[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 808 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 808

To provide grants to recruit new teachers, principals, and other school 
  leaders to, and retain and support current and returning teachers, 
principals, and other school leaders employed in, public elementary and 
   public secondary schools, and to help higher education, in areas 
    impacted by Hurricane Katrina or Hurricane Rita, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 8, 2007

 Ms. Landrieu (for herself, Mr. Kennedy, Mr. Reid, Mr. Obama, and Mrs. 
   Clinton) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
  referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To provide grants to recruit new teachers, principals, and other school 
  leaders to, and retain and support current and returning teachers, 
principals, and other school leaders employed in, public elementary and 
   public secondary schools, and to help higher education, in areas 
    impacted by Hurricane Katrina or Hurricane Rita, 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 ``Revitalizing New Orleans by 
Attracting America's Leaders Act of 2007'' or the ``RENEWAAL Act of 
2007''.

              TITLE I--ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION

SEC. 101. GRANTS TO STATE EDUCATIONAL AGENCIES AFFECTED BY HURRICANE 
              KATRINA OR HURRICANE RITA; SUBGRANTS TO LOCAL EDUCATIONAL 
              AGENCIES.

    (a) In General.--Subject to subsection (b) and section 102(d), from 
amounts appropriated under section 105, the Secretary of Education 
shall award grants to each of the States of Louisiana, Mississippi, and 
Alabama. The Secretary shall base allocations for States that submit an 
application under subsection (b)(1) on the number of schools in each 
State that were closed for 60 days or more during the period beginning 
on August 29, 2005, and ending on December 31, 2005, due to Hurricane 
Katrina or Hurricane Rita.
    (b) Applications.--
            (1) In general.--For a State to be eligible to receive a 
        grant under subsection (a), the State educational agency for 
        the State shall submit an application to the Secretary, at such 
        time as the Secretary may require, that contains such 
        information and assurances as the Secretary may require.
            (2) Specific assurances.--The assurances under paragraph 
        (1) shall include an assurance that--
                    (A) subject to subsection (d), the State 
                educational agency will distribute the funds received 
                under the grant as subgrants to local educational 
                agencies;
                    (B) the State educational agency, in consultation 
                with local education agencies, local teachers and their 
                union, the State's board of education, and the local 
                organization representing charter schools, will 
                establish and implement a plan to strengthen the 
                recruitment, retention, professional development, and 
                success of teachers and school leaders in schools that 
                are served under the grant; and
                    (C) funds provided shall be used at schools that 
                are--
                            (i) open to all eligible students, 
                        including students with disabilities and 
                        English language learners; and
                            (ii) in compliance with all applicable 
                        Federal laws, including civil rights laws, and 
                        State and local health and safety laws.
            (3) Oversight.--The Secretary shall, on a semi-annual 
        basis--
                    (A) review the State educational agencies receiving 
                funds under this title to determine whether each such 
                agency is in compliance with the assurances referred to 
                in paragraph (2); and
                    (B) submit to the Committee on Education and Labor 
                of the House of Representatives and the Committee on 
                Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate a 
                report on the results of such review, the first of 
                which reports shall be made not later than 6 months 
                after the date of the enactment of this Act.
    (c) Subgrants to Local Educational Agencies.--
            (1) In general.--Subject to subsection (d), from amounts 
        made available to a State educational agency under this title, 
        the agency shall make subgrants, on a competitive basis, to 
        local educational agencies in the State that serve an area with 
        respect to which a major disaster was declared under section 
        401 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency 
        Assistance Act (42 U.S. C. 5170) by reason of Hurricane Katrina 
        or Hurricane Rita. Funds received under the subgrant shall be 
        used to carry out the authorized activities described in 
        sections 102 and 103.
            (2) Application.--To be eligible to receive a subgrant 
        under this subsection, a local educational agency shall submit 
        an application to the State educational agency at such time, in 
        such manner, and containing such information as the State 
        educational agency may reasonably require.
            (3) Timing.--Subgrants under this subsection shall be made 
        not later than 60 days after the date on which the State 
        educational agency first receives funds from the Secretary 
        under this title.
            (4) Determination of allocations.--In allocating funds 
        among local educational agencies under this subsection, State 
        educational agencies shall give priority to local educational 
        agencies with the following:
                    (A) The highest percentages of schools that are 
                closed as a result of Hurricane Katrina or Hurricane 
                Rita, as of the date of the enactment of this Act.
                    (B) The highest percentages of schools with a 
                student-teacher ratio of at least 25 to 1.
    (d) Management, Administration, and Evaluation.--
            (1) In general.--A State educational agency that 
        distributes funds under this title may reserve up to one half 
        of one percent for management, administrative, and evaluation 
        purposes.
            (2) Charter school costs included.--Amounts reserved under 
        paragraph (1) shall include all management, administrative, and 
        evaluation costs related to charter schools.
            (3) Allocation to other local educational agencies.--Of the 
        amounts reserved by a State educational agency under paragraph 
        (1), any funds that remain after expenditure for the costs 
        described in paragraphs (1) and (2) may be allocated by the 
        State educational agency to other local educational agencies 
        adversely affected by Hurricane Katrina or Hurricane Rita.
    (e) Evaluation.--The Comptroller General of the United States shall 
review the implementation of section 102 and shall provide the 
Committee on Education and Labor of the House of Representatives and 
the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate 
with an analysis of the effectiveness of the implementation of such 
section not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this 
Act.

