1| STATE OF OKLAHOMA |
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2| 1st Session of the 59th Legislature (2023) |
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3|SENATE BILL 285 By: Kirt |
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5| |
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6| AS INTRODUCED |
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7| An Act relating to teacher certification; amending 70 |
| O.S. 2021, Section 6-122.3, as last amended by |
8| Section 1, Chapter 121, O.S.L. 2022 (70 O.S. Supp. |
| 2022, Section 6-122.3), which relates to alternative |
9| teacher certification; updating statutory language; |
| allowing the State Board of Education to grant |
10| certain exception to licensed mental health |
| professionals; providing eligibility for exception; |
11| providing an effective date; and declaring an |
| emergency. |
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13| |
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14|BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA: |
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15| SECTION 1. AMENDATORY 70 O.S. 2021, Section 6-122.3, as |
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16|last amended by Section 1, Chapter 121, O.S.L. 2022 (70 O.S. Supp. |
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17|2022, Section 6-122.3), is amended to read as follows: |
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18| Section 6-122.3. A. The State Board of Education shall grant |
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19|an alternative placement teaching certificate to a person who makes |
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20|application to the Board and meets the following criteria: |
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21| 1. a. holds at least a baccalaureate degree from an |
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22| institution whose accreditation is recognized by the |
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23| Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education and has |
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1| attained a retention grade point average of not less |
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2| than 2.50 on a 4.0 scale, or |
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3| b. has successfully completed a terminal degree, such as |
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4| a doctorate of philosophy, a doctorate in education, |
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5| professional doctorates, a master of fine arts degree, |
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6| or a master of library science degree, from an |
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7| institution accredited by a national or regional |
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8| accrediting agency which is recognized by the |
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9| Secretary of the United States Department of |
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10| Education. The Oklahoma State Regents for Higher |
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11| Education shall be consulted to verify other terminal |
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12| degrees, or |
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13| c. holds at least a baccalaureate degree from an |
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14| institution whose accreditation is recognized by the |
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15| Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education and has |
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16| qualified work experience in a field that corresponds |
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17| to an area of certification as determined by the State |
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18| Board of Education, and |
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19| d. in addition to the requirements of subparagraphs a, |
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20| b, and c of this paragraph, has demonstrated |
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21| competency or completed a major in a field that |
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22| corresponds to an area of specialization for an |
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23| Elementary-Secondary Certificate elementary-secondary |
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24| certificate or a Secondary Certificate secondary |
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1| certificate as determined by the State Board of |
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2| Education or a vocational-technical certificate as |
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3| recommended by the Oklahoma Department of Career and |
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4| Technology Education; |
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5| 2. Declares the intention to earn standard certification by |
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6|means of an alternative placement program in not more than three (3) |
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7|years. The State Board of Education shall determine the subject |
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8|matter and the number of clock or semester hours required for the |
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9|professional education component for each person making application |
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10|for an alternative placement teaching certificate based on the |
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11|criteria of paragraph 1 of this subsection. |
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12| The State Board of Education shall establish a core minimum of |
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13|six (6) semester hours or ninety (90) clock hours and a maximum of |
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14|eighteen (18) semester hours or two hundred seventy (270) clock |
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15|hours for the professional education component. |
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16| The requirements set forth in this subsection shall exclude all |
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17|student teaching requirements pursuant to the provisions of |
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18|subsection E of this section; |
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19| 3. Has passed the general education and subject area portions |
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20|portion of the competency examination required in Section 6-187 of |
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21|this title in the area of specialization for which certification is |
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22|sought; and |
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23| 4. Either presents a document from an accredited public school |
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24|district in this state offering employment in the area of |
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1|specialization for which certification is sought on condition that |
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2|the person enroll in an alternative placement program approved by |
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3|the State Board of Education or declares the intention to seek |
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4|employment as a teacher at an accredited public school district in |
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5|this state. The certificate granted pursuant to this subsection |
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6|shall be considered a "valid certificate of qualification" for the |
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7|purposes of Sections 6-107 and 6-108 of this title, and the holder |
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8|of the certificate shall be considered an inductee for the purposes |
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9|of Section 6-195 of this title. |
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10| B. An alternative placement teaching certificate shall be |
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11|renewed for not more than a maximum of three (3) years upon |
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12|presentation of a document from an accredited public school district |
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13|in this state offering renewed employment in the same area of |
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14|specialization and a document from a teacher education institution |
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15|verifying satisfactory progress in an appropriate alternative |
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16|placement program. |
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17| C. Persons enrolled in an alternative placement program shall: |
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18| 1. Have never been denied admittance to a teacher education |
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19|program approved by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education, |
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20|the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, and by the |
