Existing law requires the Commission on Teacher Credentialing to, among other duties, establish standards for the issuance and renewal of credentials, certificates, and permits.

This bill would require the commission to grant or deny a completed application for a credential within 7 days of the date that the commission received the application if the applicant supplies the commission with evidence that the applicant is married to, or in a domestic partnership or other legal union with, an active duty member of the Armed Forces of the United States who is assigned to a duty station in this state under official active duty military orders and holds a valid teaching credential in another state, district, or territory of the United States. The bill would exempt an application subject to a designated fitness review from this requirement.

Existing law requires the Commission on Teacher Credentialing to, among other duties, establish standards for the issuance and renewal of credentials, certificates, and permits.

This bill would require the commission to grant or deny a completed application for a credential within 7 days of the date that the commission received the application if the applicant supplies the commission with evidence that the applicant is married to, or in a domestic partnership or other legal union with, an active duty member of the Armed Forces of the United States who is assigned to a duty station in this state under official active duty military orders and holds a valid teaching credential in another state, district, or territory of the United States. The bill would exempt an application subject to a designated fitness review from this requirement.

Existing law requires the Commission on Teacher Credentialing to, among other duties, establish standards for the issuance and renewal of credentials, certificates, and permits.

This bill would require the commission to grant or deny an a completed application for a credential within 7 days of the date that the commission received the application if the applicant supplies the commission with evidence that the applicant is married to, or in a domestic partnership or other legal union with, an active duty member of the Armed Forces of the United States who is assigned to a duty station in this state under official active duty military orders and holds a valid teaching credential in another state, district, or territory of the United States. The bill would exempt an application subject to a designated fitness review from this requirement.

Existing law requires the Commission on Teacher Credentialing to, among other duties, establish standards for the issuance and renewal of credentials, certificates, and permits.

Existing law requires the Commission on Teacher Credentialing to, among other duties, establish standards for the issuance and renewal of credentials, certificates, and permits.

This bill would require the commission to adopt regulations to give priority for review and processing to applications for credentials, temporary certificates, and permits by spouses of military personnel on active duty.

CONCURRENCE IN SENATE AMENDMENTS

CSA1 Bill Id:AB 226

Author:(Cervantes and Chávez)

As Amended Ver:June 14, 2017

Majority vote

Original Committee Reference: ED.

SUMMARY: Requires the Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC) to grant or deny a completed application for a credential within seven days of receipt if the applicant holds a valid teaching credential in another state and is married to, or in a domestic partnership or other legal union with, an active duty member of the Armed Forces of the United States who is assigned to a duty station in this state.

The Senate amendments specify that the seven-day processing time set forth shall not apply to an application subject to a fitness review by the commission.

EXISTING LAW:

1. Requires the CTC to process credential applications within 50 business days of receipt. (Education Code Section 44350)
2. Specifies that in order to expedite the application process for the benefit of applicants for credentials, certificates, permits, or other documents issued by the commission, the commission may receive from, or transmit to, the agency that submitted the application, either electronically or by printed copy, the information set forth in that application; and specifies that "agency" means a school district, county office of education, or institution of higher education having a commission-approved program of professional preparation. (Education Code Section 44230)

FISCAL EFFECT: According to the Senate Appropriations Committee, the CTC indicates this bill would result in the need for 1.0 Personnel Years and approximately $90,000 General Fund to complete the expedited reviews of credentialing applications. This estimate assumes that the bill would apply to about 100 credentials per year, which is based on the number of candidates who take advantage of the CTC's fee waiver program for military spouses.

COMMENTS: According to the Commission on Teacher Credentialing, "Approximately eighty percent of all applications are submitted online, including recommendations submitted by credential programs and employing agencies. Renewal applications are processed online as well. The remaining twenty percent are paper applications. Online renewals were processed within an average of three business days, and recommendations from an approved program were processed within an average of one business day when no additional review was required. Paper applications submitted directly from an applicant were processed within an average of forty-two business days when no additional review was required. The data for this reporting period show that ninety-six percent of applications were processed within the statutory timeline [of 50 days], with over seventy-seven percent of all applications being processed within five business days."

Expedited Credential Processing. The CTC currently expedites credential applications that come from school districts and other agencies. According to the CTC, the expedited application processing timeframe varies a bit based on the type of application (regular credentials process much faster than emergency documents like STSPs and PIPs, for example) and time of year, but the average is less than 10 days. The expedited process occurs most often when a teacher has been hired by an agency, and that agency submits the teacher's application for expedited processing.

Because the average length of time for processing credential applications is 42 days and the average length of time for processing expedited credentials received from school districts and other agencies is less than 10 days, the committee should consider whether creating a specific seven-day timeline for military spouses is necessary.

According to the author, state teacher certification is generally designed to credential a teacher to work within a school district over extended periods of time. Policies that allow a teacher certified in another state to become credentialed in a new state require extensive documentation and may require additional testing and course work. Military spouse teachers are expected to accomplish these credentialing requirements every two to three years due to military directed moves. Military spouse teachers often encounter difficulty acquiring licensure in a state after a move. Establishing a temporary certificate, or expediting application and adjudication processes for military spouses may alleviate the delays in garnering certification to teach in that in the state. Existing law requires the Commission on Teacher Credentialing to, among other duties, establish standards for the issuance and renewal of credentials, certificates, and permits.

Analysis Prepared by: Chelsea Kelley / ED. / (916) 319-2087 FN: 0001994

 THIRD READING  

Bill No: AB 226

Author:

:

Vote:

SENATE EDUCATION COMMITTEE: 7-0, 6/7/17

AYES: Allen, Wilk, Galgiani, Leyva, Mendoza, Pan, Vidak

SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE: 7-0, 9/1/17

AYES: Lara, Bates, Beall, Bradford, Hill, Nielsen, Wiener

ASSEMBLY FLOOR: 74-0, 4/20/17 (Consent) - See last page for vote

SUBJECT:

SOURCE: Author

DIGEST:

This bill requires the Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC) to expedite their review of applicants that have valid teaching credentials from other states and are married to, or in a legal union with, a member of the military on active duty in California.

ANALYSIS:

Existing law:

1. Requires the CTC to process credential applications within 50 business days of receipt.
2. Specifies that the CTC may transmit, electronically or by printed copy, application information from the school district, county office of education, or institution of higher education that submitted the application to expedite the review process.
3. Requires the CTC to waive all application and processing fees for the initial issuance of a teaching credential to an out-of-state prepared applicant who relocates to California due to orders received by the applicant’s spouse from a branch of the military.
4. Requires the CTC to issue a variety of five-year preliminary teaching credentials and clear multiple subject, single subject, or education specialist teaching credentials to out-of-state prepared teachers who meet the state’s basic skills proficiency requirements within one year and meet other various requirements.

This bill requires the CTC to grant or deny a completed application for a credential that is not subject to a fitness review within seven days of receipt if the applicant does both of the following:

1. Supplies evidence that the applicant is married to, or in a domestic partnership or another legal union with, an active duty member of the Armed Forces of the United States who is assigned to a duty station in this state under official active duty military orders.
2. Holds a valid teaching credential in another state, district, or territory of the United States.

Comments

1. Need for the bill. According to the author, “state teacher certification is generally designed to credential a teacher to work within a school district over extended periods of time. Policies that allow a teacher certified in another state to become credentialed in a new state require extensive documentation and may require additional testing and course work. Military spouse teachers are expected to accomplish these credentialing requirements every two to three years due to military directed moves…Establishing a temporary certificate, or expediting application and adjudication processes for military spouses may alleviate the delays in garnering certification to teach in the state.”
2. Typical application review timeline by the CTC. According to the CTC, about 80 percent of all applications are submitted online, with the remaining 20 percent submitted on paper. Online renewals are typically processed within an average of three business days, and recommendations from approved programs are processed within an average of one business day. Paper applications submitted directly from an applicant are processed within an average of 42 business days. Overall, 96 percent of applications are typically processed within the statutory timeline of 50 days, with over 77 percent being processed within five business days.
3. Out-of-state prepared teacher reciprocity and benefits. California currently offers individuals who have completed a teacher preparation program and have been issued a teaching certification in another state the opportunity to apply for a California teaching certification through reciprocity agreements. The exact process for certification differs depending on the individual’s level of professional experience and type of certification. Further, testing fees are waived for the initial issuance of a teaching credential to an out-of-state prepared applicant who relocates to California due to orders received by the applicant’s spouse from a branch of the military.

