[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3785 Introduced in House (IH)]







107th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 3785

   To establish expanded teacher loan forgiveness programs under the 
guaranteed and direct student loan programs for teachers of mathematics 
                  and science, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 26, 2002

  Mr. Baker introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                Committee on Education and the Workforce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To establish expanded teacher loan forgiveness programs under the 
guaranteed and direct student loan programs for teachers of mathematics 
                  and science, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Math and Science Teacher Recruitment 
Act of 2002''.

SEC. 2. REVISION OF TEACHER LOAN FORGIVENESS PROGRAMS.

    (a) Guaranteed Student Loans.--Part B of title IV of the Higher 
Education Act of 1965 is amended by--
            (1) redesignating section 428K (20 U.S.C. 1078-11) as 
        section 428L; and
            (2) by inserting after section 428J the following new 
        section:

``SEC. 428K. EXPANDED LOAN FORGIVENESS FOR TEACHERS.

    ``(a) Purpose.--It is the purpose of this section to expand, 
subject to the availability of appropriations, the eligibility of 
individuals to qualify for loan forgiveness for teachers beyond that 
available under section 428J, in order to provide additional incentives 
for teachers of mathematics and science in low-income public middle and 
secondary schools to enter and continue in the teaching profession.
    ``(b) Program Authorized.--
            ``(1) In general.--From the sums appropriated pursuant to 
        subsection (g), the Secretary shall carry out a program, 
        through the holder of the loan, of assuming the obligation to 
        repay a qualified loan amount for a loan made under section 428 
        or 428H, in accordance with subsection (c), for any borrower 
        who--
                    ``(A) is employed as a full-time teacher in a low-
                income public school in grades 7 through 12, inclusive, 
                as a teacher of mathematics or science;
                    ``(B) has entered into an agreement with the local 
                educational agency to continue teaching in such grades 
                and subject matter for not less than 3 complete school 
                years;
                    ``(C) had mathematics, life or physical sciences, 
                technology, or engineering as an undergraduate academic 
                major, or has a graduate degree in any such field, as 
                certified by the chief administrative officer of the 
                public school in which the borrower is employed;
                    ``(D) has a State certification (which may include 
                certification obtained through alternative means) or a 
                State license to teach, and has not failed to comply 
                with State or local accountability standards; and
                    ``(E) is not in default on a loan for which the 
                borrower seeks forgiveness.
            ``(2) Selection of recipients.--The Secretary shall by 
        regulation establish a formula that ensures fairness and 
        equality for applicants in the selection of borrowers for loan 
        repayment under this section, based on the amount of funds 
        available to carry out this section.
            ``(3) Continued eligibility.--Any teacher who performs 
        service in a school that--
                    ``(A) meets the requirements of paragraph (1)(A) in 
                any year during such service; and
                    ``(B) in a subsequent year fails to meet the 
                requirements of such paragraph,
        may continue to teach in such school and shall be eligible for 
        loan forgiveness pursuant to subsection (b).
            ``(4) Prohibition of double benefits.--No borrower may, for 
        the same service, receive a benefit under both this section and 
        subtitle D of title I of the National and Community Service Act 
        of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12571 et seq.). No borrower may receive a 
        reduction of loan obligations under both this section and 
        section 428J, 460, or 460A.
    ``(c) Qualified Loan Amounts.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall repay not more 
        than--
                    ``(A) $2,500 for each complete school year of 
                teaching described in subsection (b)(1)(A) (after the 
                third or any succeeding such year); or
                    ``(B) a total of $20,000.
            ``(2) Treatment of consolidation loans.--A loan amount for 
        a loan made under section 428C may be a qualified loan amount 
        for the purposes of this subsection only to the extent that 
        such loan amount was used to repay a Federal Direct Stafford 
        Loan, a Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loan, or a loan 
        made under section 428 or 428H for a borrower who meets the 
        requirements of subsection (b), as determined in accordance 
        with regulations prescribed by the Secretary.
    ``(d) Definitions.--For purposes of this section:
            ``(1) The term `year', where applied to service as a 
        teacher, means an academic year as defined by the Secretary.
            ``(2) The term `low-income public school' means a public 
        school with high percentages or numbers of students from low-
        income families, as determined under section 1113(a)(5) or 
        1124(c)(1) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 
        1965 (20 U.S.C. 6313(a)(5), 6333(c)(1)).
    ``(e) Rule of Construction.--Nothing in this section may be 
construed to authorize any refunding of any repayment of a loan.
    ``(f) Regulations.--The Secretary is authorized to issue such 
regulations as may be necessary to carry out the provisions of this 
section.
    ``(g) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section such sums as may be necessary 
for fiscal year 2003 and each of the 5 succeeding fiscal years.''.
    (b) Direct Student Loans.--Part D of title IV of the Higher 
Education Act of 1965 is amended by inserting after section 460 the 
following new section:

``SEC. 460A. EXPANDED LOAN FORGIVENESS FOR TEACHERS.

