Text of KY HB 759 (2026)

UNOFFICIAL COPY 26 RS BR 1662 Page 1 of 19 XXXX 2/25/2026 3:32 PM Jacketed AN ACT relating to teacher certification. 1 Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky: 2 Section 1. KRS 161.048 is amended to read as follows: 3 (1) The General Assembly hereby finds that: 4 (a) 1. There are persons who have distinguished themselves through a variety 5 of work and educational experiences that could enrich teaching in 6 Kentucky schools; 7 2. There are distinguished scholars who wish to become teachers in 8 Kentucky's public schools, but who did not pursue a teacher preparation 9 program; 10 3. There are persons who should be recruited to teach in Kentucky's public 11 schools as they have academic majors, strong verbal skills as shown by 12 a verbal ability test, and deep knowledge of content, characteristics that 13 empirical research identifies as important attributes of quality teachers; 14 4. There are persons who need to be recruited to teach in Kentucky schools 15 to meet the diverse cultural and educational needs of students; and 16 5. There should be alternative procedures to the traditional teacher 17 preparation programs that qualify persons as teachers; 18 (b) There are hereby established alternative certification routes[program options] 19 as described in subsections (2) to (10) of this section; 20 (c) It is the intent of the General Assembly that the Education Professional 21 Standards Board inform scholars, persons with exceptional work experience, 22 and persons with diverse backgrounds who have potential as teachers of these 23 alternative routes[options] and assist local boards of education in 24 implementing these alternative routes[options] and recruitment of individuals 25 who can enhance the education system in Kentucky; 26 (d) The Education Professional Standards Board may reject the application of any 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 26 RS BR 1662 Page 2 of 19 XXXX 2/25/2026 3:32 PM Jacketed candidate who is judged as not meeting academic requirements comparable to 1 those for students enrolled in Kentucky teacher preparation programs; and 2 (e) The Education Professional Standards Board shall promulgate administrative 3 regulations establishing standards and procedures for the alternative 4 routes[certification options] described in this section[. If the certification 5 option requires employment prior to certification, the procedures shall 6 establish a process for candidates to obtain an eligible for hire letter from the 7 Education Professional Standards Board]. 8 (2) The following are the established alternative routes to certification: 9 (a) [Option 1: Certification of a person with ]Exceptional work experience. An 10 individual who has exceptional work experience shall receive a one (1) year 11 provisional certificate with approval by the Education Professional Standards 12 Board of an application by the individual under the following conditions: 13 1.[(a)] The application contains documentation of all education and work 14 experience; 15 2.[(b)] The candidate has documented exceptional work experience in the 16 area in which certification is being sought; and 17 3.[(c)] The candidate possesses: 18 a.[1.] A bachelor's degree or a graduate degree; 19 b.[2.] A minimum cumulative grade point average of two and seventy- 20 five hundredths (2.75) on a four (4) point scale or a minimum 21 grade point average of three (3.0) on a four (4) point scale on the 22 last thirty (30) hours of credit completed, including undergraduate 23 and graduate coursework from a nationally or regionally 24 accredited postsecondary institution; and 25 c.[3.] At least one (1) of the following in the area in which certification 26 is sought: 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 26 RS BR 1662 Page 3 of 19 XXXX 2/25/2026 3:32 PM Jacketed i. An academic major or minor of a bachelor's degree; 1 ii. An academic content area of a graduate degree; or 2 iii. A passing score on the academic content assessment[ in the 3 area in which certification is being sought by the applicant as 4 designated by the Education Professional Standards Board]. 5 After successful completion of one (1) year of teaching and upon the 6 recommendation of the employing school district to the Education 7 Professional Standards Board, the candidate shall receive a professional 8 certificate and shall be subject to certificate renewal requirements the same as 9 other teachers with a professional certificate. 10 (b)[(3)] [Option 2: certification through a local school district training program. 