FISCAL EFFECT: Appropriation: Fiscal Com.: Local:

According to the Senate Appropriations Committee, the CTC indicates this bill will result in the need for 1.0 PYs and approximately $90,000 General Fund to complete the expedited reviews of credentialing applications. This estimate assumes that this bill would apply to about 100 credentials per year, which is based on the number of candidates who take advantage of the CTC’s fee waiver program for military spouses.

SUPPORT: (Verified 8/31/17)

United States Department of Defense

OPPOSITION: (Verified 8/31/17)

None received

ASSEMBLY FLOOR: 74-0, 4/20/17

AYES: Acosta, Aguiar-Curry, Travis Allen, Arambula, Baker, Berman, Bigelow, Bloom, Bocanegra, Bonta, Burke, Caballero, Calderon, Cervantes, Chau, Chávez, Chen, Chiu, Chu, Cooley, Cooper, Cunningham, Dababneh, Dahle, Daly, Eggman, Flora, Fong, Frazier, Friedman, Cristina Garcia, Eduardo Garcia, Gipson, Gloria, Gomez, Gonzalez Fletcher, Gray, Grayson, Harper, Holden, Irwin, Jones-Sawyer, Kalra, Kiley, Lackey, Levine, Limón, Low, Maienschein, Mayes, McCarty, Medina, Melendez, Mullin, Muratsuchi, Nazarian, Obernolte, O'Donnell, Quirk, Quirk-Silva, Reyes, Rodriguez, Rubio, Salas, Santiago, Steinorth, Mark Stone, Thurmond, Ting, Voepel, Waldron, Weber, Wood, Rendon

NO VOTE RECORDED: Brough, Choi, Gallagher, Mathis, Patterson, Ridley-Thomas

Prepared by:

9/4/17 13:02:51

**** END ****

SENATE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS

Senator Ricardo Lara, Chair

2017 - 2018 Regular Session

AB 226 (Cervantes) - Teacher credentialing: spouses of active duty members of the Armed Forces: expedited application process

This bill meets the criteria for referral to the Suspense File.

Bill Summary:

This bill requires the Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC) to expedite their review of applicants that have valid teaching credentials from other states and are married to, or in a legal union with, a member of the military on active duty in California.

Fiscal Impact:

The CTC indicates this bill would result in the need for 1.0 PYs and approximately $90,000 General Fund to complete the expedited reviews of credentialing applications. This estimate assumes that the bill would apply to about 100 credentials per year, which is based on the number of candidates who take advantage of the CTC’s fee waiver program for military spouses.

Background:

Existing law requires the CTC to process credential applications within 50 business days of receipt. The CTC may transmit, electronically or by printed copy, application information from the school district, county office of education, or institution of higher education that submitted the application to expedite the review process. Existing law also requires the CTC to waive all application and processing fees for the initial issuance of a teaching credential to an out-of-state prepared applicant who relocates to California due to orders received by the applicant’s spouse from a branch of the military. Further, CTC is required to issue a variety of five-year preliminary teaching credentials and clear multiple subject, single subject, or education specialist teaching credentials to out-of-state prepared teachers who meet the state’s basic skills proficiency requirements within one year and meet other various requirements.

Proposed Law:

This bill requires the CTC to grant or deny an application for a credential within seven days of receipt if the applicant does both of the following: supplies evidence that the applicant is married to, or in a domestic partnership or another legal union with, an active duty member of the Armed Forces of the United States who is assigned to a duty station in this state under official active duty military orders; and holds a valid teaching credential in another state, district, or territory of the United States. The bill provides that the seven-day processing timeframe does not apply to an application subject to a fitness review by the CTC, as specified.

-- END --

SENATE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION

Senator Benjamin Allen, Chair

2017 - 2018 Regular

Bill No: AB 226 Hearing Date: June 7, 2017

Subject: Teacher credentialing: spouses of active-duty members of the Armed Forces: expedited application process

SUMMARY

This bill requires the Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC) to expedite their review of applicants that have valid teaching credentials from other states and are married to, or in a legal union with, a member of the military on active duty in California.

