I 
116TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 4389 
To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to provide additional amounts 
of loan forgiveness to teachers of English learners, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
SEPTEMBER 18, 2019 
Mr. LANGEVIN (for himself, Mr. ESPAILLAT, and Mr. GRIJALVA) introduced 
the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and 
Labor 
A BILL 
To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to provide 
additional amounts of loan forgiveness to teachers of 
English learners, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Supporting Providers 
of English Language Learning Act’’ or the ‘‘SPELL Act’’. 
SEC. 2. TEACHERS OF ENGLISH LEARNERS. 
(a) LOAN FORGIVENESS FOR TEACHERS.—Section 
428J(c)(3) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
U.S.C. 1078–10(c)(3)) is amended— 
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(1) in the paragraph heading by striking 
‘‘MATHEMATICS, SCIENCE, OR SPECIAL EDUCATION’’ 
and inserting ‘‘MATHEMATICS, SCIENCE, SPECIAL 
EDUCATION, OR ENGLISH LANGUAGE EDUCATION’’; 
(2) in subparagraph (A)(ii) by striking ‘‘and’’ 
at the end; 
(3) in subparagraph (B)(iii) by striking the pe-
riod at the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(4) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(C) an elementary school or secondary 
school teacher— 
‘‘(i) who meets the requirements of 
subsection (b); 
‘‘(ii) whose qualifying employment for 
purposes of such subsection is as a teacher 
of English learners (as that term is defined 
in section 8101 of the Elementary and 
Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 
U.S.C. 7801)) whose primary responsibility 
is to teach such learners; and 
‘‘(iii) who, as certified by the chief ad-
ministrative officer of the public or non- 
profit private elementary school or sec-
ondary school in which the borrower is em-
ployed, or, in the case of a teacher who is 
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employed by an educational service agency, 
as certified by the chief administrative offi-
cer of such agency, is teaching English 
learners who correspond with the bor-
rower’s training and has demonstrated 
knowledge and teaching skills in the con-
tent areas of the elementary school or sec-
ondary school curriculum that the bor-
rower is teaching.’’. 
(b) LOAN CANCELLATION FOR TEACHERS.—Section 
460(c)(3) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
1087j(c)(3)) is amended— 
(1) in the paragraph heading by striking 
‘‘MATHEMATICS, SCIENCE, OR SPECIAL EDUCATION’’ 
and inserting ‘‘MATHEMATICS, SCIENCE, SPECIAL 
EDUCATION, OR ENGLISH LANGUAGE EDUCATION’’; 
(2) in subparagraph (A)(ii) by striking ‘‘and’’ 
at the end; 
(3) in subparagraph (B)(iii) by striking the pe-
riod at the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(4) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(C) an elementary school or secondary 
school teacher— 
‘‘(i) who meets the requirements of 
subsection (b); 
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‘‘(ii) whose qualifying employment for 
purposes of such subsection is as a teacher 
of English learners (as that term is defined 
in section 8101 of the Elementary and 
Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 
U.S.C. 7801)) whose primary responsibility 
is to teach such learners; and 
‘‘(iii) who, as certified by the chief ad-
ministrative officer of the public or non- 
profit private elementary school or sec-
ondary school in which the borrower is em-
ployed, or, in the case of a teacher who is 
employed by an educational service agency, 
as certified by the chief administrative offi-
cer of such agency, is teaching English 
learners who correspond with the bor-
rower’s training and has demonstrated 
knowledge and teaching skills in the con-
tent areas of the elementary school or sec-
ondary school curriculum that the bor-
rower is teaching.’’. 
SEC. 3. APPLICABILITY. 
The amendments made by section 1 shall take effect 
on the date of the enactment of this Act and shall apply 
with respect to individuals who are eligible to receive 
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teacher loan forgiveness under section 428J of the Higher 
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1078–10) or teacher 
loan cancellation under section 460 of such Act (20 U.S.C. 
1087j) after such date. 
Æ 
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