11 A local school district or group of school districts may seek approval for a 12 training program. The state-approved local school district training program is 13 an alternative to the college teacher preparation program as a means of 14 acquiring teacher certification for a teacher at any grade level. The training 15 program may be offered for all teaching certificates approved by the 16 Education Professional Standards Board, including interdisciplinary early 17 childhood education, except for specific certificates for teachers of 18 exceptional children. To participate in a state-approved local school district 19 alternative training program, the candidate shall possess: 20 (a) A bachelor's degree or a graduate degree; 21 (b) A minimum cumulative grade point average of two and seventy-five 22 hundredths (2.75) on a four (4) point scale or a minimum grade point average 23 of three (3) on a four (4) point scale on the last thirty (30) hours of credit 24 completed, including undergraduate and graduate coursework from a 25 nationally or regionally accredited postsecondary institution; and 26 (c) A passing score on the academic content assessment in the area in which 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 26 RS BR 1662 Page 4 of 19 XXXX 2/25/2026 3:32 PM Jacketed certification is being sought by the applicant as designated by the Education 1 Professional Standards Board. To be eligible to take an academic content 2 assessment, the applicant shall have completed a thirty (30) hour major in the 3 academic content area or five (5) years of experience in the academic content 4 area as approved by the Education Professional Standards Board. 5 An individual may participate in a local school district training program upon 6 meeting the participation requirements as established in this subsection and 7 approval by the Education Professional Standards Board of an application by 8 the individual. The candidate shall be issued a one (1) year provisional 9 certificate by the Education Professional Standards Board. After successful 10 completion of the local school district training program, one (1) year of 11 teaching, and upon the recommendation of the employing school district to 12 the Education Professional Standards Board, the candidate shall receive a 13 professional certificate and shall be subject to certificate renewal requirements 14 the same as other teachers with a professional certificate. 15 (4) ]College faculty.[Option 3: certification of a professional from a 16 postsecondary institution:] A candidate who possesses the following 17 qualifications may receive a one (1) year provisional certificate for teaching at 18 any level: 19 1.[(a)] A master's degree or doctoral degree in the academic content area 20 for which certification is sought; and 21 2.[(b)] A minimum of five (5) years of full-time teaching experience, or 22 its equivalent, in the academic content area for which certification is 23 sought in a regionally or nationally accredited institution of higher 24 education. 25 After successful completion of one (1) year of teaching and upon the 26 recommendation of the employing school district to the Education 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 26 RS BR 1662 Page 5 of 19 XXXX 2/25/2026 3:32 PM Jacketed Professional Standards Board, the candidate shall receive a professional 1 certificate and shall be subject to certificate renewal requirements the same as 2 other teachers with professional certificates. 3 (c)[(5)] Adjunct instructor[Option 4: certification of an adjunct instructor]. A 4 person who has expertise in areas such as art, music, foreign language, drama, 5 science, computer science, and other specialty areas may be employed as an 6 adjunct instructor in a part-time position by a local board of education under 7 KRS 161.046. A person may submit experience as an adjunct instructor to 8 be considered toward the necessary exceptional experience required under 9 paragraph (a) of this subsection. 10 (d)[(6)] Veteran[Option 5: certification of a veteran] of the Armed Forces. The 11 Education Professional Standards Board shall issue a statement of eligibility, 12 valid for five (5) years, for teaching at the elementary, secondary, and 13 secondary career technical education levels to a veteran of the Armed Forces 14 who was honorably discharged from active duty as evidenced by Defense 15 Department Form 214 (DD 214) or National Guard Bureau Form 22 or to a 16 member of the Armed Services currently serving with six (6) or more years of 17 honorable service, including Reserves, National Guard, or active duty. The 18 candidate shall possess: 19 1.[(a)] A bachelor's degree or graduate degree; 20 2.[(b)] A minimum cumulative grade point average of two and seventy- 21 five hundredths (2.75) on a four (4) point scale or a minimum grade 22 point average of three (3) on a four (4) point scale on the last thirty (30) 23 hours of credit completed, including undergraduate and graduate 24 coursework from a nationally or regionally accredited postsecondary 25 institution; and 26 3.[(c)] At least one (1) of the following in the area in which certification 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 26 RS BR 1662 Page 6 of 19 XXXX 2/25/2026 3:32 PM Jacketed is sought: 1 a. An academic major or minor of a bachelor's degree; 2 b. An academic content area of a graduate degree; or 3 c. A passing score on the academic content assessment[ in the area in 4 which certification is being sought by the applicant as designated 5 by the Education Professional Standards Board]. 