SEC. 102. ANNUAL BONUSES FOR TEACHERS AND OTHER SCHOOL LEADERS.

    (a) Annual Bonuses for Teachers.--A local educational agency that 
receives a subgrant under section 101 shall use a portion of the 
subgrant funds specified by the Secretary to provide annual pensionable 
bonuses, in addition to base salary and benefits, to teachers in each 
of 3 consecutive full school years (beginning with the first full 
school year that begins after the date of the enactment of this Act), 
calculated as follows:
            (1) $7,000 per year for all teachers employed by the local 
        educational agency during the school year in which this Act is 
        enacted, if the teacher commits to continue to work during each 
        of the 3 succeeding school years in a public elementary or 
        public secondary school served by the agency.
            (2) $10,000 per year for all teachers described in 
        paragraph (1) who also have a demonstrated track record of 
        success in improving student academic achievement, based on an 
        evaluation from the multiple measures of success rating system 
        described in subsection (d), except that such teachers may not 
        receive a bonus under paragraph (1).
            (3) $12,500 per year for all teachers described in 
        paragraph (1) who also have a demonstrated track record of 
        success in improving student academic achievement, based on an 
        evaluation from the multiple measures of success rating system 
        described in subsection (d), and who teach a subject for which 
        there is a documented teacher shortage, except that such 
        teachers may not receive a bonus under paragraph (1) or (2).
    (b) Annual Bonuses for School Leaders.--A local educational agency 
that receives a subgrant under section 101 shall use a portion of the 
subgrant funds specified by the Secretary to provide annual bonuses to 
school leaders in each of 3 consecutive full school years (beginning 
with the first full school year that begins after the date of the 
enactment of this Act), calculated as follows:
            (1) $7,000 per year for all school leaders employed by the 
        local educational agency during the school year in which this 
        Act is enacted, if the school leader commits to continue to 
        work during each of the 3 succeeding school years in a public 
        elementary or public secondary school served by the agency.
            (2) $15,000 per year for all school leaders described in 
        paragraph (1) who also are designated by the local educational 
        agency as outstanding or have a demonstrated track record of 
        success in improving student academic achievement on a school-
        wide basis in a low-performing school (as determined through a 
        performance-based system that includes analysis of academic 
        achievement gains), except that such school leaders may not 
        receive a bonus under paragraph (1).
    (c) Supplements for Personnel Returning From Displacement.--In the 
case of a teacher or school leader who was displaced from, or lost 
employment in, a geographic area described in section 101(a) by reason 
of Hurricane Katrina or Hurricane Rita, and who returns to such an area 
following such displacement and is rehired, the bonus described in 
subsection (a) or (b) shall be increased by $1,500 in each of the 3 
years.
    (d) Multiple Measures of Success Rating System.--The Secretary of 
Education may make a grant to a State under this title only if the 
State educational agency, in its application under section 101(b), 
agrees to use the following process to develop a multiple measures of 
success rating system:
            (1) Not later than 60 days after the date of the enactment 
        of this Act, the State educational agency, in cooperation with 
        local educational agencies, the teachers unions, local 
        principals' organization, local parents' organizations, local 
        business organizations, and local charter schools 
        organizations, shall develop a plan for such a system.
            (2) If the State educational agency has failed to reach an 
        agreement pursuant to paragraph (1) that is satisfactory to all 
        consulting entities by such deadline, the State educational 
        agency shall immediately notify the Congress of such failure 
        and the reasons for it and shall, not later than 30 days after 
        such notification, establish and implement a rating system that 
        shall be--
                    (A) based on strong learning gains for students and 
                growth in student achievement;
                    (B) based on classroom observation and feedback at 
                least 4 times annually;
                    (C) conducted by multiple sources, including 
                principals and master teachers; and
                    (D) evaluated against research-validated rubrics 
