II 

109TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 117 

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

for certain loans to Head Start teachers. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JANUARY 24, 2005 

Mrs. FEINSTEIN (for herself and Mr. VOINOVICH) introduced the following 

bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions 

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 2005’’. 

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; and 

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

17 demonstrated knowledge and teaching skills in read18 ing, writing, early childhood development, and other 

19 areas of a preschool curriculum, with a focus on cog20 nitive learning; and’’; 

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

22 following: 

23 ‘‘(3) HEAD START.—An individual shall be eli24 gible for loan forgiveness under this section for serv25 ice described in clause (ii) of subsection (b)(1)(A) 
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1 only if such individual received a baccalaureate or 

2 graduate degree on or after the date of enactment 

3 of the Loan Forgiveness for Head Start Teachers 

4 Act of 2005.’’; and 

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

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

7 are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be 

8 necessary for fiscal year 2009 and succeeding fiscal years 

9 to carry out loan repayment under this section for service 

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

11 (c) DIRECT STUDENT LOAN FORGIVENESS.— 

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

13 Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C 1087j) is amend14 ed— 

15 (A) in subsection (b)(1), by striking sub16 paragraph (A) and inserting the following: 

17 ‘‘(A)(i) has been employed— 

18 ‘‘(I) as a full-time teacher for 5 con19 secutive complete school years in a school 

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

21 for loan cancellation for Perkins loan re22 cipients who teach in such a school; or 

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

24 consecutive complete program years under 

25 the Head Start Act; and 
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1 ‘‘(ii)(I) if employed as an elementary 

2 school or secondary school teacher, is highly 

3 qualified as defined in section 9101 of the Ele4 mentary and Secondary Education Act of 1965; 

5 and 

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

7 has demonstrated knowledge and teaching skills 

8 in reading, writing, early childhood develop9 ment, and other areas of a preschool cur10 riculum, with a focus on cognitive learning; 

11 and’’; 

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

13 the following 

14 ‘‘(3) HEAD START.—An individual shall be eli15 gible for loan forgiveness under this section for serv16 ice described in subclause (II) of subsection 

17 (b)(1)(A)(i) only if such individual received a bacca18 laureate or graduate degree on or after the date of 

19 enactment of the Loan Forgiveness for Head Start 

20 Teachers Act of 2005.’’; and 

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

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

23 are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be 

24 necessary for fiscal year 2009 and succeeding fiscal years 
5 

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1 to carry out loan repayment under this section for service 

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

3 (d) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.— 

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

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

6 is amended— 

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

8 fifth complete program year’’ after ‘‘fifth com9 plete school year of teaching’’; 

10 (B) in subsection (f), by striking ‘‘sub11 section (b)’’ and inserting ‘‘subsection 

12 (b)(1)(A)(i)’’; 

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

14 ‘‘subsection (b)(1)(A)’’ and inserting ‘‘sub15 section (b)(1)(A)(i)’’; and 

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

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

18 ‘‘where’’. 

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

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

21 1087j) is amended— 

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

23 fifth complete program year’’ after ‘‘fifth com24 plete school year of teaching’’; 
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1 (B) in subsection (f), by striking ‘‘sub2 section (b)’’ and inserting ‘‘subsection 

3 (b)(1)(A)(i)(I)’’; 

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

5 ‘‘subsection (b)(1)(A)’’ and inserting ‘‘sub6 section (b)(1)(A)(i)(I)’’; and 

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

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

9 ‘‘where’’. 

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