6 The eligible veteran shall receive a one (1) year provisional certificate with 7 approval by the Education Professional Standards Board of an application by 8 the veteran. After successful completion of one (1) year of teaching and upon 9 the recommendation of the employing school district to the Education 10 Professional Standards Board, the veteran shall receive a professional 11 certificate. 12 (e)[(7)] [Option 6: ]University-based [alternative ]program. With approval of 13 the Education Professional Standards Board, a university may provide an 14 alternative program that enrolls students in a postbaccalaureate teacher 15 preparation program concurrently with employment as a teacher in a local 16 school district. A student in the alternative program shall be granted a one (1) 17 year provisional certificate. The one (1) year provisional certificate may be 18 renewed four (4) additional years, and shall be contingent upon the 19 candidate's continued enrollment in the preparation program and compliance 20 with all requirements established by the board. A professional certificate shall 21 be issued upon the teacher candidate's successful completion of the program 22 and all academic content assessments in the specific teaching field of the 23 applicant as designated by the Education Professional Standards Board, and 24 upon the recommendation of the employing school district. The academic 25 content assessment required in this paragraph may be substituted with an 26 academic major or minor of a bachelor's degree or an academic content 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 26 RS BR 1662 Page 7 of 19 XXXX 2/25/2026 3:32 PM Jacketed area of a graduate degree in the area in which certification is sought. 1 (f)[(8)] Institute[Option 7: certification of a person in a field other than 2 education to teach in elementary, middle, or secondary programs]. This 3 route[option] shall not be limited to teaching in shortage areas. An individual 4 certified under provisions of this paragraph[subsection] shall be issued a one 5 (1) year provisional certificate, renewable for a maximum of four (4) 6 additional years with approval of the Education Professional Standards Board. 7 1.[(a)] The candidate shall possess: 8 a.[1.] A bachelor's degree or graduate degree[with a declared academic 9 major in the area in which certification is sought or a graduate 10 degree in a field related to the area in which certification is 11 sought];[ and] 12 b.[2.] A minimum cumulative grade point average of two and seventy- 13 five hundredths (2.75) on a four (4) point scale or a minimum 14 grade point average of three (3) on a four (4) point scale on the last 15 thirty (30) hours of credit completed, including undergraduate and 16 graduate coursework from a nationally or regionally accredited 17 postsecondary institution; and 18 c. At least one (1) of the following in the area in which certification 19 is sought: 20 i. An academic major or minor of a bachelor's degree; 21 ii. An academic content area of a graduate degree; or 22 iii. A passing score on the academic content assessment. 23 2.[(b)] Upon meeting the requirements of subparagraph 1. of this 24 paragraph[paragraph (a) of this subsection] and enrolling in an 25 approved institute, the Education Professional Standards Board shall 26 issue the candidate a one (1) year provisional certificate or during the 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 26 RS BR 1662 Page 8 of 19 XXXX 2/25/2026 3:32 PM Jacketed first year of the certificate, the teacher shall complete the following: 1 a.[1.] For elementary teaching, the individual shall successfully 2 complete a two hundred forty (240) hour institute that is an 3 equivalent of six (6) hour days for eight (8) weeks. The providers 4 and the content of the institute shall be approved by the Education 5 Professional Standards Board. The content shall include research- 6 based teaching strategies in reading and math, research on child 7 and adolescent growth, knowledge of individual differences, 8 including teaching exceptional children, and methods of classroom 9 management. 10 b.[2.] For middle and secondary teaching, the individual shall 11 successfully complete a one hundred eighty (180) hour institute 12 that is an equivalent of six (6) hour days for six (6) weeks. The 13 providers and the content of the institute shall be approved by the 14 Education Professional Standards Board and shall include 15 research-based teaching strategies, research on child and 16 adolescent growth, knowledge of individual differences, including 17 teaching exceptional children, and methods of classroom 18 management. 19 3.[(c)] The candidate shall receive a professional certificate and shall be 20 subject to certificate renewal requirements the same as other teachers 21 with a professional certificate: 22 a.[1.] After meeting the requirements of this route[option]; 23 b.[2.] [After obtaining a passing score on the academic content 24 assessment in the area in which certification is being sought; 25 3. ]After successfully completing one (1) year of teaching; and 26 c.[4.] Upon the recommendation of the employing school district to the 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 26 RS BR 1662 Page 9 of 19 XXXX 2/25/2026 3:32 PM Jacketed Education Professional Standards Board. 