                that use planning, instructional, and learning 
                environment standards to measure teaching performance.
    (e) Timing of Payment.--A local educational agency providing an 
annual bonus to a teacher or school leader under subsection (a) or (b) 
shall pay the bonus according to a schedule that--
            (1) is designed to attract such educators;
            (2) commences payment of the first of such bonuses not 
        later than 60 days after the later of--
                    (A) the first day of the first full school year 
                that begins after the date of the enactment of this 
                Act; and
                    (B) the date on which the local educational agency 
                first receives funds from the State educational agency 
                under this title; and
            (3) only completes payment at the end of the period of 
        required service.
    (f) Grant Period.--Funds allocated by the Secretary for use under 
this section may be expended by a State educational agency or local 
educational agency over a 3-year period.

SEC. 103. RELOCATION COSTS, HOUSING COSTS, EDUCATOR RECRUITMENT COSTS, 
              AND PROMOTION OF BEST PRACTICES AND CAPACITY-BUILDING.

    (a) Relocation Costs.--A local educational agency that receives a 
subgrant under section 101 shall use a portion of the subgrant funds 
specified by the Secretary to provide one-time payments of up to $2,500 
each to educators (including teachers, school leaders, school guidance 
counselors, school social workers, school nurses and other school-based 
health personnel, and paraprofessionals) who commit to work in a public 
elementary or public secondary school served by the agency to assist 
such educators with costs associated with relocation. In providing such 
payments, a local educational agency shall give priority to teachers 
with a prior connection to the State, either through previous 
employment as a teacher in the State or graduation from a public or 
private institution of higher education located in the State.
    (b) Housing Costs.--A local educational agency that receives a 
subgrant under section 101 shall use a portion of the subgrant funds 
specified by the Secretary to provide up to 36 monthly payments of--
            (1) $700 each to educators (including teachers, school 
        leaders, school guidance counselors, school social workers, 
        school nurses and other school-based health personnel, and 
        paraprofessionals) who commit to work in a public elementary or 
        public secondary school served by the agency, and who 
        previously resided or worked in the geographical area served by 
        the agency, to assist such educators with housing costs; and
            (2) $500 each to all other educators (including teachers, 
        school leaders, school guidance counselors, school social 
        workers, school nurses and other school-based health personnel, 
        and paraprofessionals) who commit to work in a public 
        elementary or public secondary school served by the agency, to 
        assist such educators with housing costs.
    (c) Educator Recruitment Costs.--A local educational agency that 
receives a subgrant under section 101 shall use a portion of the 
subgrant funds specified by the Secretary for the purpose of 
establishing partnerships with non-profit entities that have a 
demonstrated track record in recruiting and retaining outstanding 
teachers and school leaders who commit to teach or lead in schools 
where there is a documented teacher shortage. These entities shall 
consult with teachers and the local teachers' union in their work.
    (d) Promoting Best Practices and Capacity-Building.--
            (1) In general.--A local educational agency that receives a 
        subgrant under section 101 shall use a portion of the subgrant 
        funds specified by the Secretary for the purpose of building 
        the capacity and knowledge of principals and teachers and 
        providing teachers with paid release time to collaborate with 
        each other, to engage in classroom observation, and to 
        participate in professional development. Such paid release time 
        shall be used to facilitate the identification and replication 
        of best practices from the highest-performing and fastest-
        improving schools, to bring in outstanding educators to provide 
        on-site professional development and coaching, and to support 
        the design, adaptation, and implementation of high-quality 
        formative assessments aligned to the State's academic 
        standards.
            (2) Administrative costs.--A local educational agency 
        receiving a subgrant under section 101 may use up to 5 percent 
        of the portion of the subgrant funds specified by the Secretary 
        under paragraph (1) for management and administration related 
        to carrying out activities under such paragraph.

