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Bill Summary · HB 118

Summary — HB 118: Interstate Teacher Mobility Compact

Status
- Hearing scheduled: Jan 29 at 1:00 p.m. (Ways & Means / Education committee context).
- Bill purpose, text, and fiscal note reflect Maryland legislation to join an Interstate Teacher Mobility Compact (compact entry contingent on 10 other states adopting substantially similar legislation).
- Fiscal note dated First Reader: MSDE can accommodate compact entry with existing resources; minimal, absorbable membership/administrative costs; no meaningful revenue impact.

Purpose and intent
- To enter Maryland into the Interstate Teacher Mobility Compact to create a streamlined, multistate pathway for initial teacher licensure and to facilitate mobility of teachers (including eligible military spouses) across member states while preserving state authority over teacher regulation.
- Replaces prior interstate agreement provisions in state law and amends initial certificate rules to exempt teachers holding compact-recognized multistate licenses from certain Maryland-specific initial-certification requirements.

Key provisions
1. Compact adoption condition
- Maryland’s entry is contingent — the state will join only after 10 other jurisdictions enact substantially similar legislation. MSDE must notify the Department of Legislative Services within 10 days after the 10th state enacts.

  1. Legal and statutory changes

    • Repeals existing Subtitle on the Interstate Agreement on Qualifications of Educational Personnel and adds a new Subtitle establishing the Interstate Teacher Mobility Compact.
    • Amends initial-certification statute so that specific Maryland initial-certification requirements “do not apply” to a teacher who holds a professional license/certificate from a member state that the receiving state accepts under the compact.

  2. Interstate Teacher Mobility Compact Commission

    • Creates a joint interstate governmental agency (the Commission).
    • Each member state has one commissioner (the primary officer of the state licensing authority or designee).
    • Commission governance: voting rules, meeting frequency, public meeting/open records requirements, rulemaking authority, ability to adopt bylaws, and financial reporting.
    • Financing: may accept grants/donations, levy annual assessments on member states, and impose fees to cover operations.

  3. Licensure reciprocity and limits

    • Compact focuses on initial, multistate licensure (not ongoing compliance/renewal).
    • For teachers with an “unencumbered license” (current, valid, not provisional/restricted), receiving states must grant an equivalent unencumbered license as determined by the receiving state.
    • Receiving states retain final authority to determine equivalency and may require state‑specific conditions for licensure (e.g., CTE license restrictions where bachelor’s degree or industry requirements apply).
    • Active military personnel and eligible military spouses holding encumbered licenses receive special consideration for license recognition (subject to receiving-state discretion and availability of equivalent licenses).
    • Nothing in the compact waives state sovereign authority to regulate licensure or control teacher data.

Who is affected
- Out‑of‑state teachers seeking initial licensure in Maryland from other compact member states (especially those holding unencumbered multistate licenses).
- The Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE), State Board of Education, and Professional Standards/Teacher Evaluation Board (administrative responsibilities related to compact implementation).
- Local school systems may benefit from easier interstate hiring; compact may help recruit teachers in shortage areas and support relocations of military families.
- Teacher preparation programs: potential but uncertain effects on in‑state enrollment; fiscal note indicates effects are not reliably estimable.

Fiscal and administrative impact
- MSDE and related boards likely can implement compact entry with existing staff/resources.
- Membership or administrative fees are expected to be minimal and absorbable.
- No significant direct effect on state or local revenues; no small business impact.

Limitations and safeguards
- The compact applies only to initial licensure pathways; states maintain authority over renewals, employment standards, compensation determination, and disciplinary actions.
- Receiving states retain discretion to refuse equivalency in specified circumstances (e.g., CTE licensure requirements).
- Compact entry is conditional on a multi‑state threshold (10 states), so the bill does not effect immediate interstate licensure changes unless/until that threshold is met.

Bottom line
HB 118 would enable Maryland to join an interstate compact that creates a multistate pathway for initial teacher licensure, streamlining mobility for qualified teachers while preserving state control over teacher regulation. Implementation costs are expected to be minimal; the compact only takes effect for Maryland after at least 10 other jurisdictions enact similar laws.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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