FIRST REGULAR SESSION
SENATE BILL NO. 466
91ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY
INTRODUCED BY SENATOR DOUGHERTY.
Read 1st time February 12, 2001, and 1,000 copies ordered printed.
TERRY L. SPIELER, Secretary.
1593L.01I
AN ACT
To amend chapter 168, RSMo, by adding thereto one new section relating to national teacher certification incentives.
Section A. Chapter 168, RSMo, is amended by adding thereto one new section, to be known as section 168.700, to read as follows:
168.700. 1. The department of elementary and secondary education shall, pursuant to this section, adopt a "National Teacher Certification Incentive Reward Program". This program shall encourage teachers to voluntarily apply for and achieve teacher certification by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, pursuant to this section. Teachers may apply for a bonus from the program pursuant to subsection 2 of this section and pursuant to other criteria promulgated by the department consistent with this section, on forms promulgated by the department for bonus applications.
2. The general assembly shall make an annual appropriation to the "National Teacher Certification Incentive Reward Program Fund", which is hereby created in the state treasury for the sole purpose of funding bonuses pursuant to this section. The fund shall consist of moneys appropriated annually by the general assembly from general revenue to such fund, any moneys paid into the state treasury and required by law to be credited to such fund and any gifts, donations, bequests and other moneys received by the fund. The fund shall be kept separate and apart from all other moneys in the state treasury and shall be paid out by the state treasurer pursuant to chapter 33, RSMo. The fund shall be administered by the department. All interest and moneys earned on the fund shall be credited to the fund. Notwithstanding the provisions of section 33.080, RSMo, to the contrary, moneys in the fund at the end of the biennium shall not be transferred to the credit of the general revenue fund.
3. For any school year beginning after the achievement of the certification described in subsection 1 of this section, the department shall, pursuant to this section, pay a bonus to any teacher so certified. Any teacher seeking the bonus established pursuant to this subsection shall submit a copy of his or her national certification to the department. The bonus paid pursuant to this subsection may be paid in a lump sum at the beginning of the fiscal year to a school district in the amount necessary to cover all of the bonuses owed to teachers in the district, to be held by the district for a pro rata disbursement to be included in such teachers' paychecks; or such bonus may be paid to such teachers in whatever other manner that the department may by rule provide. The amount of the bonus shall be:
(1) Five thousand dollars for the first school year after the achievement of the certification described in subsection 1 of this section; and
(2) Two thousand five hundred dollars for every subsequent year for the life of the certificate.
4. The department of elementary and secondary education shall promulgate rules for the enforcement of this section. No rule or portion of a rule promulgated pursuant to this section shall take effect unless such rule has been promulgated pursuant to chapter 536, RSMo.