Timothy Swaan | Oppose HB1182

Chair and Members of the Committee, I respectfully urge caution and opposition to HB 1182. Although this bill appears to make a simple terminology change, it has real practical consequences for how districts plan, staff, and prioritize their workforce. Changing “one-year certificate of eligibility” to “emergency authorization” reframes a temporary exception as an expected condition. The unintended result is this: districts under budget and staffing pressure are more likely to plan around emergency authorizations rather than invest in recruiting, retaining, and supporting credentialed teachers. Over time, what was meant to be a short-term bridge becomes a routine staffing strategy. That leads to higher turnover, greater instructional inconsistency for students, and increased supervisory and training burdens for administrators. This bill also removes an important signal of intent. “Certificate of eligibility” implies progression toward licensure. “Emergency authorization” implies indefinite crisis management. HB 1182 does nothing to require progress toward certification, does not limit repeated reliance across a district, and does not require reporting to the legislature. As a result, lawmakers would have no visibility into whether emergency authorizations remain rare or quietly become standard practice. At a time when teaching is already a harder profession to enter and stay in, this change risks lowering long-term workforce quality without addressing the underlying causes of shortages: compensation, workload, and retention. Flexibility has a place. But flexibility without guardrails becomes policy by default. For these reasons, I urge the committee to either recommend HB 1182 as Inexpedient to Legislate or amend it to clearly reaffirm that these authorizations are temporary, exceptional, and paired with accountability and pathways toward credentialing. Thank you for your consideration.