1 (g)[(9)] [Option 8: certification of a ]Teach for America[ participant to teach in 2 elementary, middle, or high schools]. Nothing in this paragraph[subsection] 3 shall conflict with the participation criteria of the Teach for America program. 4 An individual certified under this paragraph[subsection] shall be issued a one 5 (1) year provisional certificate. 6 1.[(a)] The candidate shall possess: 7 a.[1.] A bachelor's degree or graduate degree; 8 b.[2.] A successful completion of the summer training institute and 9 ongoing professional development required by Teach for America, 10 including instruction in goal-oriented, standards-based instruction, 11 diagnosing and assessing students, lesson planning and 12 instructional delivery, classroom management, maximizing 13 learning for diverse students, and teaching methodologies; and 14 c.[3.] At least one (1) of the following in the area in which certification 15 is sought: 16 i. An academic major or minor of a bachelor's degree; 17 ii. An academic content area of a graduate degree; or 18 iii. A passing score on the academic content assessment[ in the 19 area in which certification is being sought as designated by 20 the Education Professional Standards Board]. 21 2.[(b)] The provisional certificate granted under this 22 paragraph[subsection] may be renewed two (2) times with a 23 recommendation of the superintendent and approval of the Education 24 Professional Standards Board. 25 3.[(c)] A Teach for America participant shall be issued a professional 26 certificate upon the participant's successful completion of one (1) year 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 26 RS BR 1662 Page 10 of 19 XXXX 2/25/2026 3:32 PM Jacketed of teaching[ and the assessments relating to teaching of subject matter 1 required by the Education Professional Standards Board under KRS 2 161.030,] and upon the recommendation of the employing school 3 district to the Education Professional Standards Board[. 4 (d) Notwithstanding any statute or administrative regulation to the contrary, 5 a teacher certified under this subsection shall have ten (10) years to 6 complete a master's degree or fifth year program, or the equivalent as 7 specified by the Education Professional Standards Board in 8 administrative regulation]. 9 (h)[(10)] Residency[Option 9: expedited certification of a person to teach at any 10 grade level through a cooperative program]. With approval of the Education 11 Professional Standards Board, a college or university may partner with a 12 school district to develop an expedited certification program that results in a 13 bachelor's degree and initial certification within three (3) school years. 14 1.[(a)] The program shall: 15 a.[1.] Include a residency or paraprofessional component which employs 16 the person within the participating district for the duration of the 17 program to gain work experience to supplement the expedited 18 program and reduced coursework; 19 b.[2.] Utilize experienced teachers employed by the district to provide 20 coaching and to mentor the candidates; and 21 c.[3.] Be designed to meet the needs of the participating district and may 22 include an emphasis in developing a teacher pipeline for the 23 district's students, improving the numbers of underrepresented 24 populations among the district's workforce, or focusing on 25 increasing the number of teachers with certification areas that are 26 in high demand. 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 26 RS BR 1662 Page 11 of 19 XXXX 2/25/2026 3:32 PM Jacketed 2.[(b)] A school district entering into a cooperative partnership shall 1 ensure the availability of funding for each candidate employed within 2 the district in the residency or paraprofessional program for the duration 3 of the candidate's participation in the program. However, nothing in this 4 paragraph[subsection] shall be interpreted as requiring the district to 5 continue employing the candidate during the program or after the 6 candidate has received initial certification. 7 3.[(c)] A person who has begun a traditional path or another route[option] 8 for certification shall be eligible to transfer into this route[option] if the 9 person meets the program's requirements. 10 4.[(d)] If a school district participating in a cooperative partnership 11 determines to end the partnership, the district shall no longer accept new 12 candidates to the program but shall continue the partnership until the 13 district's employed candidates under this paragraph[for Option 9 14 certification] complete the program or are no longer employed by the 15 district. 16 (3)[(11)] In addition to the alternative routes to certification established under 17 subsection (2) of this section, there shall be a route to expand certification for a 18 person who currently holds a professional certificate that was earned through 19 completion of an approved college or university-based preparation program and 20 has at least two (2) years of teaching experience as defined in KRS 157.320. 