1. Requirement. An educational technician certificate is required for employment as an educational technician at a public school or a private school approved for attendance purposes pursuant to section 2901, subsection 2, paragraph B, if the employed individual will:

2. Qualifications. The state board shall adopt rules establishing the qualifications and supervision for an educational technician certificate.

3. Certificate renewal. An educational technician certificate is issued for a 5-year period and may be renewed in accordance with state board rules, which must require, at a minimum, that the educational technician, whether employed or unemployed, complete at least 3 semester hours of professional or academic study or the equivalent or in-service training designed to improve the performance of the educational technician in the field.

4. Emergency educational technician certificate. The commissioner may issue an emergency certificate pursuant to this section to an applicant who has submitted to a criminal history background check and has successfully completed a program in this State approved for targeting essential skills and knowledge for performing permitted responsibilities. A certificate issued pursuant to this subsection is issued for a 5-year period.

5. Approved educational technician III training programs; certification. The commissioner may approve training programs for educational technician III certification, as defined by rule, offered by an accredited postsecondary institution in this State. Programs approved under this subsection may include, but are not limited to, learning facilitator programs offered through the Maine Community College System. An applicant who successfully completes a training program approved under this subsection may receive an educational technician III certificate if the applicant meets all other certification requirements established by rule, except that the applicant is not required to meet the minimum 90 credits of approved study in an educationally related field. An education technician III certified under this subsection is eligible for certificate renewal in accordance with subsection 3.

6. (REALLOCATED FROM T. 20-A, §13019-H, sub-§5) Reissuance; retired educational technician. The commissioner may issue an educational technician certificate to a person who has been receiving a retirement benefit from the State Employee and Teacher Retirement Program established under Title 5, section 17602 for no more than 5 years and who, immediately prior to receiving that benefit, possessed an active educational technician certificate in good standing that has subsequently lapsed. An educational technician certificate issued under this subsection is for the same period and subject to the same renewal standards as specified in subsection 3. State board rules may further govern qualifications for an educational technician certificate issued under this subsection.