Preserving Teacher Loan Forgiveness for Military Spouses Act of 2017

Summary: Preserving Teacher Loan Forgiveness for Military Spouses Act of 2017 This bill amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to modify the qualifying service requirement of the teacher loan forgiveness program for certain military spouses who are borrowers under the Federal Family Education Loan program or the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan program. Under current law, an otherwise qualified full-time teacher must complete five consecutive years of service to be eligible for the teacher loan forgiveness program. This bill permits a teacher who completes five full-time years of non-consecutive service to be eligible for loan forgiveness if the teacher was a qualified military spouse during a break in teaching service. A qualified military spouse is an individual who: (1) is a highly-qualified teacher at a high-need school, (2) is the spouse of a servicemember, (3) experienced a break in teaching service to relocate with servicemember spouse pursuant to military orders, and (4) resumed teaching the following year.  

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Preserving Teacher Loan Forgiveness 
for Military Spouses Act of 2017''.

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.

    (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 new paragraph:
            ``(4) Continuing eligibility for certain military 
        spouses.--
                    ``(A) In general.--Notwithstanding paragraph (1) of 
                subsection (b), an individual who is employed as a 
                full-time teacher for 5 complete years which are not 
                consecutive years may be eligible for loan forgiveness 
                pursuant to such subsection if the individual was a 
                qualified military spouse with respect to any year 
                during which the individual was not employed as a full-
                time teacher.
                    ``(B) Qualified military spouse defined.--In this 
                paragraph, the term `qualified military spouse' means, 
                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).
                    ``(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 new paragraph:
            ``(4) Continuing eligibility for certain military 
        spouses.--
                    ``(A) In general.--Notwithstanding paragraph (1) of 
                subsection (b), an individual who is employed as a 
                full-time teacher for 5 complete years which are not 
                consecutive years may be eligible for loan cancellation 
                pursuant to such subsection if the individual was a 
                qualified military spouse with respect to any year 
                during which the individual was not employed as a full-
                time teacher.
                    ``(B) Qualified military spouse defined.--In this 
                paragraph, the term `qualified military spouse' means, 
                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).
                    ``(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.