[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1229 Introduced in House (IH)]
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116th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 1229
To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to provide that an individual
may remain eligible to participate in the teacher loan forgiveness
program under title IV of such Act if the individual's period of
consecutive years of employment as a full-time teacher is interrupted
because the individual is the spouse of a member of the Armed Forces
who is relocated during the school year pursuant to military orders for
a permanent change of duty station, or the individual works in a school
of the defense dependents' education system under the Defense
Dependents' Education Act of 1978 due to such a relocation, and for
other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
February 14, 2019
Mr. Chabot (for himself, Ms. Stefanik, Mr. Kelly of Mississippi, Mr.
Kilmer, Ms. Sewell of Alabama, Mr. Perlmutter, Mr. Swalwell of
California, and Mrs. Luria) introduced the following bill; which was
referred to the Committee on Education and Labor
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to provide that an individual
may remain eligible to participate in the teacher loan forgiveness
program under title IV of such Act if the individual's period of
consecutive years of employment as a full-time teacher is interrupted
because the individual is the spouse of a member of the Armed Forces
who is relocated during the school year pursuant to military orders for
a permanent change of duty station, or the individual works in a school
of the defense dependents' education system under the Defense
Dependents' Education Act of 1978 due to such a relocation, 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 ``Preserving Teacher Loan Forgiveness
for Military Spouses Act of 2019''.
SEC. 2. CONTINUING ELIGIBILITY TO PARTICIPATE IN STUDENT LOAN
FORGIVENESS OR LOAN CANCELLATION PROGRAM FOR TEACHERS
WHOSE PERIOD OF CONSECUTIVE EMPLOYMENT IS INTERRUPTED
BECAUSE OF MILITARY ORDERS REQUIRING SPOUSE TO RELOCATE
TO NEW RESIDENCE, OR WHO WORK IN A SCHOOL OF THE DEFENSE
DEPENDENTS' EDUCATION SYSTEM DUE TO SUCH A RELOCATION.
(a) Continuing Eligibility.--
(1) Part b loans.--Section 428J(g) of the Higher Education
Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1078-10(g)) is amended by adding at the
end the following:
``(4) Continuing eligibility for certain military
spouses.--
``(A) In general.--
``(i) Complete but nonconsecutive years.--
Notwithstanding paragraph (1) of subsection
(b), an individual who is employed in a full-
time teaching position that meets the
requirements of this section for a period that
includes 5 complete but nonconsecutive years
may be eligible for loan forgiveness pursuant
to such subsection, if the individual was a
qualified military spouse, as defined in
subparagraph (B)(i), with respect to any year
during such period for which the individual was
not employed as a full-time teacher in a school
or location meeting the requirements of this
section.
``(ii) Employment in defense department
schools.--Notwithstanding paragraph (1) of
subsection (b), an individual may be eligible
for loan forgiveness pursuant to such
subsection, if the individual is a qualified
military spouse, as defined in subparagraph
(B)(ii), and the individual has been employed
as a full-time teacher for 5 complete school
years in a school described in subparagraph (A)
of subsection (b)(1) or in a school of the
defense dependents' education system under the
Defense Dependents' Education Act of 1978 (20
U.S.C. 921 et seq.) that is located outside of
the United States, and met the requirements of
subparagraph (B) of subsection (b)(1).
``(B) Qualified military spouse defined.--In this
paragraph, the term `qualified military spouse' means--
``(i) with respect to a year, an individual
who--
``(I) during the previous year,
served as a teacher in a school or
location meeting the requirements of
subparagraph (A) of subsection (b)(1)
and met the requirements of
subparagraph (B) of subsection (b)(1);
``(II) is the spouse of a member of
the Armed Forces who is relocated
during the year pursuant to military
orders for a permanent change of duty
station;
``(III) did not serve as a teacher
in a school or location meeting the
requirements of subparagraph (A) of
subsection (b)(1) during the year or
any portion of the year because the
individual accompanied the spouse to a
new residence as a result of such
military orders; and
``(IV) during the following year,
resumed service as a teacher in a
school or location meeting the
requirements of subparagraph (A) of
subsection (b)(1) and met the
requirements of subparagraph (B) of
subsection (b)(1); or
``(ii) an individual who is the spouse of a
member of the Armed Forces who is relocated
overseas during a year of employment as a
teacher for which the individual seeks loan
forgiveness under this section pursuant to
military orders for a change of duty station
and the individual accompanied the spouse to a
new residence overseas as a result of such
military orders.
``(C) Reports to congress.--Not later than 90 days
after the end of the second academic year during which
this paragraph is in effect, and every 2 years
thereafter, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a
report describing the number of individuals who, as a
result of this paragraph, remained eligible for loan
forgiveness pursuant to subsection (b) during the 2
most recent academic years.''.
(2) Part d loans.--Section 460(g) of the Higher Education
Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1087j(g)) is amended by adding at the
end the following:
``(4) Continuing eligibility for certain military
spouses.--
``(A) In general.--
``(i) Complete but nonconsecutive years.--
Notwithstanding paragraph (1) of subsection
(b), an individual who is employed in a full-
time teaching position that meets the
requirements of this section for a period that
includes 5 complete but nonconsecutive years
may be eligible for loan cancellation pursuant
to such subsection, if the individual was a
qualified military spouse, as defined in
subparagraph (B)(i), with respect to any year
during such period for which the individual was
not employed as a full-time teacher in a school
or location meeting the requirements of this
section.
``(ii) Employment in defense department
schools.--Notwithstanding paragraph (1) of
subsection (b), an individual may be eligible
for loan cancellation pursuant to such
subsection, if the individual is a qualified
military spouse, as defined in subparagraph
(B)(ii), and the individual has been employed
as a full-time teacher for 5 complete school
years in a school described in subparagraph (A)
of subsection (b)(1) or in a school of the
defense dependents' education system under the
Defense Dependents' Education Act of 1978 (20
U.S.C. 921 et seq.) that is located outside of
the United States, and met the requirements of
subparagraph (B) of subsection (b)(1).
``(B) Qualified military spouse defined.--In this
paragraph, the term `qualified military spouse' means--
``(i) with respect to a year, an individual
who--
``(I) during the previous year,
served as a teacher in a school or
location meeting the requirements of
subparagraph (A) of subsection (b)(1)
and met the requirements of
subparagraph (B) of subsection (b)(1);
``(II) is the spouse of a member of
the Armed Forces who is relocated
during the year pursuant to military
orders for a permanent change of duty
station;
``(III) did not serve as a teacher
in a school or location meeting the
requirements of subparagraph (A) of
subsection (b)(1) during the year or
any portion of the year because the
individual accompanied the spouse to a
new residence as a result of such
military orders; and
``(IV) during the following year,
resumed service as a teacher in a
school or location meeting the
requirements of subparagraph (A) of
subsection (b)(1) and met the
requirements of subparagraph (B) of
subsection (b)(1); or
``(ii) an individual who is the spouse of a
member of the Armed Forces who is relocated
overseas during a year of employment as a
teacher for which the individual seeks loan
forgiveness under this section pursuant to
military orders for a change of duty station
and the individual accompanied the spouse to a
new residence overseas as a result of such
military orders.
``(C) Reports to congress.--Not later than 90 days
after the end of the second academic year during which
this paragraph is in effect, and every 2 years
thereafter, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a
report describing the number of individuals who, as a
result of this paragraph, remained eligible for loan
cancellation pursuant to subsection (b) during the 2
most recent academic years.''.
(b) Effective Date.--The amendments made by subsection (a) shall
apply with respect to individuals who first become employed as full-
time teachers on or after the date of the enactment of this Act.
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