II

106TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION S. 2978

To recruit and retain more qualified individuals to teach in Tribal Colleges

or Universities.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

JULY 27, 2000

Mr. DASCHLE (for himself, Mr. BINGAMAN, Mr. CONRAD, Mr. BAUCUS, Mr.

KERREY, Mr. KOHL, Mr. AKAKA, Mr. JOHNSON, Mr. REID, Mr. KENNEDY, and Mr. DODD) introduced the following bill; which was read twice

and referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs

A BILL

To recruit and retain more qualified individuals to teach

in Tribal Colleges or Universities.

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 REPAYMENT OR CANCELLATION FOR IN4 DIVIDUALS WHO TEACH IN TRIBAL COL5 LEGES OR UNIVERSITIES.

6 (a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the

7 ‘‘Tribal College or University Teacher Loan Forgiveness

8 Act’’.

9 (b) PERKINS LOANS.—
2

•S 2978 IS

1 (1) AMENDMENT.—Section 465(a) of the High2 er Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1087ee(a)) is

3 amended—

4 (A) in paragraph (2)—

5 (i) in subparagraph (H), by striking

6 ‘‘or’’ after the semicolon;

7 (ii) in subparagraph (I), by striking

8 the period and inserting ‘‘; or’’; and

9 (iii) by adding at the end the fol10 lowing:

11 ‘‘(J) as a full-time teacher at a tribal College or

12 University as defined in section 316(b).’’; and

13 (B) in paragraph (3)(A)(i), by striking ‘‘or

14 (I)’’ and inserting ‘‘(I), or (J)’’.

15 (2) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made

16 by paragraph (1) shall be effective for service per17 formed during academic year 1998–1999 and suc18 ceeding academic years, notwithstanding any con19 trary provision of the promissory note under which

20 a loan under part E of title IV of the Higher Edu21 cation Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1087aa et seq.) was

22 made.

23 (c) FFEL AND DIRECT LOANS.—Part G of title IV

24 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1088

25 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:
3

•S 2978 IS

1 ‘‘SEC. 493C. LOAN REPAYMENT OR CANCELLATION FOR IN2 DIVIDUALS WHO TEACH IN TRIBAL COL3 LEGES OR UNIVERSITIES.

4 ‘‘(a) PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.—The Secretary shall

5 carry out a program, through the holder of a loan, of as6 suming or canceling the obligation to repay a qualified

7 loan amount, in accordance with subsection (b), for any

8 new borrower on or after the date of enactment of the

9 Tribal College or University Teacher Loan Forgiveness

10 Act, who—

11 ‘‘(1) has been employed as a full-time teacher

12 at a Tribal College or University as defined in sec13 tion 316(b); and

14 ‘‘(2) is not in default on a loan for which the

15 borrower seeks repayment or cancellation.

16 ‘‘(b) QUALIFIED LOAN AMOUNTS.—

17 ‘‘(1) PERCENTAGES.—Subject to paragraph (2),

18 the Secretary shall assume or cancel the obligation

19 to repay under this section—

20 ‘‘(A) 15 percent of the amount of all loans

21 made, insured, or guaranteed after the date of

22 enactment of the Tribal College or University

23 Teacher Loan Forgiveness Act to a student

24 under part B or D, for the first or second year

25 of employment described in subsection (a)(1);
4

•S 2978 IS

1 ‘‘(B) 20 percent of such total amount, for

2 the third or fourth year of such employment;

3 and

4 ‘‘(C) 30 percent of such total amount, for

5 the fifth year of such employment.

6 ‘‘(2) MAXIMUM.—The Secretary shall not repay

7 or cancel under this section more than $15,000 in

8 the aggregate of loans made, insured, or guaranteed

9 under parts B and D for any student.

10 ‘‘(3) TREATMENT OF CONSOLIDATION LOANS.—

11 A loan amount for a loan made under section 428C

12 may be a qualified loan amount for the purposes of

13 this subsection only to the extent that such loan

14 amount was used to repay a loan made, insured, or

15 guaranteed under part B or D for a borrower who

16 meets the requirements of subsection (a), as deter17 mined in accordance with regulations prescribed by

18 the Secretary.

19 ‘‘(c) REGULATIONS.—The Secretary is authorized to

20 issue such regulations as may be necessary to carry out

21 the provisions of this section.

22 ‘‘(d) CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this section shall

23 be construed to authorize any refunding of any repayment

24 of a loan.
5

•S 2978 IS

1 ‘‘(e) PREVENTION OF DOUBLE BENEFITS.—No bor2 rower may, for the same service, receive a benefit under

3 both this section and subtitle D of title I of the National

4 and Community Service Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12571

5 et seq.).

6 ‘‘(f) DEFINITION.—For purposes of this section, the

7 term ‘year’, when applied to employment as a teacher,

8 means an academic year as defined by the Secretary.’’.

Æ