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

Summary: Rural Teachers Recruitment Act of 2001 - Authorizes the Secretary of Education to make grants to eligible rural local educational agencies to recruit and retain qualified teachers for elementary and secondary schools.Includes among authorized uses of such teacher incentive program funds: (1) salary increases; (2) reimbursement for teacher certification and relocation expenses; and (3) assistance to pay college and graduate school tuition and training expenses.

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.''.