I 
109TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1547
To preserve mathematics- and science-based industries in the United States. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 12, 2005
Mr. WOLF (for himself, Mr. EHLERS, and Mr. BOEHLERT) introduced the fol-
lowing bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and the 
Workforce 
A BILL 
To preserve mathematics- and science-based industries in 
the United States.
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 ‘‘Math and Science In-
centive Act of 2005’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
The Congress finds the following: 
(1) The United States can have a secure and 
prosperous future only by having a robust and in-
ventive scientific and technical enterprise.
(2) Such an enterprise will require the United 
States to produce more scientists and engineers. 
(3) The United States education system must 
do more to encourage students at every level to 
study science and mathematics and to pursue ca-
reers related to those fields. 
(4) The current performance of United States 
students in science and math lags behind their inter-
national peers, and not enough students are pur-
suing science and mathematics. 
(5) The United States is still reaping the bene-
fits of past investments in research and development 
and education, but we are drawing down that cap-
ital. 
(6) The United States needs to recommit itself 
to leadership in science, mathematics and engineer-
ing, especially as advances are being made in such 
areas as nanotechnology. 
(7) A program of loan forgiveness designed to 
attract students to careers in science, mathematics, 
engineering and technology, including teaching ca-
reers, can help the United States maintain its tech-
nological leadership. 
SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF PROGRAM. 
(a) PROGRAM.—
(1) IN
GENERAL.—The Secretary shall carry 
out a program of assuming the obligation to pay, 
pursuant to the provisions of this Act, the interest 
on a loan made, insured, or guaranteed under part 
B or D of title IV of the Higher Education Act of 
1965. 
(2) ELIGIBILITY.—The Secretary may assume 
interest payments under paragraph (1) only for a 
borrower who—
(A) has submitted an application in com-
pliance with subsection (d); 
(B) obtained one or more loans described 
in paragraph (1) as an undergraduate student; 
(C) is a new borrower (within the meaning 
of section 103(7) of the Higher Education Act 
of 1965 (20 U.S.C 1003(7)) on or after the 
date of enactment of this Act; 
(D) is a teacher of science, technology, en-
gineering or mathematics at an elementary or 
secondary school, or is a mathematics, science 
or engineering professional; and 
(E) enters into an agreement with the Sec-
retary to complete 5 consecutive years of service 
in a position described in subparagraph (D), 
starting on the date of the agreement.
(3) PRIOR INTEREST LIMITATIONS.—The Sec-
retary shall not make any payments for interest 
that—
(A) accrues prior to the beginning of the 
repayment period on a loan in the case of a 
loan made under section 428H or a Federal Di-
rect Unsubsidized Stafford Loan; or 
(B) has accrued prior to the signing of an 
agreement under paragraph (2)(E). 
(4) INITIAL SELECTION.—In selecting partici-
pants for the program under this Act, the Sec-
retary—
(A) shall choose among eligible applicants 
on the basis of—
(i) the national security, homeland se-
curity and economic security needs of the 
United States, as determined by the Sec-
retary, in consultation with other Federal 
agencies, including the Departments of 
Labor, Defense, Homeland Security, Com-
merce, and Energy, the Central Intel-
ligence Agency and the National Science 
Foundation; and 
(ii) the academic record or job per-
formance of the applicant; and
(B) may choose among eligible applicants 
on the basis of—
(i) the likelihood of the applicant to 
complete the five-year service obligation; 
(ii) the likelihood of the applicant to 
remain in science, mathematics or engi-
neering after the completion of the service 
requirement; or 
(iii) other relevant criteria determined 
by the Secretary. 
(5) AVAILABILITY
SUBJECT
TO
APPROPRIA-
TIONS.—Loan interest payments under this Act 
shall be subject to the availability of appropriations. 
If the amount appropriated for any fiscal year is not 
sufficient to provide interest payments on behalf of 
all qualified applicants, the Secretary shall give pri-
ority to those individuals on whose behalf interest 
payments were made during the preceding fiscal 
year. 
(6) REGULATIONS.—The Secretary is author-
ized to prescribe such regulations as may be nec-
essary to carry out the provisions of this section. 
(b) DURATION
AND AMOUNT
OF INTEREST PAY-
MENTS.—The period during which the Secretary shall pay 
interest on behalf of a student borrower who is selected
under subsection (a) is the period that begins on the effec-
tive date of the agreement under subsection (a)(2)(E), 
continues after successful completion of the service obliga-
tion, and ends on the earlier of—
(1) the completion of the repayment period of 
the loan; 
(2) payment by the Secretary of a total of 
$10,000 on behalf of the borrower; 
(3) if the borrower ceases to fulfill the service 
obligation under such agreement prior to the end of 
the 5-year period, as soon as the borrower is deter-
mined to have ceased to fulfill such obligation in ac-
cordance with regulations of the Secretary; or 
(4) 6 months after the end of any calendar year 
in which the borrower’s gross income equals or ex-
ceeds 4 times the national per capita disposable per-
sonal income (current dollars) for such calendar 
year, as determined on the basis of the National In-
come and Product Accounts Tables of the Bureau of 
Economic Analysis of the Department of Commerce, 
as determined in accordance with regulations pre-
scribed by the Secretary. 
(c) REPAYMENT TO ELIGIBLE LENDERS.—Subject to 
the regulations prescribed by the Secretary by regulation 
under subsection (a)(6), the Secretary shall pay to each
eligible lender or holder for each payment period the 
amount of the interest that accrues on a loan of a student 
borrower who is selected under subsection (a). 
(d) APPLICATION FOR REPAYMENT.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—Each eligible individual de-
siring loan interest payment under this section shall 
submit a complete and accurate application to the 
Secretary at such time, in such manner, and con-
taining such information as the Secretary may re-
quire. 
(2) FAILURE TO COMPLETE SERVICE AGREE-
MENT.—Such application shall contain an agreement 
by the individual that, if the individual fails to com-
plete the 5 consecutive years of service required by 
subsection (a)(2)(E), the individual agrees to repay 
the Secretary the amount of any interest paid by the 
Secretary on behalf of the individual. 
(e) TREATMENT OF CONSOLIDATION LOANS.—A con-
solidation loan made under section 428C of the Higher 
Education Act of 1965, or a Federal Direct Consolidation 
Loan made under part D of title IV of such Act, may 
be a qualified loan for the purpose of this section only 
to the extent that such loan amount was used by a bor-
rower who otherwise meets the requirements of this sec-
tion to repay—
(1) a loan made under section 428 or 428H of 
such Act; or 
(2) a Federal Direct Stafford Loan, or a Fed-
eral Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loan, made under 
part D of title IV of such Act. 
(f) PREVENTION OF DOUBLE BENEFITS.—No bor-
rower may, for the same service, receive a benefit under 
both this section and— 
(1) any loan forgiveness program under title IV 
of the Higher Education Act of 1965; or 
(2) subtitle D of title I of the National and 
Community Service Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12571 
et seq.). 
SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS. 
As used in this Act— 
(1) the term ‘‘Secretary’’ means the Secretary 
of Education; and 
(2) the term ‘‘mathematics, science, or engi-
neering professional’’ means a person who— 
(A) holds a baccalaureate, masters, or doc-
toral degree (or a combination thereof) in 
science, mathematics or engineering; and 
(B) works in a field the Secretary deter-
mines is closely related to that degree, which
shall include working as a professor at a two- 
or four-year institution of higher education. 
SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out 
this Act such sums as may be necessary for fiscal year 
2006 and for each of the 5 succeeding fiscal years.
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