Section 1. Background check. Requires the Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board to request a criminal history background check on a licensed teacher who is applying for a renewal license if a background check has not been conducted on the teacher within the last five years.

Effective Date. Makes the section effective July 1, 2018.

Section 2. Grounds for revocation, suspension, or denial. (d) Requires the Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board or Board of School Administrators to review and permits them to refuse to issue, renew or revoke a teacher’s license if the teacher has been convicted of a:

1. qualified domestic violence-related offense under section 609.02, subd. 16;
2. domestic assault under section 609.2242;
3. embezzlement of public funds under 609.54; or
4. felony involving a minor as a victim.

Allows a person whose license to teach has been revoked, not issued, or not renewed to petition the board to reconsider for good cause shown.

(e) Allows the Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board to suspend a teacher’s license during the board’s disciplinary investigation of a report of teacher misconduct that would be a violation of paragraph (b) (mandatory action based on certain convictions).

Effective Date. Makes the section effective immediately.

Sections 3 and 4.  Immediate discharge. Makes technical changes.  Requires a school district to immediately discharge a teacher whose license has been acted upon by the Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board under section 122A.20, subdivision 1, paragraph (b) or (d).

Effective Date. Makes the sections effective for the 2018-2019 school year and later.

Section 5. Background check required. (d) Requires the school hiring authority to request a new criminal history background check on all employees every three years.  Allows the school hiring authority to decide not to request a criminal background check on an employee who provides a copy of a background check conducted within the previous 36 months.

Section 6.  Persons mandated to report; persons voluntarily reporting. Makes members of the Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board and the Board of School Administrators mandatory reporters under the child maltreatment reporting law.

Effective Date. Makes the section effective immediately.

Section 7. Law enforcement agency responsibility for investigation; welfare agency reliance on law enforcement fact-finding; welfare agency offer of services.  Requires a law enforcement agency to report to the Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board on investigations under the child maltreatment reporting law involving a person licensed by the board.

Section 8. Determinations. Requires the commissioner of education to report to the appropriate licensing entity when the commissioner has made a determination that maltreatment was not determined (current law only refers to a determination that maltreatment occurred).