SEC. 104. DEFINITIONS.

    For purposes of this title:
            (1) The term ``documented teacher shortage''--
                    (A) means a shortage of teachers documented in the 
                needs assessment conducted under section 2122(c) of the 
                Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 
                U.S.C. 6622(c)) by the local educational agency 
                involved or some other official demonstration of 
                shortage by the local educational agency; and
                    (B) may include such a shortage in math, science, 
                reading, special education, a foreign language, high 
                school core subjects, instruction for limited English 
                proficient children, and other subjects, as designated 
                by the local educational agency.
            (2) The term ``elementary school'' has the meaning given 
        such term in section 9101 of the Elementary and Secondary 
        Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801).
            (3) The term ``local educational agency'' has the meaning 
        given such term in section 9101 of the Elementary and Secondary 
        Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801) and shall also include 
        the Recovery School District in Louisiana and New Orleans 
        Public Schools.
            (4) The term ``public school'' means any public school that 
        is operated or chartered by a State educational agency or local 
        educational agency.
            (5) The term ``school leader'' means a school principal, 
        assistant principal, principal resident director, or assistant 
        director.
            (6) The term ``secondary school'' has the meaning given 
        such term in section 9101 of the Elementary and Secondary 
        Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801).
            (7) The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of 
        Education.
            (8) The term ``teacher'', when used with respect to an 
        individual teaching in a State, means that the individual has 
        obtained full State certification as a teacher or is 
        satisfactorily participating in an alternative route to 
        certification program that leads to certification within 3 
        years, except that--
                    (A) an individual teaching in a public charter 
                school is included in this definition if the individual 
                satisfies the requirements set forth in the State's 
                public charter school law with respect to State 
                certification; and
                    (B) a special education teacher is included in this 
                definition only if fully certified by the State.

