Sec. 1. 20-A MRSA §13012, sub-§2, as amended by PL 1995, c. 320, §§1 and 2, is repealed.

Sec. 2. 20-A MRSA §13012, sub-§§2-A and 2-B are enacted to read:

2-A.__Qualifications.__State board rules governing the qualifications for a provisional teacher certificate must require that a certificate may only be issued to an applicant who meets the requirements of subsection 2-B and:

A.__For elementary school, has met academic and preprofessional requirements established by the state board for teaching at the elementary school level and has graduated from an accredited, degree-granting educational institution upon completion of:

(1)__A bachelor's degree from a 4-year accredited college or university;

(2)__A 4-year program in liberal arts and sciences; or

(3)__An approved 4-year teacher preparation program and has majored in the subject area to be taught or an interdisciplinary program in liberal arts;

B.__For secondary school, has met academic and preprofessional requirements established by the state board for teaching at the secondary school level and has graduated from an accredited, degree-granting educational institution upon completion of:

(1)__A bachelor's degree from a 4-year accredited college or university;

(2)__A 4-year program in liberal arts and sciences; or

(3)__An approved 4-year teacher preparation program and has majored in the subject area to be taught;

C.__Is otherwise qualified by having met separate educational criteria for specialized teaching areas, including, but not limited to, special education, home economics, agriculture, vocational education, art, music, business education, physical education and industrial arts, as established by the state board for teaching in these specialized areas; or