HB 211 Summary

• Establishes the Teacher and Education Employee Protection Act requiring the State Department of Education and Department of Finance to implement a professional liability insurance program for public school employees and student teachers.

• Provides automatic insurance coverage at no cost to all full-time certificated personnel (teachers, principals), full-time support personnel (custodians, bus drivers, cafeteria workers, secretaries), and student teachers assigned to local school classrooms.

• Allows part-time certificated and support personnel to participate in the program at their own cost.

• Insurance coverage must be effective by July 1, 2012, with funding through annual appropriations in the Education Trust Fund Appropriations Act and insurance carriers selected through competitive bidding.

• Authorizes the State Department of Education and Department of Finance to jointly adopt rules for program implementation, with coverage amounts and scope determined by the Department of Finance.