Delco legislators’ bills to address teacher shortage pass PA House
H.B. 1403 would help inactive teachers return to the career; H.B. 1404 would improve the certification process for those entering the field as a career change
Rep. Gina H. Curry June 23, 2025 | 4:58 PM
Click here to download full-size version of photo
HARRISBURG, June 23 – Two pieces of legislation that aim to provide solutions to the growing shortage of educators throughout Pennsylvania were passed unanimously (203-0) today by the PA House.
The prime sponsors of both bills hail from Delaware County. House Bill 1403, introduced by state Rep. Lisa Borowski, would help inactive teachers resume their careers, while House Bill 1404, introduced by state Rep. Gina H. Curry, would assist those looking to make a career change to teaching by smoothing their path to certification.
The latter measure would revise the PA Instructional Intern Certificate, which is intended to help people interested in becoming teachers do so without having to follow a more traditional path to teaching. It authorizes individuals to take full-time or long-term substitute teaching positions while they’re still working toward a full teaching certificate, so long as they are enrolled in an approved program and meet all testing requirements.
H.B. 1404 would lengthen the amount of time a PA Instructional Intern Certificate can be used for teaching service while the individual is enrolled in an intern program, from three years to five years. It would also rename the certificate’s two categories to better reflect their intended use: “Second Career Certification” and “CTE Second Career Certification.”
“Professionals looking to transition into teaching are often working their current job while balancing the coursework involved in getting a full teaching certificate and may be raising families or have other responsibilities as well. Extending the intern certificate’s validity gives these potential teachers more flexibility to manage their lives while putting their certificate to good use,” Curry said. “Broadening the range of qualified candidates for teaching positions would get professionals from other careers who have the skills, patience, and life experience needed into classrooms, helping to close the gap for school districts struggling to fill open positions.”
H.B. 1403 would help teachers who previously inactivated their certification to return to the profession by waiving the fee to place their certification into “voluntary inactive status,” which also pauses their continuing professional education requirement. When this requirement resumes after reactivation, it would allow a teacher to meet the benchmark through in-service days provided by the school. Both provisions aim to get trained educators back into classrooms faster.
“This bill removes the financial burden for teachers reactivating their certifications, making it easier for experienced educators to return to the classroom. As a parent, I know how much our kids benefit from seasoned teachers who bring a breadth of life experience to their classrooms. This move would benefit both students and educators,” Borowski said. “These bills passing on the same day helps us show what can happen when lawmakers truly work together—bringing different ideas to the table to find smart solutions to a complicated issue.”
“We’ve all seen too many Pennsylvania classrooms continue to be understaffed and our teachers running on fumes,” said Rep. Bob Merski, D-Erie, co-prime sponsor of H.B. 1403. “House Bill 1403 changes the game by providing real mentorship, hands-on training, and ongoing support—exactly what it takes to attract new educators to Pennsylvania and keep our best ones here. When we stand up for teachers, we stand up for every child’s hope and every community’s future.”
According to the 2023 Penn State Center for Evaluation and Education Policy Analysis, in Pennsylvania, about 9,500 teachers left the education profession in 2022-2023 and another 8,300 in 2023-2024.
Both bills now go to the state Senate for consideration.