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Committee advances bill to waive initial teacher certification and renewal fees
Summary
The House Education and Workforce Committee reported House Bill 4150, sponsored by Representative Tisdale, which would waive initial teacher certification fees (up to $210) and five-year renewal fees (about $100). Lawmakers and members raised fiscal and data-security questions after a fiscal analysis estimated an $8,000,000 general-fund impact.
Representative Tisdale, sponsor of House Bill 4150, told the House Education and Workforce Committee the bill “waives the initial teacher license and renewal license fees for teachers in Michigan.” The sponsor said current costs—“up to $210 for initial certification and $100, for renewals every 5 years”—place a burden on teachers amid statewide staffing shortages.
The bill’s backers framed the measure as a modest step to reduce financial barriers for educators. “These costs place a burden on Michigan teachers when we're facing a teaching shortage,” Representative Tisdale said, adding the waiver would help make teaching “accessible and financially sustainable.”
Representative Natasha Boyce questioned how the state would replace revenue described in the fiscal analysis. “The only concern I have here is my understanding from the fiscal analysis is that it creates a, dollars 8,000,000 deficit, in the general fund that would normally go to MDE to help, support, administering these programs,” she said, asking whether there was a plan to backfill that amount.
Tisdale and other committee members said they had no specific source identified to cover the projected shortfall. The sponsor noted that roughly half of the amount described in the fiscal analysis covers administration and the other half funds educator-support programs; she also said portions of the Michigan Department of Education budget had recently been transferred to another entity and that the $8,000,000 figure is a small fraction of MDE’s total budget.
Committee members also raised concerns about the state’s online certification system. Representative Colzart warned that the funds in question pay to operate the MOAC system, “which is how teachers maintain their certification online,” and said a funding gap posed “a potential risk to identity theft, to just an invasion of people's privacy” if system maintenance were compromised.
Witnesses and organizations filed support and opposition cards. Supporters listed (not wishing to speak) included Jeff Coe Capp (Education Trust Midwest), Ben Locke (Teach Plus Michigan), David Randalls (Oakland Schools), Dan Quisenberry (MAPSA), and Beth Deshone (GLEP Education Fund). Noting its opposition on the record was Olivia Ponte from the Michigan Department of Education.
Representative Fox moved to report House Bill 4150 with recommendation. The clerk called the roll; the motion carried and the committee reported the bill with recommendation (roll call reported in the transcript as, “Madam Chair, you have 70 ayes, 0 nays,” and the committee clerk announced the motion prevails).
