Whereas , The deferred operation of this act would tend to defeat its purpose, which is to provide forthwith for temporary certification of teachers, therefore it is hereby declared to be an emergency law, necessary for the immediate preservation of the public convenience.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:

SECTION 1. The first paragraph of section 38G of chapter 71 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 1998 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after the definition of "Standard educator certificate" the following definition:-

"Temporary certificate", a license to teach which the commissioner of education may, at his discretion, issue to a person who holds a valid teaching certificate from another state and who has been employed under the certificate for a minimum of three years but has not satisfied the certification testing requirements contained in this section. The temporary certificate shall be valid for one year and is nonrenewable. Service under a temporary certificate shall be counted as service in acquiring professional teacher status, contingent upon the teacher passing the applicable certification tests.

SECTION 2. Said section 38G of said chapter 71, as so appearing, is hereby further amended by inserting after the word "standing", in lines 48 and 49, the following word:- , temporary.