SB 911 - This act establishes, within the Coordinating Board for Higher Education, an independent board, known as the Professional Educators' Standards and Practices Board, for the regulation and licensing of professional educators.

The Board consists of nineteen members appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of the Senate. Nine members shall be employed as teachers, three shall be employed as faculty or administration at teacher training institutions, three shall be employed as school administrators, one shall be a member of a local board of education, one shall be a public member and the Commissioner of Higher Education and Commissioner of Education shall serve as ex officio members. Membership, nomination and selection procedures, residency requirement, and other member qualifications are detailed in the act.

The authority of the State Board of Education for all matters relating to licensure is transferred to the Professional Educators' Standards and Practices Board, except that existing State Board rules will remain in effect until 60 days after the effective date of this act.

Numerous current provisions relating to licensing are transferred to the new Board. Among those are the establishment of levels of licensure, which are consistent with current law, and grounds for denial, suspension, or revocation of a license. The Board shall publish a list of ethical standards and a list of crimes which render a person unfit to perform educational duties. All applicants for licenses are afforded due process and appeal procedures, as are teacher training institutions which fail to receive approval.

Currently licensed educators, upon payment of a license fee, will receive a license most nearly equivalent to the license currently held.

Any person who uses fraud or deceit in applying for, securing, or using a license is guilty of a Class D felony. Any person who performs duties as a professional educator without a license is guilty of a Class A misdemeanor.

The act contains penalty provisions.
OTTO FAJEN