To provide loan forgiveness to teachers of integrated career and technical education coursework at rural secondary schools.

Summary: Rural Career and Technical Education Expansion Act of 2009 - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to require the Secretary of Education to assume or cancel a loan made under the Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) or the Direct Loan programs to an individual who: (1) has been employed as a teacher at a rural secondary school for five consecutive complete program years; (2) is not in default on the loan they seek forgiveness; and (3) whose qualifying employment is teaching career and technical education coursework on a full-time basis, including at least one course or credit that is integrated coursework.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Rural Career and Technical Education 
Expansion Act of 2009''.

SEC. 2. LOAN FORGIVENESS FOR TEACHING CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION 
              COURSEWORK AT RURAL SECONDARY SCHOOLS.

    (a) FFEL Program.--Section 428J of the Higher Education Act of 1965 
(20 U.S.C. 1078-10) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (c)(3)--
                    (A) in the header, by striking ``science, or 
                special education'' and inserting ``science, special 
                education, or career and technical education coursework 
                at rural secondary schools'';
                    (B) in subparagraph (A)(ii), by striking ``and'' 
                after the semicolon;
                    (C) in subparagraph (B)(iii), by striking the 
                period at the end and inserting ``; and''; and
                    (D) by adding at the end the following new 
                subparagraph:
                    ``(C) a teacher at a rural secondary school--
                            ``(i) who meets the requirements of 
                        subsection (b); and
                            ``(ii) whose qualifying employment for 
                        purposes of such subsection is teaching career 
                        and technical education coursework on a full-
                        time basis, including at least one course or 
                        credit that is integrated coursework.''; and
            (2) by amending subsection (h) to read as follows:
    ``(h) Definitions.--For the purpose of this section:
            ``(1) Career and technical education.--The term `career and 
        technical education' means organized educational activities 
        that--
                    ``(A) offer a sequence of courses that--
                            ``(i) provides individuals with coherent 
                        and rigorous content aligned with challenging 
                        academic standards and relevant technical 
                        knowledge and skills needed to prepare for 
                        further education and careers in current or 
                        emerging professions;
                            ``(ii) provides a secondary school diploma 
                        or its recognized equivalent; and
                            ``(iii) may include prerequisite courses 
                        (other than a remedial course) that meet the 
                        requirements of this subparagraph; and
                    ``(B) include competency-based applied learning 
                that contributes to the academic knowledge, higher-
                order reasoning and problem-solving skills, work 
                attitudes, general employability skills, technical 
                skills, and occupation-specific skills, and knowledge 
                of all aspects of an industry, including 
                entrepreneurship, of an individual.
            ``(2) Integrated coursework.--The term `integrated 
        coursework' means career and technical education coursework 
        that--
                    ``(A) integrates academic curricula and relevant 
                career and technical education programs; and
                    ``(B) counts for both academic and elective career 
                and technical education credit toward a secondary 
                school diploma or its recognized equivalent.
            ``(3) Rural local educational agency.--The term `rural 
        local educational agency' means a local educational agency that 
        meets the eligibility requirements under--
                    ``(A) section 6211(b) of the Elementary and 
                Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7345(b)) for 
                participation in the program described in subpart 1 of 
                part B of title VI of such Act (20 U.S.C. 7345 et 
                seq.); or
                    ``(B) section 6221(b) of the Elementary and 
                Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7351(b)) for 
                participation in the program described in subpart 2 of 
                part B of title VI of such Act (20 U.S.C. 7351 et 
                seq.).
            ``(4) Rural secondary school.--The term `rural secondary 
        school' means a secondary school served by a rural local 
        educational agency.
            ``(5) Year.--The term `year' where applied to service as a 
        teacher means an academic year as defined by the Secretary.''.
    (b) Direct Loan Program.--Section 460 of the Higher Education Act 
of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1087j) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (c)(3)--
                    (A) in the header, by striking ``science, or 
                special education'' and inserting ``science, special 
                education, or career and technical education coursework 
                at rural secondary schools'';
                    (B) in subparagraph (A)(ii), by striking ``and'' 
                after the semicolon;
                    (C) in subparagraph (B)(iii), by striking the 
                period at the end and inserting ``; and''; and
                    (D) by adding at the end the following new 
                subparagraph:
                    ``(C) a teacher at a rural secondary school--
                            ``(i) who meets the requirements of 
                        subsection (b); and
                            ``(ii) whose qualifying employment for 
                        purposes of such subsection is teaching career 
                        and technical education coursework on a full-
                        time basis, including at least one course or 
                        credit that is integrated coursework.''; and
            (2) by amending subsection (h) to read as follows:
    ``(h) Definitions.--For the purpose of this section:
            ``(1) Career and technical education.--The term `career and 
        technical education' means organized educational activities 
        that--
                    ``(A) offer a sequence of courses that--
                            ``(i) provides individuals with coherent 
                        and rigorous content aligned with challenging 
                        academic standards and relevant technical 
                        knowledge and skills needed to prepare for 
                        further education and careers in current or 
                        emerging professions;
                            ``(ii) provides a secondary school diploma 
                        or its recognized equivalent; and
                            ``(iii) may include prerequisite courses 
                        (other than a remedial course) that meet the 
                        requirements of this subparagraph; and
                    ``(B) include competency-based applied learning 
                that contributes to the academic knowledge, higher-
                order reasoning and problem-solving skills, work 
                attitudes, general employability skills, technical 
                skills, and occupation-specific skills, and knowledge 
                of all aspects of an industry, including 
                entrepreneurship, of an individual.
            ``(2) Integrated coursework.--The term `integrated 
        coursework' means career and technical education coursework 
        that--
                    ``(A) integrates academic curricula and relevant 
                career and technical education programs; and
                    ``(B) counts for both academic and elective career 
                and technical education credit toward a secondary 
                school diploma or its recognized equivalent.
            ``(3) Rural local educational agency.--The term `rural 
        local educational agency' means a local educational agency that 
        meets the eligibility requirements under--
                    ``(A) section 6211(b) of the Elementary and 
                Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7345(b)) for 
                participation in the program described in subpart 1 of 
                part B of title VI of such Act (20 U.S.C. 7345 et 
                seq.); or
                    ``(B) section 6221(b) of the Elementary and 
                Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7351(b)) for 
                participation in the program described in subpart 2 of 
                part B of title VI of such Act (20 U.S.C. 7351 et 
                seq.).
            ``(4) Rural secondary school.--The term `rural secondary 
        school' means a secondary school served by a rural local 
        educational agency.
            ``(5) Year.--The term `year' where applied to service as a 
        teacher means an academic year as defined by the Secretary.''.