An Act To Protect Teachers from Professional Teacher Certificate Endorsement Changes
Maine Legislature, Session 129, LD 1858
Committee: Education and Cultural Affairs
Sponsors: McCREA, MILLETT, BRENNAN, DODGE, FARNSWORTH, INGWERSEN, KORNFIELD, SAMPSON
Amends: 20-A MRSA §13006-A, 20-A MRSA §13013

Legislative Document
No. 1858
H.P. 1329
House of Representatives, December 23, 2019
An Act To Protect Teachers from Professional Teacher Certificate 
Endorsement Changes
Approved for introduction by a majority of the Legislative Council pursuant to Joint Rule 
203.
Received by the Clerk of the House on December 19, 2019.  Referred to the Committee on 
Education and Cultural Affairs pursuant to Joint Rule 308.2 and ordered printed pursuant to 
Joint Rule 401.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative McCREA of Fort Fairfield.
Cosponsored by Senator MILLETT of Cumberland and
Representatives: BRENNAN of Portland, DODGE of Belfast, FARNSWORTH of Portland, 
INGWERSEN of Arundel, KORNFIELD of Bangor, SAMPSON of Alfred.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  20-A MRSA §13006-A, sub-§3, as enacted by PL 2017, c. 235, §5 and 
affected by §41, is amended to read:
3.  Application of rules revising credential qualifications or endorsements.  An 
amendment to the rules adopted to implement this chapter or chapter 502 that revises the 
qualifications for a credential or the grades or subject area endorsements for a 
professional teacher certificate does not apply to a person who was issued a credential or 
endorsement prior to or during the school year preceding the adoption of revisions to the 
rules.
Sec. 2.  20-A MRSA §13013, sub-§3, as amended by PL 2017, c. 235, §12 and 
affected by §41, is further amended to read:
3.  Endorsements.  A professional teacher certificate must be issued with an 
endorsement that specifies the grades and subject area that the teacher is deemed 
determined qualified to teach. A holder of a professional teacher certificate may not teach 
outside the certificate holder's area of endorsement unless the certificate holder has 
received a waiver from the commissioner in accordance with state board rules. 
Sec. 3.  20-A MRSA §13013, sub-§5, as enacted by PL 2017, c. 235, §12 and 
affected by §41, is amended to read:
5.  Renewal.  A professional teacher certificate may be renewed for 5-year periods in 
accordance with state board rules, which must require, at a minimum, that the teacher, 
whether employed or unemployed, complete at least 6 semester hours of professional or 
academic study or in-service training designed to improve the performance of the teacher 
in the field.  If the teacher has attained certification from the National Board for 
Professional Teaching Standards, the renewal period is for 10 years.  If a rule adopted 
pursuant to section 13006-A amends the endorsement specifications for grades or subject 
areas for a teacher's professional teacher certificate, the teacher may renew the teacher's 
professional teacher certificate with the same grades and subject areas endorsements as 
were issued with the professional teacher certificate originally issued to that teacher.
SUMMARY
This bill provides that a rule adopted that amends specifications for grades or subject 
areas endorsements for a professional teacher certificate does not apply to the 
endorsements on a professional teacher certificate held by a person if the endorsements 
were issued prior to or during the school year preceding the adoption of the rules and that 
a teacher may renew the teacher's professional teacher certificate with the same grades 
and subject areas endorsements as were originally issued to that teacher.