Senate Bill 25-154

BY SENATOR(S) Kipp, Ball, Bridges, Cutter, Exum, Gonzales J., Jodeh, Kolker, Marchman, Michaelson Jenet, Mullica, Snyder, Sullivan, Weissman, Winter F., Coleman;

also REPRESENTATIVE(S) Hamrick and Soper, Bacon, Bird, Boesenecker, Brown, Carter, Clifford, Froelich, Jackson, Lieder, Lindsay, Lukens, Marshall, McCormick, Phillips, Rutinel, Sirota, Smith, Stewart K., Story, Titone, Valdez, Woodrow, McCluskie.

Concerning enhancing access to educator pathways.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado:

SECTION 1.  In Colorado Revised Statutes, 22-60.5-203, amend (6) introductory portion, (6)(a), and (6)(b) introductory portion; and add (7) as follows:

22-60.5-203.  Assessment of professional competencies - multiple measures to assess professional competencies - rules. (6)  For purposes of establishing minimum competency in a licensure endorsement area, the state board of education shall establish minimum course workcoursework standards that align with the quality standards established by the state board of education pursuant to section 22-2-109 (3). Attainment of the minimum course workcoursework standards may be shown in one of the following ways:

(a)  For early childhood education, early childhood special education, and elementary teacherscandidates, including special education generalist teacherscandidates, demonstration of competencies using the multiple measures set forth in subsection (3)(a) of this section;

(b)  For secondary teacherscandidates:

(7) (a)  Currently licensed Colorado teachers seeking to add an early childhood education endorsement, early childhood special education endorsement, elementary education endorsement, or special education generalist endorsement may demonstrate professional competencies by submitting evidence of achieving sufficiently high education coursework grades on coursework aligned with relevant standards as approved by the department.

(b)  If the one thousand applicant spots described in subsection (3)(b) of this section have not been filled, currently licensed Colorado teachers who are seeking additional licensure endorsements may demonstrate professional competencies using the multiple measures set forth in subsection (3)(a) of this section.

SECTION 2.  In Colorado Revised Statutes, 22-35-108.5, add (8) as follows:

22-35-108.5.  Teacher recruitment education and preparation (TREP) program - objectives - selection criteria - rules. (8)  Institutions of higher education that offer a program of off-campus instruction and that have courses included in the guaranteed transfer pathway matrix, as defined in section 23-1-108.5 (2), or that are part of a statewide degree transfer agreement, as described in section 23-1-108 (7), may participate in the TREP program only if the courses are offered at a tuition rate that does not exceed the tuition rate established by the state board for community colleges and occupational education.

SECTION 3.  In Colorado Revised Statutes, 22-35-110, amend (1) as follows:

22-35-110.  Exclusions. (1)  The provisions ofExcept for courses offered as part of the TREP program pursuant to section 22-35-108.5, this article 35 shalldoes not apply to any course that is offered as part of a program of off-campus instruction established pursuant to section 23-1-109 (1) to (5).

SECTION 4.  Act subject to petition - effective date. This act takes effect at 12:01 a.m. on the day following the expiration of the ninety-day period after final adjournment of the general assembly; except that, if a referendum petition is filed pursuant to section 1 (3) of article V of the state constitution against this act or an item, section, or part of this act within such period, then the act, item, section, or part will not take effect unless approved by the people at the general election to be held in November 2026 and, in such case, will take effect on the date of the official declaration of the vote thereon by the governor.