21 However, a person who holds a professional certificate issued under subsection 22 (2)(a), (b), (d), or (g) of this section shall only be eligible to expand certification 23 under this subsection after the first renewal of the professional certificate. A 24 person who already holds a professional certificate may expand certification: 25 (a) To an additional area of certification in the same grade band by possessing 26 at least one (1) of the following in the area in which certification is sought: 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 26 RS BR 1662 Page 12 of 19 XXXX 2/25/2026 3:32 PM Jacketed 1. An academic major or minor of a bachelor's degree; 1 2. An academic content area of a graduate degree; or 2 3. A passing score on the academic content assessment; and 3 (b) To an additional grade band in the same content area by possessing: 4 1. At least one (1) of the following to demonstrate content knowledge for 5 the area in which certification is sought: 6 a. A certificate for a higher grade band; 7 b. An academic major or minor of a bachelor's degree; 8 c. An academic content area of a graduate degree; or 9 d. A passing score on the academic content assessment; and 10 2. At least one (1) of the following to demonstrate instructional skills: 11 a. A certificate that includes the grade band being sought; or 12 b. A passing score in any professional skill assessment for the 13 grade band being sought. 14 (4) A public school teacher certified under subsection (2)[subsections (2) to (10)] of 15 this section shall be placed on the local district salary schedule for the rank 16 corresponding to the degree held by the teacher. 17 (5)[(12)] Subsections (1) to (3) of this section notwithstanding, a candidate who 18 possesses the following qualifications may receive certification for teaching 19 programs for exceptional students: 20 (a) An out-of-state license to teach exceptional students; and 21 (b) A bachelor's or master's degree in the certification area or closely related area 22 for which certification is sought. 23 (6) The Education Professional Standards Board shall develop and maintain a list of 24 academic majors, academic minors, and graduate degree academic content areas 25 and the corresponding areas for which they shall satisfy certification 26 requirements. The list shall be published on the board's website. 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 26 RS BR 1662 Page 13 of 19 XXXX 2/25/2026 3:32 PM Jacketed (7) A person shall not be disqualified from seeking additional certifications through 1 any alternative route established under subsection (2) of this section on the basis 2 of the person already holding a professional certificate. 3 (8) For the first renewal of a professional certificate issued under subsection (2)(a), 4 (b), (d), or (g) of this section, the Education Professional Standards Board shall 5 require the certificate holder to submit evidence indicating the completion of 6 trainings established or approved by the Kentucky Department of Education that 7 train the certificate holder on items specifically mandated by statute on 8 postsecondary institutions offering teacher preparation programs for the 9 certificate's area. The Education Professional Standards Board shall compile a 10 list of the specific statutory mandates and publish the list on the board's website. 11 (9) This section shall not negate the Education Professional Standards Board's 12 authority to require a passing score on a professional skills assessment as a 13 condition for receiving a professional certificate upon completion of an 14 alternative route under subsection (2) of this section. 15 (10) Any academic content assessment for a certification area required under this 16 section shall be the same assessment otherwise required by the Education 17 Professional Standards Board for initial certification in that area. 18 Section 2. KRS 161.032 is amended to read as follows: 19 (1) (a) There is hereby created a certification incentive fund in the State Treasury to 20 be administered by the Education Professional Standards Board. The fund 21 shall provide grants to eligible recipients for conducting institutes as described 22 in KRS 161.048(2)(f)[(8)], including the costs of salaries of institute 23 instructors, consultants, materials, stipends and loans to participants, other 24 costs associated with the institutes, and costs of assistance to teachers 25 throughout their first year of teaching. 26 (b) Eligible recipients of grant funds may be nonprofit organizations, institutions, 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 26 RS BR 1662 Page 14 of 19 XXXX 2/25/2026 3:32 PM Jacketed and agencies, including but not limited to postsecondary education 1 institutions, school districts, education cooperatives, and consortia of school 2 districts. 3 (c) The Education Professional Standards Board shall promulgate administrative 4 regulations establishing standards and procedures for the grant program, 5 including minimal participation levels and maximum grant awards. 6 (2) (a) The Education Professional Standards Board shall determine priority for 7 specific institutes. 8 (b) The board shall request proposals and approve at least one (1) summer 9 institute for the purpose described in paragraph (a) of this subsection each 10 academic year. The institute shall be a minimum of ninety (90) clock hours, 11 based on six (6) hour days for a three (3) week period. 