I 

110TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1779 

To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to extend loan forgiveness 

for certain loans to Head Start teachers. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 29, 2007 

Ms. DELAURO (for herself, Mr. DOGGETT, Ms. LEE, Mr. LANTOS, Mr. WYNN, 

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas, Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California, Ms. 

SUTTON, Ms. SHEA-PORTER, Mr. KENNEDY, Ms. WOOLSEY, and Ms. 

HIRONO) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and Labor 

A BILL 

To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to extend 

loan forgiveness for certain loans to Head Start teachers. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. LOAN FORGIVENESS FOR HEAD START TEACH4 ERS. 

5 (a) SHORT TITLE.—This section may be cited as the 

6 ‘‘Loan Forgiveness for Head Start Teachers Act of 2007’’. 

7 (b) HEAD START TEACHERS.—Section 428J of the 

8 Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C 1078–10) is 

9 amended— 

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1 (1) in subsection (b), by striking paragraph (1) 

2 and inserting the following: 

3 ‘‘(1)(A) has been employed— 

4 ‘‘(i) as a full-time teacher for 5 consecutive 

5 complete school years in a school that qualifies 

6 under section 465(a)(2)(A) for loan cancellation 

7 for Perkins loan recipients who teach in such a 

8 school; or 

9 ‘‘(ii) as a Head Start teacher for 5 con10 secutive complete program years under the 

11 Head Start Act; and 

12 ‘‘(B)(i) if employed as an elementary school or 

13 secondary school teacher, is highly qualified as de14 fined in section 9101 of the Elementary and Sec15 ondary Education Act of 1965, or meets the require16 ments of subsection (g)(3); and 

17 ‘‘(ii) if employed as a Head Start teacher, has 

18 demonstrated knowledge and teaching skills in read19 ing, writing, early childhood development, and other 

20 areas of a preschool curriculum, with a focus on cog21 nitive learning; and’’; 

22 (2) in subsection (g), by adding at the end the 

23 following: 

24 ‘‘(4) HEAD START.—An individual shall be eli25 gible for loan forgiveness under this section for servmstockstill on PROD1PC66 with BILLS

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1 ice described in clause (ii) of subsection (b)(1)(A) 

2 only if such individual received a baccalaureate or 

3 graduate degree on or after the date of enactment 

4 of the Loan Forgiveness for Head Start Teachers 

5 Act of 2007.’’; and 

6 (3) by adding at the end the following: 

7 ‘‘(i) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 

8 are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be 

9 necessary for fiscal year 2011 and succeeding fiscal years 

10 to carry out loan repayment under this section for service 

11 described in clause (ii) of subsection (b)(1)(A).’’. 

12 (c) DIRECT STUDENT LOAN FORGIVENESS.— 

13 (1) IN GENERAL.—Section 460 of the Higher 

14 Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1087j) is amend15 ed— 

16 (A) in subsection (b)(1), by striking sub17 paragraph (A) and inserting the following: 

18 ‘‘(A)(i) has been employed— 

19 ‘‘(I) as a full-time teacher for 5 con20 secutive complete school years in a school 

21 that qualifies under section 465(a)(2)(A) 

22 for loan cancellation for Perkins loan re23 cipients who teach in such a school; or 

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1 ‘‘(II) as a Head Start teacher for 5 

2 consecutive complete program years under 

3 the Head Start Act; and 

4 ‘‘(ii)(I) if employed as an elementary 

5 school or secondary school teacher, is highly 

6 qualified as defined in section 9101 of the Ele7 mentary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, 

8 or meets the requirements of subsection (g)(3); 

9 and 

10 ‘‘(II) if employed as a Head Start teacher, 

11 has demonstrated knowledge and teaching skills 

12 in reading, writing, early childhood develop13 ment, and other areas of a preschool cur14 riculum, with a focus on cognitive learning; 

15 and’’; 

16 (B) in subsection (g), by adding at the end 

17 the following: 

18 ‘‘(4) HEAD START.—An individual shall be eli19 gible for loan forgiveness under this section for serv20 ice described in subclause (II) of subsection 

21 (b)(l)(A)(i) only if such individual received a bacca22 laureate or graduate degree on or after the date of 

23 enactment of the Loan Forgiveness for Head Start 

24 Teachers Act of 2007.’’; and 

25 (C) by adding at the end the following: 

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1 ‘‘(i) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 

2 are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be 

3 necessary for fiscal year 2011 and succeeding fiscal years 

4 to carry out loan repayment under this section for service 

5 described in subclause (II) of subsection (b)(1)(A)(i).’’. 

6 (d) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.— 

7 (1) FFEL PROGRAM.—Section 428J of the 

8 Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1078–10) 

9 is amended— 

10 (A) in subsection (c)(1), by inserting ‘‘or 

11 fifth complete program year’’ after ‘‘fifth com12 plete school year of teaching’’; 

13 (B) in subsection (f), by striking ‘‘sub14 section (b)’’ and inserting ‘‘subsection 

15 (b)(1)(A)(i)’’; 

16 (C) in subsection (g)(1)(A), by striking 

17 ‘‘subsection (b)(1)(A)’’ and inserting ‘‘sub18 section (b)(1)(A)(i)’’; and 

19 (D) in subsection (h), by inserting ‘‘except 

20 as part of the term ‘program year’,’’ before 

21 ‘‘where’’. 

22 (2) DIRECT LOAN PROGRAM.—Section 460 of 

23 the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 

24 1087j) is amended— 

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1 (A) in subsection (c)(1), by inserting ‘‘or 

2 fifth complete program year’’ after ‘‘fifth com3 plete school year of teaching’’; 

4 (B) in subsection (f), by striking ‘‘sub5 section (b)’’ and inserting ‘‘subsection 

6 (b)(1)(A)(i)(I)’’; 

7 (C) in subsection (g)(1)(A), by striking 

8 ‘‘subsection (b)(1)(A)’’ and inserting ‘‘sub9 section (b)(1)(A)(i)(I)’’; and 

10 (D) in subsection (h), by inserting ‘‘except 

11 as part of the term ‘program year’,’’ before 

12 ‘‘where’’. 

Æ 

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