SEC. 105. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    (a) In General.--There are authorized to be appropriated to carry 
out this title $45,500,000 for fiscal year 2007, $45,500,000 for fiscal 
year 2008, and $46,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2009, 2010, and 
2011.
    (b) Annual Bonuses for Teachers.--Of the total amounts authorized 
under subsection (a), there are authorized to be appropriated 
$20,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2007 through 2011 to carry out 
section 102(a).
    (c) Annual Bonuses for School Leaders.--Of the total amounts 
authorized under subsection (a), the following amounts are authorized 
to be appropriated to carry out section 102(b):
            (1) $1,500,000 for each of fiscal years 2007 and 2008.
            (2) $2,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2009, 2010, and 
        2011.
    (d) Relocation Costs.--Of the total amounts authorized under 
subsection (a), there are authorized to be appropriated $2,000,000 for 
each of fiscal years 2007 through 2011 to carry out section 103(a).
    (e) Housing Costs.--Of the total amounts authorized under 
subsection (a), there are authorized to be appropriated $15,000,000 for 
each of fiscal years 2007 through 2011 to carry out section 103(b).
    (f) Educator Recruitment Costs.--Of the total amounts authorized 
under subsection (a), there are authorized to be appropriated 
$2,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2007 through 2011 to carry out 
section 103(c).
    (g) Promoting Best Practices and Capacity-Building.--Of the total 
amounts authorized under subsection (a), there are authorized to be 
appropriated $5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2007 through 2011 to 
carry out section 103(d).
    (h) Availability.--Any funds authorized to be appropriated under 
this section are authorized to be available for fiscal years 2007 
through 2011.

SEC. 106. CONSTRUCTION.

    Nothing in this title shall be construed to alter or otherwise 
affect the rights, remedies, and procedures afforded school or local 
educational agency employees under Federal, State, or local laws 
(including applicable regulations or court orders) or under the terms 
of collective bargaining agreements, memoranda of understanding, or 
other agreements between such employees and their employers.

                       TITLE II--HIGHER EDUCATION

SEC. 201. HIGHER EDUCATION RECOVERY AND SUSTAINABILITY PROGRAM.

    (a) Program Established.--Subject to the availability of funds 
appropriated to carry out this section, the Secretary shall provide 
funds made available under this section, in accordance with subsection 
(b), to postsecondary educational institutions--
            (1) that were closed on any of their physical campuses, or 
        that temporarily relocated their campus, as a result of the 
        impact of a Gulf hurricane disaster;
            (2) the enrollments of which have not recovered to the 
        level of enrollments that existed before a Gulf hurricane 
        disaster; and
            (3) that continue to sustain a loss of revenue as a result 
        of the impact of a Gulf hurricane disaster.
    (b) Use of Funds.--The Secretary shall use funds made available to 
carry out this section to compensate the institutions described in 
subsection (a) for direct or indirect losses incurred by such 
institutions resulting from the impact of a Gulf hurricane disaster, 
and for the recovery initiatives of such institutions. Such funds may 
be used for--
            (1) faculty salaries and incentives for retaining faculty;
            (2) costs associated with the loss of lost tuition, 
        revenue, and enrollment;
            (3) construction and maintenance needs;
            (4) grants to students to attend institutions described in 
        subsection (a) for academic years beginning on or after July 1, 
        2006, with priority given to students demonstrating financial 
        need; and
            (5) any recruitment activities related to increasing 
        enrollment to the level of enrollment that existed before a 
        Gulf hurricane disaster.
    (c) Application for Assistance.--A postsecondary educational 
institution that desires to receive assistance under this section 
shall--
            (1) submit a sworn financial statement and other 
        appropriate data, documentation, or other evidence requested by 
        the Secretary that indicates that the institution incurred 
        losses resulting from the impact of a Gulf hurricane disaster, 
        and the monetary amount of such losses;
            (2) demonstrate that the institution attempted to minimize 
        the cost of any losses by pursuing collateral source 
        compensation from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the 
        Small Business Administration, any other relevant government 
        agencies, and insurance prior to seeking assistance under this 
        section;
            (3) demonstrate that the institution has not been able to 
        fully operate at the level of operation that existed before a 
        Gulf hurricane disaster; and
            (4) provide an assurance that, with respect to any funds 
        provided under this section for construction, the institution 
        will only use such funds for construction that has been or will 
        be conducted in compliance with the wage requirements under 
        section 439 of the General Education Provisions Act (20 U.S.C. 
        1232b).
    (d) Regulations Required.--Within a reasonable time after the date 
of enactment of this section, the Secretary shall issue regulations 
setting forth--
            (1) procedures for an application for assistance under this 
        section; and
            (2) minimum requirements for receiving assistance under 
        this section, including the following:
                    (A) Online forms to be used in submitting request 
                for assistance.
                    (B) Information to be included in such forms.
                    (C) Procedures to assist in filing and pursing 
                assistance.
    (e) Definition.--In this section, the term ``postsecondary 
educational institution'' means--
            (1) an institution of higher education, as such term is 
        defined in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
        U.S.C. 1001); or
            (2) a public or private teaching hospital wholly or partly 
        owned or operated by such an institution of higher education.
    (f) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section $500,000,000 for the period 
beginning in fiscal year 2007 through fiscal year 2011.