12 (c) Each individual who completes a summer institute shall have additional hours 13 of formal instruction or assistance during the first year of teaching to reach the 14 minimum number of clock hours as required in KRS 161.048(2)(f)2.[(8)(b)]. 15 (d) The candidate shall be assigned a teacher mentor by the grant recipient the 16 first year of teaching. Payment of the teacher mentor shall be from the grant 17 provided under subsection (1) of this section. 18 (3) (a) Individuals who are accepted into an institute shall be provided a forgivable 19 loan incentive at the beginning of the institute to encourage their participation. 20 The amount of the forgivable loan shall be determined by the Education 21 Professional Standards Board. The loan shall be forgiven if the participant 22 teaches in a Kentucky public or Kentucky Board of Education certified 23 nonpublic school for one (1) year within the three (3) years following the 24 awarding of the loan. 25 (b) If an individual does not successfully complete the institute or teach in a 26 qualifying Kentucky school, the loan must be repaid according to procedures 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 26 RS BR 1662 Page 15 of 19 XXXX 2/25/2026 3:32 PM Jacketed promulgated in administrative regulation by the Kentucky Higher Education 1 Assistance Authority. 2 (c) The Education Professional Standards Board shall enter into a memorandum 3 of understanding with the Kentucky Higher Education Assistance Authority to 4 administer the forgivable loan incentive under this section. Based on the 5 memorandum of understanding, the authority may retain a portion of the 6 funds for administering the forgivable loan incentive. Funds recovered under 7 provisions of this section, minus the administrative costs, shall be returned to 8 the State Treasury. 9 (4) Each individual who successfully completes a summer institute shall be awarded a 10 stipend equal to the amount of the forgivable loan as described in subsection (3) of 11 this section. The stipend shall be awarded at the end of the institute without 12 restrictions. 13 (5) Grant recipients and local school districts may offer financial incentives to potential 14 participants and individuals who complete an institute from fund sources other than 15 the grant funds. 16 Section 3. KRS 164.757 is amended to read as follows: 17 (1) For purposes of this section unless the context requires otherwise: 18 (a) "Critical shortage area" means an area in which there are insufficient numbers 19 of fully certified staff in a particular subject, school, or geographic location; 20 (b) "Emergency certified teacher" means an individual who has not completed 21 certification requirements but has been awarded a temporary certificate for a 22 certification area in which no fully qualified teacher was available; 23 (c) "Qualified teacher" means a teacher who holds the appropriate certification 24 for a position unless the superintendent of the employing local school district 25 has documented evidence that the teacher is unsuitable for appointment; 26 (d) "Qualified teaching service" means teaching for at least seventy (70) days 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 26 RS BR 1662 Page 16 of 19 XXXX 2/25/2026 3:32 PM Jacketed each semester or the equivalent in the certification area for which an 1 individual received a forgivable loan in the Kentucky school district that 2 recommended the individual for a loan or in another Kentucky private or 3 public school district in the certification area for which an individual received 4 a forgivable loan if no position was available in the recommending school 5 district at the time when the individual completed his or her certification; 6 (e) "Semester" means a period which usually makes up one-half (1/2) of a school 7 year or one-half (1/2) of a postsecondary institution's academic year; and 8 (f) "Summer term" means an academic period consisting of one (1) or more 9 sessions of instruction between a spring and a fall semester at a postsecondary 10 education institution. 11 (2) To increase the number of qualified teachers in local school districts and to reduce 12 the number of emergency certified teachers, there is hereby created the district 13 teacher certification loan fund in the State Treasury. The loans shall be used to 14 provide forgivable loans to emergency certified personnel, fully certified teachers 15 who are willing to seek additional certification in hard-to-fill or critical shortage 16 areas, and paraprofessionals in local school districts to become fully certified 17 teachers and to continue service within the local district. 18 (3) The fund shall be administered by the Kentucky Higher Education Assistance 19 Authority. The authority shall promulgate administrative regulations to specify the 20 terms and conditions of the award, cancellation, and repayment of loans, including 21 but not limited to the maximum amount that may be loaned per term and the 22 maximum aggregate amount per applicant, the selection process, eligibility for 23 renewal, the specific administrative procedures for utilizing the funds, and the rate 24 of repayment. 