Committee advances bill letting licensure board revoke teaching licenses after equivalent federal convictions

Senate Bill 2043, which would let North Dakota's Education Standards and Practices Board take immediate licensure action after a conviction for crimes against a child or an equivalent federal charge, won a do-pass recommendation from the House Education Committee.

The bill's sponsor, Senator Michelle Axman (District 7), told the committee the measure is intended to close a gap when related criminal cases move out of North Dakota jurisdiction. She said the board sometimes must reconvene to vote after a case is transferred, creating delays that can leave gaps in licensure and potentially put students at risk.

Rebecca Pitkin, executive director of the Education Standards and Practices Board, told the committee the bill adds federal equivalents to the board's existing authority. "The central focus of this amendment is to protect children in our schools and for the board to be able to quickly act on a license upon conviction of these crimes," Pitkin said. She described current practice: the board convenes a special meeting to offer a settlement agreement to immediately suspend a license, and under current state law a plea or guilty finding leads to immediate and permanent revocation under North Dakota Century Code 15.1-13-25(1)(c).

Pitkin said the bill would allow the board to treat a conviction under an equivalent federal charge the same as a state conviction so the board would not need to reconvene or negotiate amendments when jurisdictional changes occur. She also said action against a license would be added to a national clearinghouse that other states check when processing teacher applications.

Following testimony, Representative Novak moved a do-pass recommendation; Representative Longmere seconded. The committee called the roll and members recorded "yes" votes; the motion passed and the committee designated a bill carrier. The committee closed the hearing on SB 2043 and moved to the next item on the agenda.

The bill’s written text names North Dakota Century Code 15.1-13-25(1)(c) as the current statutory section that requires immediate permanent revocation upon plea or conviction for qualifying offenses. The bill amends that framework to include equivalent federal charges.

No amendments or dissenting committee direction were recorded in the hearing transcript; the committee vote was a formal action producing a do-pass recommendation.

The committee hearing record shows the bill will proceed with the committee’s recommendation and a bill carrier was assigned.

Details from the hearing: the board’s executive director emphasized the change is about jurisdictional parity and student protection; no technical opposition testimony was recorded, and no changes to penalties or new offenses were proposed in committee testimony.

Next steps: with the committee’s do-pass recommendation, the bill will be carried forward according to the chamber’s scheduling process; the transcript does not specify the next committee or floor timeline.