To authorize recruitment and retention incentive programs, student loan forgiveness, and professional development programs for teachers in rural areas.

June 7, 2001

Mrs. CLAYTON (for herself, Mr. JACKSON of Illinois, Mr. POMEROY, Mr. NEY, Mr. ETHERIDGE, Mrs. ROUKEMA, Mr. PHELPS, Mr. SHOWS, Mrs. THURMAN, Ms. WOOLSEY, Mr. BURR of North Carolina, Mr. JOHN, and Mr. LAHOOD) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce

To authorize recruitment and retention incentive programs, student loan forgiveness, and professional development programs for teachers in rural areas.

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 `Rural Teachers Recruitment Act of 2001'.

SEC. 2. TEACHER RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION GRANTS.

(a) PROGRAM AUTHORIZED- The Secretary is authorized to provide grants to rural eligible local educational agencies to enable the agencies to recruit and retain qualified teachers for elementary and secondary schools.

(b) RURAL ELIGIBLE LOCAL EDUCATIONAL AGENCIES- To be eligible to receive a grant under this section, a rural eligible local educational agency shall--

(1) submit an application to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may reasonably require; and

(2) demonstrate a need to recruit and retain additional qualified elementary and secondary school teachers.

(c) GRANT AMOUNT- Each grant award made under this section shall be of sufficient size to enable a grantee to develop incentive programs to recruit and retain qualified teachers.

(d) USES OF FUNDS- A rural eligible local educational agency that receives a grant award under this section may use such funds received to develop incentive programs to recruit and retain qualified teachers. Such incentive programs may include--

(1) salary increases;

(2) reimbursement for teacher certification expenses;

(3) assistance to pay college tuition expenses;

(4) assistance to pay graduate school tuition and training expenses; and

(5) reimbursement for relocation expenses.

(e) DEFINITIONS- For purposes of this section:

(1) the term `local educational agency' has the same meaning given such term in section 14101(18) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 8801(18));

(2) the term `metropolitan statistical area' has the same meaning given such term by the Bureau of the Census;

(3) the term `rural eligible educational agency' means a local educational agency--

(A) that is not located in a metropolitan statistical area; and

(B) in which 20 percent or more of the children, ages 5 through 17, served by such agency are from families below the poverty level, as determined by the Secretary; and

(4) the term `Secretary' means the Secretary of Education.

(f) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS- There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section--

(1) $250,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2002 and 2003;

(2) $400,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2004 and 2005; and

(3) $500,000,000 for fiscal year 2006.

SEC. 3. LOAN FORGIVENESS FOR RURAL TEACHERS.

Section 428J(b)(1) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1078-10(b)(1)) is amended--

(1) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by striking `teacher for 5 consecutive complete school years--' and inserting `teacher--'; and

(2) by amending subparagraph (A) to read as follows:

`(A) in a school--

`(i) for 5 consecutive complete school years, if the school qualifies under section 465(a)(2)(A) for loan cancellation for Perkins loan recipients who teach in such schools; or

`(ii) for 3 consecutive complete school years, if the school is located in a county with a population density of less than 200 persons per square mile;'.

SEC. 4. PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE FOR RURAL TEACHERS.

Part A of title II of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6621 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:

`SEC. 2104. PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE FOR RURAL TEACHERS.

`(a) IN GENERAL- The Secretary may award grants on a competitive basis to rural eligible local educational agencies to develop and implement high-quality professional development programs in mathematics and science for teachers.

`(b) APPLICATION- To be eligible to receive a grant under this section, a rural eligible local educational agency shall submit an application to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may reasonably require.

`(c) DEFINITIONS- In this section:

`(1) METROPOLITAN STATISTICAL AREA- The term `metropolitan statistical area' has the meaning given such term by the Bureau of the Census.

`(2) RURAL ELIGIBLE LOCAL EDUCATIONAL AGENCY- The term `rural eligible local educational agency' means a local educational agency--

`(A) that is not located in a metropolitan statistical area; and

`(B) in which 20 percent or more of the children, ages 5 through 17, served by such agency are from families below the poverty level, as determined by the Secretary.'.

END