25 (4) To qualify for a forgivable loan, an applicant shall meet the following requirements: 26 (a) Be employed by a specific local district as a certified teacher, an emergency 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 26 RS BR 1662 Page 17 of 19 XXXX 2/25/2026 3:32 PM Jacketed full-time or part-time teacher, an emergency substitute teacher, or a 1 paraprofessional at the time he or she makes application for the loan; 2 (b) Be recommended by the superintendent as an individual that he or she would 3 recommend to be employed in a teaching position for which the applicant is 4 pursuing certification if the applicant fulfills all credentialing requirements; 5 (c) Be endorsed by the school-based decision making council of the school in 6 which he or she serves to receive a loan for the purposes of obtaining teacher 7 certification in a specific certification area; except that the endorsement shall 8 not be construed as a commitment of securing a position in the particular 9 school in the future; 10 (d) Be admitted and enrolled as an undergraduate or graduate student in a 11 Kentucky private or public postsecondary institution that offers a teacher 12 certification program in the area for which he or she is seeking certification; 13 and 14 (e) Be enrolled in a minimum of six (6) credit hours and not more than nine (9) 15 credit hours during each semester of an academic term while employed 16 concurrently in the school district and in not less than six (6) credit hours 17 during the summer term. If a school district recommends an applicant for a 18 loan under provisions of this section and grants a leave of absence to the 19 employee to pursue certification, the employee shall be enrolled as a full-time 20 undergraduate or graduate student as defined by the institution in which he or 21 she is enrolled. 22 (5) [A participant in a local district alternative certification program as defined in KRS 23 161.048(2) may be eligible for a loan under provisions of this section to offset costs 24 associated with the program. The authority shall establish by administrative 25 regulation the specific requirements, notwithstanding requirements in subsection (4) 26 of this section. 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 26 RS BR 1662 Page 18 of 19 XXXX 2/25/2026 3:32 PM Jacketed (6) ]A loan shall not be awarded or a promissory note cancellation shall not be granted 1 to any person who is in default on any obligation to the authority under any 2 program administered pursuant to KRS 164.740 to 164.785 until financial 3 obligations to the authority are satisfied, except that ineligibility for this reason may 4 be waived by the authority for cause. 5 (6)[(7)] Recipients shall render one (1) semester of qualified teaching service for each 6 semester or summer term for which a loan was received. Upon completion of each 7 semester of qualified teacher service, the authority shall cancel the appropriate 8 portion of the promissory notes. 9 (7)[(8)] If the recipient of a loan fails to complete the certification at a participating 10 institution or fails to render qualified teaching service in any semester following 11 certification, unless the failure is temporarily waived for cause by the authority, the 12 recipient shall immediately become liable to the authority for repayment of the sum 13 of all outstanding promissory notes and accrued interest. Persons liable for 14 repayment of loans under this subsection shall be liable for interest accruing from 15 the dates on which the loans were disbursed. 16 (8)[(9)] Failure to meet repayment obligations imposed by this section shall be cause 17 for the revocation of a person's certification, subject to the procedures set forth in 18 KRS 161.120. 19 (9)[(10)] All moneys repaid to the authority under this section shall be added to the 20 fund in this section. Any fund balance at the close of a fiscal year shall not lapse but 21 shall be carried forward to the next fiscal year and continuously appropriated for the 22 purposes specified in this section. 23 (10)[(11)] The authority may execute appropriate contracts and promissory notes for 24 administering this section. 25 (11)[(12)] If available funds are insufficient for all requested loans for eligible applicants 26 during any fiscal year, the authority shall give priority consideration to eligible 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 26 RS BR 1662 Page 19 of 19 XXXX 2/25/2026 3:32 PM Jacketed applicants who previously received loans. If funds are insufficient to make all 1 requested renewal loans to eligible applicants, the authority shall reduce all loans to 2 the extent necessary to provide loans to all qualified renewal applicants. If, after 3 awarding all eligible renewal applicants, funds are not depleted, priority shall be 4 given to loans for those applicants who are seeking certification in critical shortage 5 areas. 6 Section 4. The following KRS section is repealed: 7 161.049 Professional support teams -- Training program -- Alternate training 8 program. 9