AN ACT to remove testing requirements for admission to an educator preparation program, to modify the teacher licensure EXAMINATION REQUIREMENTS, and to modify teacher licensure requirements for out‑of‑state applicants.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

SECTION 1.  G.S. 115C‑269.15(a) is repealed.

SECTION 2.  G.S. 115C‑270.15 reads as rewritten:

§ 115C‑270.15.  Examination requirements.

…

(c)        Time Line for Completion of Examinations. – The State Board of Education shall permit an applicant to fulfill any such examination requirement before or during the third year of licensure, provided the applicant took the examination at least once during the first year of licensure.licensure.

…

(e)        Conversion to Continuing Professional License. – The Except as provided in subsection (f) of this section, the State Board shall not convert an IPL or RL IPL, RL, or limited license to a continuing professional license for a teacher who has not fulfilled the examination requirements of this section.

(f)        Waiver of Examination Requirements for Certain Individuals with Limited Licenses. – The State Board shall convert a limited license to a continuing professional license for a teacher who has available growth data under the Education Value‑Added Assessment System (EVAAS) and has a positive growth score for two of the three most recent years for which growth scores are available.

SECTION 3.  G.S. 115C‑270.25 reads as rewritten:

§ 115C‑270.25.  Out‑of‑state license applicants.

The State Board of Education shall grant a CPL to a teacher licensed in another state with substantially similar licensure requirements who has at least three years of teaching experience and is in good standing with the other state.

SECTION 4.(a)  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Public Instruction the sum of fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) in nonrecurring funds for the 2026‑2027 fiscal year for the purpose of implementing the requirements of this act.

SECTION 4.(b)  This section becomes effective July 1, 2026.

SECTION 5.  Except as otherwise provided, this act is effective when it becomes law.