Section 44343.4 - Credentials for Armed Forces family members(a) The commission shall issue a comparable credential at the preliminary level to an eligible applicant for the purpose of providing instruction or services in public schools if all of the following requirements are met: (1) The eligible applicant possesses and provides proof of a valid, out-of-state, unexpired, professional-level teaching or services credential.(2) The eligible applicant provides evidence that the eligible applicant is, is married to, or is in a domestic partnership or other legal union with, an active duty member of the Armed Forces of the United States.(3) The eligible applicant provides either of the following: (A) A copy of their, or their spouse or domestic partner's, official military orders for reassignment to California.(B) Evidence of their spouse or domestic partner's death while serving as an active duty member of the Armed Forces of the United States in the previous 12 months.(4) The eligible applicant satisfies the fingerprinting requirement for purposes of conducting a criminal background check and satisfies the professional fitness requirement pursuant to Sections 44339, 44340, and 44341.(b)(1) Except as provided in paragraph (2), a credential issued pursuant to this section shall be valid only for the duration of the military orders pursuant to subparagraph (A) of paragraph (3) of subdivision (a).(2) A credential issued to eligible applicants who provided evidence pursuant to subparagraph (B) of paragraph (3) of subdivision (a) shall be valid for no more than three years. A credential issued pursuant to this paragraph may only be issued once.(c) An eligible applicant licensed under this section may subsequently apply for full licensure in California based on existing pathways for out-of-state prepared educators.(d) The commission shall issue a credential under this section to a spouse of a United States military service member consistent with subdivision (a) of Section 44343.5.(e) For the purposes of this section, the following definitions apply:(1) "Active duty member of the Armed Forces of the United States" means any person serving in a full-time duty status in the United States Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Space Force, or Coast Guard, including members of any reserve component of those forces and members of the National Guard.(2) "Eligible applicant" means any United States military service member or their spouse or domestic partner, or a surviving spouse or domestic partner of a service member who died while serving as an active duty member of the Armed Forces of the United States in the previous 12 months.Added by Stats 2023 ch 48 (SB 114),s 33, eff. 7/10/2023.