[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1751 Introduced in House (IH)]







108th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1751

   To expand the teacher loan forgiveness programs under the Federal 
        Family Education Loan and Federal Direct Loan programs.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 10, 2003

  Mr. Moore (for himself, Mr. Frost, Mr. Frank of Massachusetts, Mr. 
Davis of Illinois, Mr. Engel, Mrs. Davis of California, Mr. Rodriguez, 
Mr. Kucinich, Mr. Serrano, Mr. Sandlin, Ms. McCarthy of Missouri, Mrs. 
   Jones of Ohio, Mr. Boucher, Mr. McGovern, Mr. Doyle, Mr. Davis of 
Florida, Mr. Stenholm, Ms. Carson of Indiana, Mr. Rangel, Mr. Udall of 
 Colorado, Mrs. McCarthy of New York, Mr. Nadler, Mr. Abercrombie, Mr. 
  Etheridge, and Mr. Allen) introduced the following bill; which was 
        referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To expand the teacher loan forgiveness programs under the Federal 
        Family Education Loan and Federal Direct Loan programs.

    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 ``Teacher Recruitment and Retention 
Act of 2003''.

SEC. 2. EXPANDED STUDENT LOAN FORGIVENESS.

    (a) FFEL Loans.--Section 428J(c) of the Higher Education Act of 
1965 (20 U.S.C. 1078-10(c)) is amended by adding at the end the 
following new paragraph:
            ``(3) Additional amounts for expanded program.--
                    ``(A) Larger amounts from appropriated funds; 
                elimination of delay.--Notwithstanding the amount 
                specified in paragraph (1), the aggregate amount that 
                the Secretary may, from funds appropriated under 
                subparagraph (D), repay under this section is a total 
                amount equal to not more than $17,500 of the aggregate 
                of the loan obligation on a loan made under section 428 
                or 428H that is outstanding after the completion of the 
                first complete school year of service qualifying under 
                this paragraph. Such amount shall be repaid, 
                notwithstanding subsection (b)(1), as soon as 
                practicable after the end of each complete school year 
                at the rate of 15 percent of such amount for each of 
                the first and second years of such service, 20 percent 
                for each of the third or fourth years of such service, 
                and 30 percent for the fifth year of such service.
                    ``(B) Expanded service eligibility; elimination of 
                new borrower restriction.--Notwithstanding subsection 
                (b)(1), the Secretary shall carry out a program, 
                through the holder of the loan, of assuming the 
                obligation to repay, using funds appropriated under 
                subparagraph (D), a qualified loan amount for a loan 
                made under section 428 or 428H for any borrower who is 
                not in default on a loan for which the borrower seeks 
                forgiveness and who has been employed--
                            ``(i) as a full-time teacher in a school 
                        that qualifies under section 465(a)(2)(A) for 
                        loan cancellation for Perkins loan recipients 
                        who teach in such schools;
                            ``(ii) as a full-time special education 
                        teacher, as described in section 465(a)(2)(C); 
                        or
                            ``(iii) as a full-time teacher of 
                        mathematics, science, foreign languages, 
                        bilingual education, or any other field of 
                        expertise where the State educational agency 
                        determines there is a shortage of qualified 
                        teachers.
                    ``(C) Award basis; priority.--The Secretary shall 
                make payments under this paragraph to elementary or 
                secondary school teachers who meet the requirements of 
                subparagraph (B) on a first-come first-served basis, 
                subject to the availability of appropriations.
                    ``(D) Authorization of appropriations.--There are 
                authorized to be appropriated to carry out this 
                paragraph such sums as may be necessary for fiscal year 
                2003 and for each of the 4 succeeding fiscal years.''.
    (b) Direct Loans.--Section 460(c) of the Higher Education Act of 
1965 (20 U.S.C. 1087j(c)) is amended by adding at the end the following 
new paragraph:
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