    ``(a) Purpose.--It is the purpose of this section to expand, 
subject to the availability of appropriations, the eligibility of 
individuals to qualify for loan forgiveness for teachers beyond that 
available under section 460, in order to provide additional incentives 
for teachers of mathematics and science in low-income public middle and 
secondary schools to enter and continue in the teaching profession.
    ``(b) Program Authorized.--
            ``(1) In general.--From the sums appropriated pursuant to 
        subsection (g), the Secretary shall cancel the obligation to 
        repay a qualified loan amount in accordance with subsection (c) 
        for Federal Direct Stafford Loans and Federal Direct 
        Unsubsidized Stafford Loans made under this part for any 
        borrower who--
                    ``(A) is employed as a full-time teacher in a 
                public school in grades 7 through 12, inclusive, as a 
                teacher of mathematics or science;
                    ``(B) has entered into an agreement with the local 
                educational agency to continue teaching in such grades 
                and subject matter for not less than 3 complete school 
                years;
                    ``(C) had mathematics, life or physical sciences, 
                technology, or engineering as an undergraduate academic 
                major, or has a graduate degree in any such field, as 
                certified by the chief administrative officer of the 
                public school in which the borrower is employed;
                    ``(D) has a State certification (which may include 
                certification obtained through alternative means) or a 
                State license to teach, and has not failed to comply 
                with State or local accountability standards; and
                    ``(E) is not in default on a loan for which the 
                borrower seeks forgiveness.
            ``(2) Selection of recipients.--The Secretary shall by 
        regulation establish a formula that ensures fairness and 
        equality for applicants in the selection of borrowers for loan 
        repayment under this section, based on the amount of funds 
        available to carry out this section.
            ``(3) Continued eligibility.--Any teacher who performs 
        service in a school that--
                    ``(A) meets the requirements of paragraph (1)(A) in 
                any year during such service; and
                    ``(B) in a subsequent year fails to meet the 
                requirements of such paragraph,
        may continue to teach in such school and shall be eligible for 
        loan forgiveness pursuant to subsection (b).
            ``(4) Prohibition of double benefits.--No borrower may, for 
        the same service, receive a benefit under both this section and 
        subtitle D of title I of the National and Community Service Act 
        of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12571 et seq.). No borrower may receive a 
        reduction of loan obligations under both this section and 
        section 428J, 428K, or 460.
    ``(c) Qualified Loan Amounts.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall cancel not more 
        than--
                    ``(A) $2,500 for each complete school year of 
                teaching described in subsection (b)(1)(A) (after the 
                third or any succeeding such year); or
                    ``(B) a total of $20,000.
            ``(2) Treatment of consolidation loans.--A loan amount for 
        a Federal Direct Consolidation Loan may be a qualified loan 
        amount for the purposes of this subsection only to the extent 
        that such loan amount was used to repay a Federal Direct 
        Stafford Loan, a Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loan, or 
        a loan made under section 428 or 428H for a borrower who meets 
        the requirements of subsection (b), as determined in accordance 
        with regulations prescribed by the Secretary.
    ``(d) Definitions.--For purposes of this section:
            ``(1) The term `year', where applied to service as a 
        teacher, means an academic year as defined by the Secretary.
            ``(2) The term `low-income public school' means a public 
        school with high percentages or numbers of students from low-
        income families, as determined under section 1113(a)(5) or 
        1124(c)(1) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 
        1965 (20 U.S.C. 6313(a)(5), 6333(c)(1)).
    ``(e) Rule of Construction.--Nothing in this section may be 
construed to authorize any refunding of any repayment of a loan.
    ``(f) Regulations.--The Secretary is authorized to issue such 
regulations as may be necessary to carry out the provisions of this 
section.
    ``(g) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section such sums as may be necessary 
for fiscal year 2003 and each of the 5 succeeding fiscal years.''.

SEC. 3. PUBLICATION OF INFORMATION CONCERNING AVAILABILITY OF PROGRAM.

    Section 485(a)(1)(M) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
1092(a)(1)(M)) is amended--
            (1) by striking ``, and'' at the end of clause (i) and 
        inserting a semicolon;
            (2) by inserting ``and'' after the semicolon at the end of 
        clause (ii); and
            (3) by inserting after clause (ii) the following new 
        clause:
                    ``(iii) obtain repayment or cancellation of a 
                portion of such loan for service as a teacher under 
                sections 428J, 428K, 460, and 460A;''.
                                 <all>