1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to education; modifying licensure requirements for deaf and hard-of-hearing 
1.3 	students and for oral/aural deaf education; requiring a report;amending Minnesota 
1.4 	Statutes 2018, section 122A.28, subdivision 1.
1.5 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.6 	Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2018, section 122A.28, subdivision 1, is amended to read:
1.7 		Subdivision 1.K-12 license to teach deaf and hard-of-hearing students; 
1.8 	relicensure. (a) The Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board must review 
1.9 	and determine appropriate licensure requirements for a candidate for a license or an applicant 
1.10 	for a continuing license to teach deaf and hard-of-hearing students in prekindergarten through 
1.11 	grade 12. In addition to other requirements, the board must adopt rules requiring a candidate 
1.12 	must to demonstrate the minimum at least level of 4 proficiency in American sign language 
1.13 	as determined by the board on the American Sign Language Proficiency Interview evaluation.
1.14 	(b) Among other relicensure requirements, each teacher under this section must complete 
1.15 	30 continuing education clock hours on hearing loss topics, including American Sign 
1.16 	Language, American Sign Language linguistics, or deaf culture, and must demonstrate at 
1.17 	least level 4 proficiency on the American Sign Language Proficiency Interview evaluation 
1.18 	in each licensure renewal period.

1.19 	EFFECTIVE DATE. The changes to paragraph (b) are effective for renewal applications 
1.20 	beginning July 1, 2024.

2.1 	Sec. 2. ORAL/AURAL DEAF EDUCATION LICENSE REVIEW.
 2.2 	The Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board must review whether the 
2.3 	oral/aural deaf education license under Minnesota Rules, part 8710.5250, remains an 
2.4 	appropriate license to meet the needs of deaf and hard-of-hearing students and must decide 
2.5 	whether the oral/aural deaf education license should be discontinued or incorporated into 
2.6 	the requirements for the deaf and hard-of-hearing license under Minnesota Rules, part 
2.7 	8710.5200. The board must report its findings to the chairs and ranking minority members 
2.8 	of the legislative committees with jurisdiction over kindergarten through grade 12 education 
2.9 	no later than February 1, 2021, and must amend or adopt rules consistent with its report no 
2.10 	later than July 1, 2022.