I 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 3926 

To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 in order to improve the service 

obligation verification process for TEACH Grant recipients, and for 

other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JULY 23, 2019 

Mr. VISCLOSKY introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on Education and Labor 

A BILL 

To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 in order to 

improve the service obligation verification process for 

TEACH Grant recipients, and for other purposes. 

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

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Consider Teachers 

5 Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. TEACH GRANT. 

7 (a) AGREEMENTS TO SERVE.—Section 420N(b) of 

8 the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1070g–2(b) 

9 is amended— 


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1 (1) in paragraph (1)(D), by striking ‘‘upon 

2 completion’’ and inserting ‘‘by not later than Octo3 ber 31 after completion’’; and 

4 (2) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘failed or re5 fused to carry out such service obligation’’ and in6 serting ‘‘not completed the applicant’s service obliga7 tion within the 8-year period described in paragraph 

8 (1)(A) or the applicant withdraws from such service 

9 obligation’’. 

10 (b) REPAYMENT FOR FAILURE TO COMPLETE SERV11 ICE.—Section 420N(c) of the Higher Education Act of 

12 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1070g–2(c) is amended to read as fol13 lows: 

14 ‘‘(c) REPAYMENT FOR FAILURE TO COMPLETE

15 SERVICE.— 

16 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—In the event that the Sec17 retary determines that any recipient of a grant 

18 under this subpart has not completed the recipient’s 

19 service obligation under subsection (b) or has with20 drawn from such service obligation, the sum of the 

21 amounts of any TEACH Grants received by such re22 cipient shall, upon such a determination, be treated 

23 as a Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loan 

24 under part D, and shall be subject to repayment, to25 gether with interest thereon accruing from the date 


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1 of the grant award, in accordance with terms and 

2 conditions specified by the Secretary in regulations 

3 under this subpart. 

4 ‘‘(2) RECONSIDERATION OF LOAN TREAT5 MENT.— 

6 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—In the event that the 

7 Secretary has made a determination under 

8 paragraph (1) with respect to a recipient of a 

9 grant under this subpart that results in such 

10 grant being treated as a Federal Direct Unsub11 sidized Stafford Loan under part D— 

12 ‘‘(i) upon request of such recipient, 

13 the Secretary shall reconsider the deter14 mination; and 

15 ‘‘(ii) such recipient may submit to the 

16 Secretary additional information to dem17 onstrate that— 

18 ‘‘(I) the recipient has completed 

19 the service obligation within the 8- 

20 year period described in subsection 

21 (b)(1)(A); or 

22 ‘‘(II) the 8-year period for com23 pletion of such service obligation has 

24 not yet expired. 


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1 ‘‘(B) APPROVAL OF RECONSIDERATION.— 

2 If, in reconsidering a determination under sub3 paragraph (A), the Secretary determines that 

4 the recipient has, as of the date of the reconsid5 eration, demonstrated that the recipient has 

6 completed the service obligation within the 8- 

7 year period described in subsection (b)(1)(A), 

8 or that the 8-year period for completion of such 

9 service obligation has not yet expired, the Sec10 retary shall— 

11 ‘‘(i) cancel the amount of principal, 

12 interest accrued, or any fees that are out13 standing on the Federal Direct Unsub14 sidized Stafford Loan made to the recipi15 ent under this subpart, reinstate the recipi16 ent’s grant under this subpart, and extend 

17 the 8-year service period described in sub18 section (b)(1)(A) by an amount equal to 

19 the period during which such grant was 

20 treated as such loan; 

21 ‘‘(ii) if the recipient has an out22 standing obligation on another loan made 

23 under part D, apply any payments made 

24 on such Federal Direct Unsubsidized Staf25 ford Loan toward such other loan, and in 


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1 a case in which the recipient has an out2 standing obligation on multiple loans made 

3 under part D, enable the borrower to de4 termine how such payments shall be ap5 plied toward such loans; 

6 ‘‘(iii) if the recipient does not have an 

7 outstanding obligation on any other loan 

8 made under part D, reimburse the recipi9 ent for any amounts paid on such Federal 

10 Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loan; and 

11 ‘‘(iv) count any period of service of 

12 the recipient that meets the requirements 

13 of subsection (b)(1) and that was com14 pleted while the grant was being treated as 

15 such Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford 

16 Loan, toward the recipient’s service obliga17 tion under subsection (b)(1). 

18 ‘‘(C) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing 

19 in this paragraph shall be construed to mean 

20 that the service obligation under this subpart is 

21 waived.’’. 

22 (c) COMMUNICATION WITH RECIPIENTS.—Section 

23 420N(d) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 

24 1070g–2(d) is amended by adding at the end the fol25 lowing: 


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1 ‘‘(3) COMMUNICATION WITH RECIPIENTS.—Not 

2 later than October 5 of each year, the Secretary 

3 shall notify each recipient of a grant under this sub4 part of the following: 

5 ‘‘(A) The terms and conditions the recipi6 ent must continue to meet to satisfy their serv7 ice obligation in the agreement under sub8 section (b). 

9 ‘‘(B) The requirement and means for the 

10 recipient to provide evidence of qualified em11 ployment to the Secretary described under sub12 section (b)(1)(D). 

13 ‘‘(C) The amount of service the Secretary 

14 has counted towards the recipients’ service obli15 gation in the agreement under subsection (b). 

16 ‘‘(D) The period remaining for the recipi17 ent to complete the recipient’s service obligation 

18 in the agreement under subsection (b). 

19 ‘‘(E) The conditions under which the Sec20 retary will treat a TEACH Grant as a loan 

21 under subsection (c)(1). 

22 ‘‘(F) The amount of interest that may ac23 crue and that the recipient will be required to 

24 pay if such grant is treated as a loan under 

25 subsection (c)(1). 


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1 ‘‘(G) The process under which the recipi2 ent may contact the Secretary to request a re3 consideration under subsection (c)(2). 

4 ‘‘(H) The process under which a recipient 

5 may request to have a portion of the recipient’s 

6 service obligation excused pursuant to sub7 section (d)(2). 

8 ‘‘(I) The process under which a recipient 

9 may request to withdraw from the recipient’s 

10 service obligation under subsection (b).’’. 

Æ 


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