[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 647 Introduced in House (IH)]







108th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 647

      To increase the amount of student loan forgiveness and loan 
 cancellation available to qualified teachers, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            February 5, 2003

 Mr. Wilson of South Carolina introduced the following bill; which was 
        referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
      To increase the amount of student loan forgiveness and loan 
 cancellation available to qualified teachers, 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 ``Canceling Loans to Allow School 
Systems to Attract Classroom Teachers Act''.

SEC. 2. ADDITIONAL QUALIFIED LOAN AMOUNTS FOR STUDENT LOAN FORGIVENESS 
              AND LOAN CANCELLATION.

    (a) FFEL Loans.--Section 428J of the Higher Education Act of 1965 
(20 U.S.C. 1078-10) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (c)--
                    (A) in paragraph (1), by striking ``$5,000'' and 
                inserting ``$17,500''; and
                    (B) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(3) Priority.--The Secretary shall repay the loan 
        obligations for elementary school or secondary school teachers 
        who meet the requirements of subsection (b) on a first-come 
        first-served basis, subject to the availability of 
        appropriations, but shall give priority in providing loan 
        repayment under this paragraph for a fiscal year to teachers 
        who--
                    ``(A)(i) are employed as special education teachers 
                whose primary responsibility is to teach or support 
                children with disabilities (as defined in section 602 
                of the Individuals with Disabilities Act); and
                    ``(ii) as certified by the chief administrative 
                officer of the public or nonprofit private elementary 
                school or secondary school in which the borrower is 
                employed, are teaching children with disabilities (as 
                defined in section 602 of the Individuals with 
                Disabilities Act) that correspond with the borrower's 
                training and have demonstrated knowledge and teaching 
                skills in the content areas of the elementary school or 
                secondary school curriculum that the borrower is 
                teaching; or
                    ``(B) are employed as teachers of mathematics or 
                science in local educational agencies that are 
                determined by a State educational agency under section 
                2141 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 
                1965 to have failed to make progress toward meeting the 
                annual measurable objectives described in section 
                1119(a)(2) of such Act for 2 consecutive years.''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following:
    ``(i) 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 4 succeeding fiscal years.''.
    (b) Direct Loans.--Section 460 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 
(20 U.S.C. 1087j) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (c)--
                    (A) in paragraph (1), by striking ``$5,000'' and 
                inserting ``$17,500''; and
                    (B) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(3) Priority.--The Secretary shall cancel loan 
        obligations under this section for elementary school or 
        secondary school teachers who meet the requirements of 
        subsection (b) on a first-come first-served basis, subject to 
        the availability of appropriations, but shall give priority in 
        canceling loan obligations under this section for a fiscal year 
        to teachers who--
                    ``(A)(i) are employed as special education teachers 
                whose primary responsibility is to teach or support 
                children with disabilities (as defined in section 602 
                of the Individuals with Disabilities Act); and
                    ``(ii) as certified by the chief administrative 
                officer of the public or nonprofit private elementary 
                school or secondary school in which the borrower is 
                employed, are teaching children with disabilities (as 
                defined in section 602 of the Individuals with 
                Disabilities Education Act) that correspond with the 
                borrower's training and have demonstrated knowledge and 
                teaching skills in the content areas of the elementary 
                school or secondary school curriculum that the borrower 
                is teaching; or
                    ``(B) are employed as teachers of mathematics or 
                science in local educational agencies that are 
                determined by a State educational agency under section 
                2141 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 
                1965 to have failed to make progress toward meeting the 
                annual measurable objectives described in section 
                1119(a)(2) of such Act for 2 consecutive years.''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following:
    ``(i) 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 4 succeeding fiscal years.''.
                                 <all>