H.B. 241
GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
Mar 8, 2021
SESSION 2021 HOUSE PRINCIPAL CLERK
H D
HOUSE BILL DRH40151-MTa-31
Short Title: Fund NBPTS Certification Fee/Pilot. (Public)
Sponsors: Representatives Elmore, Clemmons, Hurley, and Torbett (Primary Sponsors).
Referred to:
1 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
2 AN ACT TO ESTABLISH A PILOT PROGRAM TO PROVIDE FORGIVABLE LOANS FOR
3 TEACHERS IN CERTAIN SCHOOLS TO OBTAIN NATIONAL BOARD FOR
4 PROFESSIONAL TEACHING STANDARDS CERTIFICATION.
5 The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
6 SECTION 1. Program Established. – Notwithstanding G.S. 115C-296.2, the
7 Department of Public Instruction shall establish a pilot program to provide a forgivable loan to
8 teachers employed in a qualifying public school during the 2021-2023 fiscal biennium to finance
9 the cost of the participation fee for National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS)
10 certification.
11 SECTION 2. Definitions. – The following definitions shall apply in this act:
12 (1) Public school. – Any of the following:
13 a. A school in a local school administrative unit.
14 b. A charter school.
15 c. A regional school.
16 d. A school providing elementary or secondary instruction operated by
17 one of the following:
18 1. The State Board of Education under Article 7A or Article 9C
19 of Chapter 115C of the General Statutes.
20 2. The University of North Carolina under Articles 4, 29, and 29A
21 of Chapter 116 of the General Statutes.
22 (2) Qualifying public school. – A public school that meets any of the following
23 criteria:
24 a. Is identified as a low-performing school pursuant to G.S. 115C-105.37
25 or G.S. 115C-218.94.
26 b. Is identified as an innovative school pursuant to G.S. 115C-75.5.
27 c. Enrolled a student body in the school year prior to the teacher's
28 application consisting of at least ten percent (10%) of students
29 identified as at-risk pursuant to State Board of Education policy
30 DROP-001.
31 SECTION 3. Loan Applications and Approval. – During the 2021-2023 fiscal
32 biennium, a teacher employed in a qualifying public school may apply to the Department of
33 Public Instruction to receive a forgivable loan to finance the cost of the participation fee for
34 NBPTS certification. The Department shall develop criteria and guidelines for administering the
35 program. The criteria shall include at least the following requirements:
*DRH40151-MTa-31*
 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2021
1 (1) The Department shall prioritize the award of loans to teachers based on the
2 need of the school where the teacher is employed at the time of the application,
3 including at least the following criteria:
4 a. A teacher employed in a qualifying public school with more qualifying
5 factors, as identified in sub-subdivisions a. through c. of subdivision
6 (2) of Section 2 of this act, shall receive priority over a teacher
7 employed in a qualifying public school with fewer qualifying factors.
8 b. For teachers employed in qualifying schools pursuant to
9 sub-subdivision c. of subdivision (2) of Section 2 of this act, teachers
10 employed in schools with a higher percentage of at-risk students shall
11 receive priority over teachers employed in schools with a lower
12 percentage of at-risk schools.
13 (2) A teacher who completes the NBPTS certification process, regardless of
14 whether the teacher actually receives certification, shall have his or her loan
15 forgiven if that teacher remains teaching in a qualifying public school for at
16 least four years from the date the teacher completes the process.
17 (3) A teacher who does not complete the certification process shall not have his
18 or her loan forgiven except as provided in subdivision (4) of this section.
19 (4) A teacher who is unable to remain teaching in a qualifying public school for
20 at least four years from the date the teacher receives certification or who does
21 not complete the certification process may nonetheless have his or her loan
22 forgiven in either of the following circumstances:
23 a. The teacher is unable to complete the certification process or continue
24 teaching in a qualifying public school due to the death of the teacher
25 or a newly acquired disability of the teacher.
26 b. Upon the application of the teacher, the Department may forgive the
27 loan if the Department finds that the teacher is unable to complete the
28 process or continue teaching in a qualifying public school due to the
29 illness of the teacher, the death or catastrophic illness of a member of
30 the teacher's immediate family, parental leave to care for a newborn or
31 newly adopted child, or other extraordinary circumstances.
32 SECTION 4. Report. – No later than January 15, 2022, and each subsequent year
33 thereafter in which funds appropriated pursuant to this act remain available, the Department shall
34 report to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee on the impact of the program,
35 including at least the following information:
36 (1) Number of applicants and recipients of forgivable loans.
37 (2) Demographic information of recipients of forgivable loans.
38 (3) Employment status of recipients of forgivable loans, including the identity of
39 any public school where the recipient is employed and whether the recipient
40 remains employed with his or her original qualifying public school.
41 (4) Licensure area of recipients of forgivable loans.
42 (5) Effect of the program on the performance and growth of students taught by
43 recipients.
44 SECTION 5. There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of
45 Public Instruction the sum of four hundred thousand dollars ($400,000) in nonrecurring funds for
46 the 2021-2022 fiscal year and four hundred thousand dollars ($400,000) in nonrecurring funds
47 for the 2022-2023 fiscal year to provide teachers with forgivable loans for the cost of the
48 participation fee for NBPTS certification pursuant to this act. These funds shall not revert at the
49 end of each fiscal year, but shall remain available until expended.
50 SECTION 6. This act becomes effective July 1, 2021.
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