 grade level for which the applicant is already li20 censed or certified. 

21 ‘‘(b) PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS.—In carrying out a 

22 program established under subsection (a), the Secretary, 

23 in consultation with an eligible entity, shall— 

24 ‘‘(1) create an application for eligible teachers 

25 licensed or certified in a State participating in the 


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1 program who wish to teach in other States partici2 pating in the program; 

3 ‘‘(2) require each participating State to recog4 nize a teaching licensure or certification of each such 

5 teacher who meets the application requirements 

6 under subsection (c)(1), and allow such teacher to 

7 teach in an open teaching position described in sub8 section (a)(2), without requiring such teacher to 

9 complete additional requirements for licensure or 

10 certification; 

11 ‘‘(3) ensure that participating States maintain 

12 the eligibility requirements described in subsection 

13 (d); 

14 ‘‘(4) provide technical assistance to partici15 pating States; and 

16 ‘‘(5) provide an electronic application process 

17 for teachers to apply for the program. 

18 ‘‘(c) PARTICIPATING TEACHERS.— 

19 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Each teacher seeking to 

20 participate in a program established under sub21 section (a) shall submit an application containing— 

22 ‘‘(A) proof of an active teaching license or 

23 certification in a participating State; 

24 ‘‘(B) the teacher’s results on each of the 

25 assessments described in subparagraphs (A) 


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1 through (C) of subsection (d)(1) that are re2 quired by the initial licensing or certifying par3 ticipating State; and 

4 ‘‘(C) such other information as the Sec5 retary considers appropriate. 

6 ‘‘(2) CONTRACT.—The eligible entity referred to 

7 in subsections (a) and (b) shall collect and assist the 

8 Secretary in reviewing the teacher applications sub9 mitted under paragraph (1). 

10 ‘‘(d) PARTICIPATING STATES.—A State shall be eligi11 ble to participate in a program established under sub12 section (a) if— 

13 ‘‘(1) such State, in awarding a teaching license 

14 or certification to an individual, requires— 

15 ‘‘(A) an assessment of the content knowl16 edge necessary for postsecondary education and 

17 a career before a teacher begins teaching in a 

18 classroom; 

19 ‘‘(B) an assessment of pedagogical skills 

20 necessary for postsecondary education and a ca21 reer before a teacher begins teaching in a class22 room; and 

23 ‘‘(C) a performance assessment necessary 

24 for postsecondary education and a career before 

25 a teacher begins teaching in a classroom; and 


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1 ‘‘(2) the assessments described in paragraph 

2 (1) and required by such State are identified as suf3 ficiently rigorous by an organization such as the 

4 Council of Chief State School Officers. 

5 ‘‘(e) REGULATIONS.—The Secretary may issue such 

6 regulations as the Secretary considers necessary to carry 

7 out this section. 

8 ‘‘(f) DEFINITION.—In this section, the term ‘eligible 

9 entity’ means an organization or other entity that provides 

10 support to States and teachers in teacher certification and 

11 licensure, approved by the Secretary.’’. 

12 SEC. 3. CLERICAL AMENDMENT. 

13 The table of contents for the Elementary and Sec14 ondary Education Act of 1965 is amended by inserting 

15 after the item relating to section 2302 the following: 

‘‘PART D—INTERSTATE TEACHING APPLICATIONS 

‘‘Sec. 2401. Program for interstate teaching applications.’’. 

Æ 


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