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

January 9, 2003

Mr. GRAHAM of South Carolina introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

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.'.

END