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21|Oklahoma Commission for Teacher Preparation Commission for |
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22|Educational Quality and Accountability to offer teacher education |
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23|programs, nor have enrolled in and subsequently failed courses |
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1|necessary to successfully meet the minimum requirements of the |
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2|program, except those persons who hold a certificate; |
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3| 2. Have on file with the director of teacher education at an |
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4|Oklahoma institution of higher education a plan for meeting standard |
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5|certification requirements within three (3) years; and |
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6| 3. Participate in an induction program as required in Section |
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7|6-195 of this title and have the same duties and responsibilities as |
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8|other inductees. |
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9| D. The State Board of Education may grant an exception to the |
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10|requirements for certification and, upon demonstration by an |
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11|individual of specific competency in the subject area of |
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12|specialization, may grant a certificate to the individual. The |
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13|State Board may establish other requirements necessary to grant |
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14|exceptions. |
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15| E. The State Board of Education, in consultation with the |
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16|Commission for Educational Quality and Accountability, may grant an |
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17|exception to the requirement to complete a subject area examination |
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18|for initial certification in a field which does not require an |
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19|advanced degree pursuant to this section if the candidate has an |
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20|advanced degree in a subject that is substantially comparable to the |
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21|content assessed on a subject area examination. The degree shall be |
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22|from an institution accredited by a national or regional accrediting |
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23|agency which is recognized by the Secretary of the U.S. Department |
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1|of Education. The Commission shall provide the Board with the |
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2|necessary information to determine comparability. |
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3| F. Student teaching and a prestudent teaching field experience |
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4|shall not be required of alternative placement program participants |
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5|for standard certification. |
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6| G. The State Board of Education shall promulgate rules |
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7|authorizing adjunct teachers who shall be persons with distinguished |
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8|qualifications in their field. Adjunct teachers shall not be |
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9|required to meet standard certification. A person employed as an |
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10|adjunct teacher pursuant to this subsection who does not hold a |
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11|valid certificate to teach shall not be considered a teacher as |
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12|defined by Section 1-116 of this title. |
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13| H. Each teacher education institution shall provide the |
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14|Oklahoma Commission for Teacher Preparation Commission for |
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15|Educational Quality and Accountability an annual report of |
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16|information as specified by the Commission regarding participation |
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17|in the alternative placement programs offered by the institution. |
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18| I. The Oklahoma Commission for Teacher Preparation Commission |
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19|shall not accredit, renew the accreditation of, or otherwise approve |
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20|any teacher education program of any institution of higher education |
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21|in this state that has not implemented alternative placement |
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22|programs in at least four areas of specialization including |
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23|mathematics, science, and a foreign language. Each institution |
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1|shall allow individuals who meet the criteria of subsections A and C |
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2|of this section to be: |
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3| 1. Admitted to an alternative placement program without further |
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4|qualification; and |
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5| 2. Offered the opportunity to complete the requirements for |
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6|standard certification set forth in subsection A of this section |
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7|during the summer preceding and the summer following the first year |
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8|of teaching with an alternative placement teaching certificate. Any |
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9|person seeking standard certification through an alternative |
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10|placement program shall be permitted to take necessary courses |
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11|during regular semesters if offered. |
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12| J. The criteria specified in subsection I of this section can |
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13|may be met through a cooperative arrangement entered into by two or |
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14|more institutions of higher education. |
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15| K. 1. The State Board of Education may grant an exception to |
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16|the requirements for certification as a licensed school counselor to |
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17|a person who is a licensed mental health professional, as defined by |
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18|Section 1-103 of Title 43A of the Oklahoma Statutes, provided the |
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19|person has completed a training course identified by the State |
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20|Department of Education or six (6) semester hours related to school |
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21|counseling from an institution accredited by a national or regional |
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22|accrediting agency which is recognized by the Secretary of the |
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23|United States Department of Education. |
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1| 2. Any person seeking certification as a school counselor and |
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2|who has met the provisions of this subsection shall be exempt from |
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3|the professional education portion of the competency examination |
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4|required pursuant to Sections 6-187 and 6-190 of this title. |
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5| 3. The State Board may establish other requirements necessary |
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6|to grant exceptions. |
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7| SECTION 2. This act shall become effective July 1, 2023. |
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8| SECTION 3. It being immediately necessary for the preservation |
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9|of the public peace, health, or safety, an emergency is hereby |
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10|declared to exist, by reason whereof this act shall take effect and |
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11|be in full force from and after its passage and approval. |
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13| 59-1-1298 EB 1/12/2023 11:35:42 AM |
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