BACKGROUND

Existing law:

1. Requires the CTC to process credential applications within 50 business days of receipt.
2. Specifies that the CTC may transmit, electronically or by printed copy, application information from the school district, county office of education, or institution of higher education that submitted the application to expedite the review process.
3. Requires the CTC to waive all application and processing fees for the initial issuance of a teaching credential to an out-of-state prepared applicant who relocates to California due to orders received by the applicant’s spouse from a branch of the military.
4. Requires the CTC to issue a variety of five-year preliminary teaching credentials and clear multiple subject, single subject, or education specialist teaching credentials to out-of-state prepared teachers who meet the state’s basic skills proficiency requirements within one year and meet other various requirements.

ANALYSIS

This bill requires the CTC to grant or deny an application for a credential within seven days of receipt if the applicant does both of the following:

1. Supplies evidence that the applicant is married to, or in a domestic partnership or another legal union with, an active duty member of the Armed Forces of the United States who is assigned to a duty station in this state under official active duty military orders.
2. Holds a valid teaching credential in another state, district, or territory of the United States.

STAFF COMMENTS

1. Need for the bill. According to the author, “state teacher certification is generally designed to credential a teacher to work within a school district over extended periods of time. Policies that allow a teacher certified in another state to become credentialed in a new state require extensive documentation and may require additional testing and course work. Military spouse teachers are expected to accomplish these credentialing requirements every two to three years due to military directed moves…Establishing a temporary certificate, or expediting application and adjudication processes for military spouses may alleviate the delays in garnering certification to teach in the state.”
2. Typical application review timeline by the Commission. According to the Commission on Teacher Credentialing, about 80 percent of all applications are submitted online, with the remaining 20 percent submitted on paper. Online renewals are typically processed within an average of three business days, and recommendations from approved programs are processed within an average of one business day. Paper applications submitted directly from an applicant are processed within an average of 42 business days. Overall, 96 percent of applications are typically processed within the statutory timeline of 50 days, with over 77 percent being processed within five business days.
3. Out-of-state prepared teacher reciprocity and benefits. California currently offers individuals who have completed a teacher preparation program and have been issued a teaching certification in another state the opportunity to apply for a California teaching certification through reciprocity agreements. The exact process for certification differs depending on the individual’s level of professional experience and type of certification. Further, testing fees are waived for the initial issuance of a teaching credential to an out-of-state prepared applicant who relocates to California due to orders received by the applicant’s spouse from a branch of the military.
4. Background checks and fitness reviews for out-of-state teachers. For purposes of background checks, out-of-state applicants must use fingerprint cards unless they can physically come to California and go to a scanning station.  The Department of Justice quotes between eight and ten weeks for processing background checks based on fingerprint cards. This timeframe conflicts with the provisions of this bill and is out of the control of the Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC). In addition, under current law, the statutory clock for processing applications is paused, and due process commences if a fitness review must be performed over alleged misconduct. Lastly, incomplete application submittals can slow processing times for the CTC. If it is the desire of the committee to pass this measure, staff recommends that the bill be amended to specify that the seven-day review requirement: (1) only applies to completed applications that include all relevant records; and (2) does not apply to the process related to a professional fitness review, when required.

SUPPORT

United States Department of Defense

OPPOSITION

None received

-- END --

Date of Hearing: April 5, 2017

ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS

Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher, Chair

ABPCA Bill Id:AB 226

Author:(Cervantes) – As Amended Ver:March 14, 2017

Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program: No Reimbursable: No

SUMMARY:

This bill requires the Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC) to grant or deny an application for a credential within 7 days of receipt, if the applicant holds a valid teaching credential in another state and is married to, or in a domestic partnership or other legal union with, an active duty member of the Armed Forces of the United States who is assigned to a duty station in this state under official active duty military orders.

FISCAL EFFECT:

Approximately $90,000 on-going General Fund costs to hire a full-time permanent position.

