To provide incentives for highly qualified teachers and administrators to remain in and relocate to areas affected by major disasters.

September 22, 2005

Ms. MILLENDER-MCDONALD introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce

To provide incentives for highly qualified teachers and administrators to remain in and relocate to areas affected by major disasters.

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 `Disaster Areas Teacher Recruitment Act'.

SEC. 2. EXPEDITED APPLICATIONS FOR TEACHER RECRUITMENT GRANTS.

Section 204(c) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1024(c)) is amended--

(1) by striking `and' at the end of paragraph (2);

(2) by striking the period at the end of paragraph (3) and inserting `; and'; and

(3) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:

`(4) in the case of an eligible applicant located in an area in which the President has declared that a major disaster exists, in accordance with section 401 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5170), a request that the Secretary review the application in an expedited manner.'.

SEC. 3. USE OF GRANT FUNDS FOR MAJOR DISASTERS.

Section 204(d) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1024(d)) is amended--

(1) by striking `or' at the end of paragraph (1)(C);

(2) by striking the period at the end of paragraph (2) and inserting `; or'; and

(3) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:

`(3) in the case of an eligible applicant located in an area in which the President has declared that a major disaster exists, in accordance with section 401 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5170), such applicant shall use the grant funds to provide student loan forgiveness, housing assistance, and other services that will provide incentives for highly qualified teachers and administrators to remain in or relocate to the area affected by such major disaster.'.

END