SEC. 202. LOAN FORGIVENESS FOR CERTAIN TEACHERS.

    (a) Program Authorized.--
            (1) In general.--From the amounts appropriated under 
        subsection (e), the Secretary shall carry out a program of 
        providing loan forgiveness to qualifying teachers. To provide 
        such loan forgiveness, the Secretary is authorized to carry out 
        a program--
                    (A) through the holder of the loan, to assume the 
                obligation to repay a qualified loan amount for a loan 
                made under part B of title IV of the Higher Education 
                Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1071 et seq.); and
                    (B) to cancel a qualified loan amount (as so 
                determined) for a loan made under part D of such title 
                (20 U.S.C. 1087a et seq.).
            (2) Treatment of consolidation loans.--A loan amount for a 
        loan made under section 428C of the Higher Education Act of 
        1965 (20 U.S.C. 1078-3) or 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 of such Act (20 U.S.C. 1078 or 1078-8, respectively), as 
        determined in accordance with regulations prescribed by the 
        Secretary.
    (b) Qualifying Teachers.--For the purposes of this section, a 
qualifying teacher is an individual who is not in default on a loan for 
which the individual seeks forgiveness and--
            (1) who--
                    (A) first commenced employment as a full-time 
                teacher in a public or private elementary or secondary 
                school in an area affected by a Gulf hurricane disaster 
                after such disaster; and
                    (B) is not described in paragraph (2);
            (2) who graduated from a public or private institution of 
        higher education located in an area affected by a Gulf 
        hurricane disaster and first commenced employment as a full-
        time teacher in a public or private elementary or secondary 
        school in such area after such disaster; or
            (3) who returned to employment as a full-time teacher in a 
        public or private elementary or secondary school in an area 
        affected by a Gulf hurricane disaster such after such disaster.
    (c) Qualifying Amounts.--The Secretary shall forgive not more than 
the following amount for a qualifying teacher:
            (1) $5,000 per year for a qualifying teacher described in 
        paragraph (1) of subsection (b), for each year of service 
        described in such paragraph.
            (2) $7,000 per year for a qualifying teacher described in 
        paragraph (2) or (3) of subsection (b), for each year of 
        service described in such paragraph.
    (d) Regulations.--The Secretary may prescribe such regulations as 
may be necessary to carry out this section.
    (e) Authorization.--There is authorized to be appropriated to carry 
out this section $5,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2007 through 
2011.

SEC. 203. DEFINITIONS.

    For the purposes of this title:
            (1) Affected state.--The term ``affected State'' means the 
        State of Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, or Texas.
            (2) Area affected by a gulf hurricane disaster.--The term 
        ``area affected by a Gulf hurricane disaster'' means a county 
        or parish, in an affected State, that has been designated by 
        the Federal Emergency Management Agency for disaster assistance 
        for individuals and households as a result of Hurricane Katrina 
        or Hurricane Rita.
            (3) Gulf hurricane disaster.--The term ``Gulf hurricane 
        disaster'' means a major disaster that the President declared 
        to exist, in accordance 6 with section 401 of the Robert T. 
        Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, and that 
        was caused by Hurricane Katrina or Hurricane Rita.
            (4) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Education.
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