The House Education and Workforce Committee on Wednesday heard testimony on House Bill 49-22, sponsored by Representative Kelly, which would eliminate the master's‑degree pathway for school librarian certification and allow teachers with an appropriate endorsement or a teaching certificate to serve as school librarians.

Supporters of HB 49-22 framed the bill as part of a broader “red tape reduction” effort to remove barriers to employment. Representative Kelly told the committee, "My bill covers the unnecessary master's degree for a librarian. Other than a teaching certificate, we don't feel that it needs to go further than that," and argued that the limited number of institutions offering the degree and the small share of librarians with master's degrees make the requirement a practical barrier.

Opponents — including school administrators, certified librarians and specialists — told the committee they fear lowering the standard would reduce access to trained professionals who support literacy. Steve Goff, director of teaching and learning at Lowell Public Schools, said he has seen the effect firsthand: "I do not see evidence that reducing the standards for school librarians is likely to do that," referring to improved student learning outcomes. Kathy Luster, a past president of the American Association of School Librarians and a certified school librarian, testified that "this bill feels like an anti‑literacy bill," and described coursework and endorsements the Michigan Department of Education has approved to prepare librarians.

Multiple witnesses said Michigan already permits assignment of teachers with certain endorsements as librarians and noted Wayne State University offers a 15‑credit endorsement program. Lori Lamars, a Lansing‑area certified school librarian, described being placed into a library position without specific training and later completing the Wayne State program, saying it "provided me the foundation that I had been missing" and enabled her to run a district library program effectively.

Committee members questioned whether removing the master's‑degree pathway would increase the number of librarians. Representative Colazar pressed the sponsor on data linking certified librarians to reading outcomes; supporters pointed to research and correlations between certified librarians and literacy gains, while the sponsor and others argued certification requirements can discourage entry into the field.

The committee recorded multiple written and in‑person testimonies for the record, including statements from the Michigan Department of Education and parent and professional organizations. No formal vote on HB 49-22 was taken at the meeting; the committee concluded testimony and recorded additional opposition and support cards for the bill for the record.