Senate committee hears testimony on lowering lifetime teacher license from 30 to 20 years

Representative Zach Istaedt, a House sponsor, told the Senate Workforce Development Committee that House Bill 12 38 would reduce the number of years required for a lifetime teacher license from 30 to 20.

The bill’s primary aim, Representative Zach Istaedt, Representative from District 43 in Grand Forks, said, is to “cut a little bit of red tape, a little bit of time and financial costs for our teachers, and provide a modest but meaningful incentive for them to remain in the classroom.”

The measure would mean teachers could avoid two five‑year renewal cycles that currently apply between years 20 and 30. Istaedt said the current per‑renewal license fee is $140 and that continuing education requirements typically force teachers to pay tuition and fees for roughly six semester hours every five years. He estimated the combined cost of fees and…