_____________ bill NO. _____________

INTRODUCED BY _________________________________________________

By Request of the ****

A BILL FOR AN ACT ENTITLED: "AN ACT REVISING education laws related to INCENTIVEs TO RAISE STARTING TEACHER PAY; CLARIFYING THAT THE FIRST 3 YEARS OF A TEACHER'S CAREER DO NOT INCLUDE ANY YEARS UNDER AN EMERGENCY AUTHORIZATION for the incentive; INCLUDING CLASS 5 PROVISIONAL LICENSEES IN incentive ELIGIBILITY; AMENDING SECTION 20-9-324, MCA; and PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE."

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MONTANA:

Section 1. Section 20-9-324, MCA, is amended to read:

"20-9-324. Incentives for school districts meeting legislative goal for competitive base pay of teachers in public school districts -- definitions. (1) A district, as defined in 20-6-101, must receive an extra quality educator payment for certain quality educators, calculated as provided in 20-9-306(16), if it meets the legislative goal for competitive base pay of teachers in subsection (2).

(2)        The legislative goal for competitive base pay of teachers is a teacher base pay that in the applicable year:

(a)        is equal to at least 10 times as much as the quality educator payment amount provided in 20-9-306(16); and

(b)        for a school district classified as first class pursuant to Title 20, chapter 6, is not less than 70% of the teacher average pay in the school district.

(3)        A district seeking an incentive for the subsequent school fiscal year under this section shall, by December 1, provide the data necessary, as determined by the superintendent of public instruction, to verify:

(a)        that the district has met the legislative goal established in subsection (2) for the current year; and

(b)        the number of full-time equivalent teachers that are in the first 3 years of the teacher's teaching career in the current year. The first 3 years of a teacher's teaching career do not include a year of teaching under an emergency authorization pursuant to 20-4-111.

(4)        For the purposes of this section, the following definitions apply:

(a)        "Teacher" means an individual who:

(i)         holds a current class 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, or 7 license issued by the office of public instruction under rules adopted by the board of public education pursuant to 20-4-102; and

(ii)         is employed by a school district in an instructional position requiring teacher licensure.

(b)        "Teacher average pay" means the total compensation paid by a school district to all of its teachers, not including bonuses, stipends, or extended duty contracts, divided by the total full-time equivalent teachers employed in the district, with full-time equivalence rounded to the nearest tenth.

(c)        "Teacher base pay" means the lowest salary for a beginning teacher incorporated in the district's collective bargaining agreement if the teachers' employment is covered by a collective bargaining agreement pursuant to Title 39, chapter 31, or incorporated in district policy if the teachers' employment is not covered by a collective bargaining agreement, not including bonuses, stipends, or extended duty contracts."

NEW SECTION. Section 2. Effective date. [This act] is effective July 1, 2023.