I

106TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. R. 2223

To amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to provide

grants to State and local educational agencies to pay such agencies

for one-half of the salary of a teacher who uses approved sabbatical

leave to pursue a course of study that will improve his or her classroom

teaching.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

JUNE 15, 1999

Mrs. MINK of Hawaii introduced the following bill; which was referred to the

Committee on Education and the Workforce

A BILL

To amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act

of 1965 to provide grants to State and local educational

agencies to pay such agencies for one-half of the salary

of a teacher who uses approved sabbatical leave to pursue

a course of study that will improve his or her classroom

teaching.

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
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1 SECTION 1. GRANTS TO ENCOURAGE USE OF SABBATICAL

2 LEAVE FOR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT.

3 (a) IN GENERAL.—Part B of title II of the Elemen4 tary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 is amended

5 by adding at the end the following:

6 ‘‘SEC. 2212. GRANTS FOR SALARY DURING SABBATICAL

7 LEAVE.

8 ‘‘(a) PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.—The Secretary may

9 make grants to State educational agencies and local edu10 cational agencies to pay such agencies for one-half of the

11 amount of the salary that otherwise would be earned by

12 an eligible teacher described in subsection (b), if, in lieu

13 of fulfilling the teacher’s ordinary teaching assignment,

14 the teacher completes a course of study described in sub15 section (c) during a sabbatical term described in sub16 section (d).

17 ‘‘(b) ELIGIBLE TEACHERS.—An eligible teacher de18 scribed in this subsection is a teacher who—

19 ‘‘(1) is employed by an agency receiving a grant

20 under this section to provide classroom instruction

21 to children at an elementary or secondary school

22 that provides free public education;

23 ‘‘(2) has secured from such agency, and any

24 other person or agency whose approval is required

25 under State law, approval to take sabbatical leave

26 for a sabbatical term described in subsection (d);
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1 ‘‘(3) has submitted to the agency an application

2 for a subgrant at such time, in such manner, and

3 containing such information as the agency may re4 quire, including—

5 ‘‘(A) written proof—

6 ‘‘(i) of the approval described in para7 graph (2); and

8 ‘‘(ii) of the teacher’s having been ac9 cepted for enrollment in a course of study

10 described in subsection (c); and

11 ‘‘(B) assurances that the teacher—

12 ‘‘(i) will notify the agency in writing

13 within a reasonable time if the teacher ter14 minates enrollment in the course of study

15 described in subsection (c) for any reason;

16 ‘‘(ii) in the discretion of the agency,

17 will reimburse to the agency some or all of

18 the amount of the subgrant if the teacher

19 fails to complete the course of study; and

20 ‘‘(iii) otherwise will provide the agency

21 with proof of having completed such course

22 of study not later than 60 days after such

23 completion; and
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1 ‘‘(4) has been selected by the agency to re2 ceive a subgrant based on the agency’s plan for

3 meeting its classroom needs.

4 ‘‘(c) COURSE OF STUDY.—A course of study de5 scribed in this subsection is a course of study at an institu6 tion of higher education that—

7 ‘‘(1) requires not less than one academic semes8 ter and not more than one academic year to com9 plete;

10 ‘‘(2) is open for enrollment for professional de11 velopment purposes to an eligible teacher described

12 in subsection (b); and

13 ‘‘(3) is designed to improve the classroom

14 teaching of such teachers through academic and

15 child development studies.

16 ‘‘(d) SABBATICAL TERM.—A sabbatical term de17 scribed in this subsection is a leave of absence from teach18 ing duties granted to an eligible teacher for not less than

19 one academic semester and not more than one academic

20 year, during which period the teacher receives—

21 ‘‘(1) one-half of the amount of the salary that

22 otherwise would be earned by the teacher, if the

23 teacher had not been granted a leave of absence,

24 from State or local funds made available by a State
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1 educational agency or a local educational agency;

2 and

3 ‘‘(2) one-half of such amount from Federal

4 funds received by such agency through a grant

5 under this section.

6 ‘‘(e) PAYMENTS.—

7 ‘‘(1) TO ELIGIBLE TEACHERS.—In making a

8 subgrant to an eligible teacher under this section, a

9 State educational agency or a local educational agen10 cy shall agree to pay the teacher, for tax and admin11 istrative purposes, as if the teacher’s regular em12 ployment and teaching duties had not been sus13 pended.

14 ‘‘(2) REPAYMENT OF SECRETARY.—A State

15 educational agency or a local educational agency re16 ceiving a grant under this section shall agree to pay

17 over to the Secretary the Federal share of any

18 amount recovered by the agency pursuant to sub19 section (b)(3)(B)(ii).

20 ‘‘(f) FUNDING.—For the purpose of carrying out this

21 section, there are authorized to be appropriated

22 $200,000,000 for fiscal year 2000 and such sums as may

23 be necessary for fiscal years 2001 through 2004. Such

24 sums shall be in addition to the amount authorized to be

25 appropriated to carry out this part under section 2003.’’.
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1 (b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendment made by

2 subsection (a) shall take effect beginning with fiscal year

3 2000.

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