Summary — HB 4153 (House Sponsor: Rep. Nancy DeBoer; Primary Sponsor listed in records: Rep. Harry Benton)
Purpose
- Authorizes Michigan public school districts, intermediate school districts (ISDs), and public school academies (PSAs) to issue a time‑limited local teaching certificate that permits an individual to teach a specified subject only in schools operated by that issuing district/ISD/PSA. The bill integrates local certificates into state law definitions of “certificated teacher” and establishes issuance, limitations, and accountability rules.
Key provisions
- Creates a new local teaching certificate (proposed MCL 380.1531l).
- Scope: authorizes teaching only in the issuing district/ISD/PSA and only for specified subject areas (not valid statewide).
- Exclusion: local certificates may not authorize teaching special education.
- Minimum credential: candidate must hold a bachelor’s, master’s, doctorate, or professional degree in the subject area from a regionally accredited institution and have earned at least a 3.0 GPA (4.0 scale) in that degree.
- CPR requirement: holders must complete an MDE‑approved CPR course that includes a mannequin demonstration and foreign‑body airway obstruction instruction, resulting in certification from the American Red Cross, American Heart Association, or an MDE‑approved equivalent.
- Validity and sunset:
- Maximum term for issuance: five years.
- Authorization for districts to issue local certificates sunsets July 1, 2035.
- After a local certificate expires, the holder may not continue as a public school teacher unless they obtain an MDE‑issued teaching certificate (exception: industrial technology career programs and career and technical education (CTE) programs are not subject to the five‑year limit).
- Mentoring exemption: individuals employed under a local teaching certificate would be exempt from the statutory requirement that new classroom teachers be assigned a master teacher mentor for their first three years.
- Local control and state oversight:
- Boards of districts/ISDs/PSAs must adopt local issuance requirements.
- The state superintendent (MDE) must establish an approval process for local boards to grant local certificates consistent with federal law.
- Discipline and fraud:
- Amends code sections to allow a district/ISD/PSA board to refuse to issue or renew a local teaching certificate for persons convicted of crimes delineated in section 1809 (fraudulent procurement, other disqualifying conduct).
- Extends certificate suspension/revocation processes (section 1535a) to local certificate holders.
- Conforming amendments: multiple sections of the Revised School Code (e.g., 501, 521, 551, 1231, 1233, 1311b, 1526, 1535a, 1809) are amended to recognize local teaching certificates where “certificated teacher” is referenced.
Who is affected
- School districts, ISDs, and PSAs that may choose to issue local certificates; local school boards (must set local standards).
- Prospective teachers without MDE-issued certificates who meet the local requirements (degree in subject, 3.0 GPA).
- Michigan Department of Education (to create and oversee the local‑certificate approval process and approve equivalent CPR providers).
- Students and school communities where local‑certificate teachers are placed (limited to issuing district/ISD/PSA).
Fiscal impact
- House Fiscal Agency: HB 4153 may reduce state costs (because issuance/oversight responsibilities shift locally), with no direct fiscal impact on local districts, PSAs, and ISDs reported. (Separate related bills in the package address certification fees and other matters with distinct fiscal effects.)
Procedural / timeline highlights
- Introduced in the House (late Feb–March 2025 in the legislative record).
- Substitute (H‑1) was adopted in committee; House actions show the bill passed the House March 12, 2025 (recorded with immediate effect). Committee reports and rule referrals are reflected in the legislative history.
- Current status in the materials provided: referred to Committee on Education (per bill header). Check the legislature’s website for the latest status and text version.
Related legislation
- HB 4150–4152 are companion bills in a package addressing teacher certification (fee elimination, endorsement issuance for MTTC passage, teacher preparation program requirements). SB 2204 is recorded as a companion in the Senate.
Note: This summary highlights the substantive changes in HB 4153 (substitute H‑1 language) as reflected in House legislative analysis and committee reports. For exact statutory text and final enacted language, consult the official bill text and enrolled act if passed.
