II 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 1387 

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 SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MAY 9, 2019 

Mr. BRAUN (for himself and Ms. SINEMA) 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 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 GRANTS. 

7 Section 420N of the Higher Education Act of 1965 

8 (20 U.S.C. 1070g–2) is amended— 


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1 (1) in subsection (b)(1)(D), by inserting, ‘‘by 

2 not later than the October 31 following the year of 

3 such service’’; 

4 (2) in subsection (c)— 

5 (A) by striking ‘‘In the event’’ and insert6 ing the following: 

7 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—In the event’’; and 

8 (B) by adding at the end the following: 

9 ‘‘(2) RECONSIDERATION OF CONVERSION DECI10 SIONS.— 

11 ‘‘(A) REQUEST TO RECONSIDER.—In any 

12 case where the Secretary has determined that a 

13 recipient of a grant under this subpart has 

14 failed or refused to comply with the service obli15 gation in the agreement under subsection (b) 

16 and has converted the grant into a Federal Di17 rect Unsubsidized Stafford Loan under part D 

18 in accordance with paragraph (1), the recipient 

19 may request that the Secretary reconsider the 

20 determination and may submit additional infor21 mation to demonstrate satisfaction of the serv22 ice obligation. 

23 ‘‘(B) RECONSIDERATION.—If, in reconsid24 ering a determination under subparagraph (A), 

25 the Secretary determines that the reason for 


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1 the initial determination was the recipient’s fail2 ure to timely submit an annual recertification 

3 required under subsection (b)(1)(D), and that 

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

6 meet, or is meeting the service obligation in the 

7 agreement under subsection (b), the Secretary 

8 shall— 

9 ‘‘(i) discharge the Federal Direct Un10 subsidized Stafford Loan under part D, 

11 and reinstate the recipient’s grant under 

12 this subpart; 

13 ‘‘(ii) discharge any interest or fees 

14 that may have accumulated during the pe15 riod that the grant was converted to a 

16 Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford 

17 Loan under part D; 

18 ‘‘(iii) if the recipient has other loans 

19 under part D, apply any payments made 

20 for the Federal Direct Unsubsidized Staf21 ford Loan under part D during such pe22 riod to those other loans under part D; 

23 ‘‘(iv) if the recipient does not have 

24 other loans under part D, reimburse the 

25 recipient for any amounts paid on the FedVerDate Sep 11 2014 04:16 May 17, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1387.IS S1387

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1 eral Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loan 

2 under part D during such period; and 

3 ‘‘(v) use the additional information 

4 provided under subparagraph (A) to deter5 mine the progress the recipient has made 

6 in meeting the service obligation. 

7 ‘‘(C) EXTENSION OF TIME TO COMPLETE

8 SERVICE OBLIGATION.—In the case of a recipi9 ent whose grant under this subpart was rein10 stated in accordance with subparagraph (B) 

11 prior to December 31, 2018, the Secretary may 

12 extend the time remaining for the recipient to 

13 fulfill the service obligation for a period of time 

14 equal to the time that recipient had remaining 

15 to fulfill the service obligation at the time that 

16 grant was originally converted into a Federal 

17 Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loan under part 

18 D of title IV in accordance with paragraph (1). 

19 ‘‘(D) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing 

20 in this paragraph shall be construed to mean 

21 that the service obligation under this subpart is 

22 waived.’’; and 

23 (3) in subsection (d), by adding at the end the 

24 following: 


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1 ‘‘(3) COMMUNICATION WITH RECIPIENTS.—The 

2 Secretary shall ensure that each servicer for grants 

3 under this subpart notifies TEACH grant recipients 

4 by October 5 of each year regarding how to submit 

5 documentation regarding the grants under this sub6 part and the October 31 deadline established under 

7 subsection (b)(1)(D).’’. 

Æ 


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