COMMENTS:

1. Purpose. According to the author, “state teacher certification is generally designed to credential a teacher to work within a school district over extended periods of time. Policies that allow a teacher certified in another state to become credentialed in a new state require extensive documentation and may require additional testing and course work. Military spouse teachers are expected to accomplish these credentialing requirements every two to three years due to military directed moves…Establishing a temporary certificate, or expediting application and adjudication processes for military spouses may alleviate the delays in garnering certification to teach in that in the state.”
2. Background. Existing law requires the CTC to process credential applications within 50 business days of receipt. According to the CTC, "Approximately 80% of all applications are submitted online, including recommendations submitted by credential programs and employing agencies. Renewal applications are processed online as well. The remaining 20% are paper applications. Online renewals were processed within an average of three business days, and recommendations from an approved program were processed within an average of one business day when no additional review was required. Paper applications submitted directly from an applicant were processed within an average of forty-two business days when no additional review was required. The data for this reporting period show that 96% of applications were processed within the statutory timeline [of 50 days], with over 76% of all applications being processed within five business days."

The CTC currently expedites credential applications that come from school districts and other agencies. The average is less than 10 days. The expedited process occurs most often when a teacher has been hired by an agency, and that agency submits the teacher's application for expedited processing.

1. Staff Comments: The current average length of time for processing expedited credentials received from school districts and other agencies is less than 10 days. Establishing a 7 day timeline for military spouses creates a precedent and may result in future cost pressures to meet new statutory timelines.

Analysis Prepared by: Daisy Gonzales / APPR. / (916) 319-2081

Date of Hearing: March 22, 2017

ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION

Patrick O'Donnell, Chair

ABPCA Bill Id:AB 226 (

Author:Cervantes and Chavez) – As Amended Ver:March 14, 2017

SUBJECT: Teacher credentialing: application priority: spouses of military personnel

SUMMARY: Requires the Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC) to grant or deny an application for a credential within 7 days of receipt if the applicant holds a valid teaching credential in another state and is married to, or in a domestic partnership or other legal union with, an active duty member of the Armed Forces of the United States who is assigned to a duty station in this state.

EXISTING LAW:

1. Requires the CTC to process credential applications within 50 business days of receipt. (Education Code Section 44350)
2. Specifies that in order to expedite the application process for the benefit of applicants for credentials, certificates, permits, or other documents issued by the commission, the commission may receive from, or transmit to, the agency that submitted the application, either electronically or by printed copy, the information set forth in that application; and specifies that “agency” means a school district, county office of education, or institution of higher education having a commission-approved program of professional preparation. (Education Code Section 44230)

FISCAL EFFECT: Unknown

COMMENTS: According to the Commission on Teacher Credentialing, "Approximately eighty percent of all applications are submitted online, including recommendations submitted by credential programs and employing agencies. Renewal applications are processed online as well. The remaining twenty percent are paper applications. Online renewals were processed within an average of three business days, and recommendations from an approved program were processed within an average of one business day when no additional review was required. Paper applications submitted directly from an applicant were processed within an average of forty-two business days when no additional review was required. The data for this reporting period show that ninety-six percent of applications were processed within the statutory timeline [of 50 days], with over seventy-seven percent of all applications being processed within five business days."

Expedited Credential Processing. The CTC currently expedites credential applications that come from school districts and other agencies. According to the CTC, the expedited application processing timeframe varies a bit based on the type of application (regular credentials process much faster than emergency documents like STSPs and PIPs, for example) and time of year, but the average is less than 10 days. The expedited process occurs most often when a teacher has been hired by an agency, and that agency submits the teacher's application for expedited processing.

Because the average length of time for processing credential applications is 42 days and the average length of time for processing expedited credentials received from school districts and other agencies is less than 10 days, the committee should consider whether creating a specific 7 day timeline for military spouses is necessary.

According to the author, state teacher certification is generally designed to credential a teacher to work within a school district over extended periods of time. Policies that allow a teacher certified in another state to become credentialed in a new state require extensive documentation and may require additional testing and course work. Military spouse teachers are expected to accomplish these credentialing requirements every two to three years due to military directed moves. Military spouse teachers often encounter difficulty acquiring licensure in a state after a move. Establishing a temporary certificate, or expediting application and adjudication processes for military spouses may alleviate the delays in garnering certification to teach in that in the state. Existing law requires the Commission on Teacher Credentialing to, among other duties, establish standards for the issuance and renewal of credentials, certificates, and permits.

REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION:

Support

United States Department of Defense

Opposition

None on file

Analysis Prepared by: Chelsea Kelley / ED. / (916) 319-2087