Maine Legislature, Session 121, LD 0957
Committee Amendment CA_A_H458 (House)
Amends: 20-A MRSA §13011

Act 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
.. ,:}" 
To Retain Teachers Holding 
to H.P. 714, L.D. 957, Bill, "An 
Targeted Need Area Certificates" 
Amend the bill by striking out the title and substituting 
the following: 
'An 
Act 
To 
Certificates, 
Endorsements' 
Retain 
Teachers 
Holdinq 
Tarqeted 
Conditional 
Certificates 
or 
Beed 
Area 
Transitional 
Further amend the bill by striking out everything after the 
enacting clause and before the summary and inserting in its place 
the following: 
'Sec. 1. 20·A MRSA §13011, sub.§9, as enacted by PL 1999, c. 
673, §1, is amended to read: 
9. 
Tarqeted need area certificate; exception. 
The state 
board shall adopt rules that establish criteria under which a 
targeted need area certificate may be issued. 
This certificate 
may be issued only to a person holding a bachelor's degree and 
teaching in a teacher shortage area. 
The teacher shortage area 
is determined by the commissioner. 
Rules adopted pursuant to 
this subsection are major substantive rules in accordance with 
Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter II-A 2-A. 
Any amendment to the 
rules 
adopted pursuant 
to 
this 
subsection that revises 
the 
qualifications for 
a 
targeted need area certificate does not 
apply to a person who was issued a targeted need area certificate 
prior to or during the school year preceding the adoption of 
revisions to the original rules as long as the holder of the 
targeted need area certificate annually completes the required 
course work and testing as determined by the department for the 
school year preceding the adoption of revised rules. 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT ,,~, to H.P. 714, L.D. 957 
Sec. 2. 20-A MRSA §13011, sub-§10 is enacted to read: 
10. 
Conditional 
certificate; 
transitional 
endorsement: 
exception. 
Any amendment to the rules adopted pursuant to this 
chapter 
that 
revises 
the 
qualifications 
for 
a 
conditional 
certificate or transitional endorsement does 
not apply to 
a 
person who was issued a conditional certificate or transitional 
endorsement prior to or during the school year preceding the 
adoption of revisions to the rules as long as the holder of the 
conditional 
certificate 
or 
transitional 
endorsement 
annually 
completes the required course work and testing as determined by 
the department for the school year preceding the adoption of 
revised rules. 
Sec. 3. Targeted need area certificate; exceptions for prelingually 
deaf applicants. 
Until the Department of Education adopts revised 
rules 
under the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 
20-A, 
section 
13011, subsection 9, the Department of Education may issue a 2nd 
targeted need area certificate to a prelingually deaf applicant 
provided that the applicant can show evidence of having attempted 
the Pre-professional Skills Test during the first year of holding 
the 
targeted 
need 
area 
certificate. 
A 
prelingua1ly 
deaf 
applicant may also be issued a 3rd targeted need area certificate 
provided that the applicant can show evidence of having attempted 
the Pre-professional Skills Test during the 2nd year of holding 
the targeted need area certificate. 
It is 
the 
intent of 
the 
Joint 
Standing 
Committee 
on 
Education 
and 
Cultural 
Affairs 
that, 
in the 
Department 
of 
Education's proceeding with the filing of the revised rule for 
the 
rema1n1ng 
portions 
of 
Chapter 
115: 
Certification, 
Authorization and Approval of Education Personnel, the department 
shall consider the concerns raised by the Superintendent of the 
Governor Baxter School for the Deaf and advocates for teachers of 
the 
deaf 
who 
are prelingually deaf 
regarding the 
need for 
accommodations for prelingually deaf applicants for targeted need 
area certificates. ' 
SUMMARY 
This amendment changes the title of the bill and expands the 
exception provisions of the bill. 
The amendment accomplishes the 
following. 
1. 
It provides an exception 
by the State Board of Education 
requirements for 
targeted need 
from any amended rules adopted 
that revise the qualifications 
area certificates, conditional 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
, 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT ,~ to H.P. 714, L.D. 957 
certificates or transitional endorsements. 
Teachers 
who 
were 
issued targeted need area certificates, conditional certificates 
or transitional endorsements to teach prior to or during the 
school year preceding the adoption of revisions to the original 
rules are exempt from any revision in the qualifications required 
by amended rules adopted by the State Board of Education for 
targeted 
need area certificates, 
conditional certificates or 
transitional 
endorsements, 
provided 
that 
the 
holder 
of 
the 
targeted 
need 
area 
certificate, 
conditional 
certificate 
or 
transitional endorsement annually completes the required course 
work and testing as determined by the Department of Education for 
the 
school year preceding the 
adoption of 
revisions 
to 
the 
original rules. 
2. 
It also provides that, until the Department of Education 
adopts revised rules under the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 
20-A, section 13011, subsection 9, the Department of Education 
may 
issue 
2nd 
and 
3rd 
targeted 
need 
area 
certificates 
to 
prelingually deaf applicants provided that an applicant can show 
evidence of having attempted the Pre-professional Skills Test 
during the first or 2nd year of holding the targeted need area 
certificate. 
3. 
It also directs the Department of Education to consider 
the concerns raised by the Superintendent of the Governor Baxter 
School for the Deaf and advocates for teachers of the deaf who 
are prelingually deaf regarding the need for accommodations for 
prelingually deaf applicants for targeted need area certificates 
as the department proceeds with the filing of the revised rule 
for 
the 
rema~n~ng portions 
of 
Chapter 
115: 
Certification, 
Authorization and Approval of Education Personnel. 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT