I
107TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 2102
To authorize recruitment and retention incentive programs, student loan
forgiveness, and professional development programs for teachers in rural
areas.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JUNE 7, 2001
Mrs. CLAYTON (for herself, Mr. JACKSON of Illinois, Mr. POMEROY, Mr. NEY,
Mr. ETHERIDGE, Mrs. ROUKEMA, Mr. PHELPS, Mr. SHOWS, Mrs. THUR-
MAN, Ms. WOOLSEY, Mr. BURR of North Carolina, Mr. JOHN, and Mr.
LAHOOD) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Education and the Workforce
A BILL
To authorize recruitment and retention incentive programs,
student loan forgiveness, and professional development
programs for teachers in rural areas.
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 ‘‘Rural Teachers Re-
cruitment Act of 2001’’.
SEC. 2. TEACHER RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION GRANTS.
(a) PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.—The Secretary is au-
thorized to provide grants to rural eligible local edu-
cational agencies to enable the agencies to recruit and re-
tain qualified teachers for elementary and secondary
schools.
(b) RURAL ELIGIBLE LOCAL EDUCATIONAL AGEN-
CIES.—To be eligible to receive a grant under this section,
a rural eligible local educational agency shall—
(1) submit an application to the Secretary at
such time, in such manner, and containing such in-
formation as the Secretary may reasonably require;
and
(2) demonstrate a need to recruit and retain
additional qualified elementary and secondary school
teachers.
(c) GRANT AMOUNT.—Each grant award made under
this section shall be of sufficient size to enable a grantee
to develop incentive programs to recruit and retain quali-
fied teachers.
(d) USES OF FUNDS.—A rural eligible local edu-
cational agency that receives a grant award under this sec-
tion may use such funds received to develop incentive pro-
grams to recruit and retain qualified teachers. Such incen-
tive programs may include—
(1) salary increases;
(2) reimbursement for teacher certification ex-
penses;
(3) assistance to pay college tuition expenses;
(4) assistance to pay graduate school tuition
and training expenses; and
(5) reimbursement for relocation expenses.
(e) DEFINITIONS.—For purposes of this section:
(1) the term ‘‘local educational agency’’ has the
same meaning given such term in section 14101(18)
of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of
1965 (20 U.S.C. 8801(18));
(2) the term ‘‘metropolitan statistical area’’ has
the same meaning given such term by the Bureau of
the Census;
(3) the term ‘‘rural eligible educational agency’’
means a local educational agency—
(A) that is not located in a metropolitan
statistical area; and
(B) in which 20 percent or more of the
children, ages 5 through 17, served by such
agency are from families below the poverty
level, as determined by the Secretary; and
(4) the term ‘‘Secretary’’ means the Secretary
of Education.
(f) AUTHORIZATION
OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There
are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this
section—
(1) $250,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2002
and 2003;
(2) $400,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2004
and 2005; and
(3) $500,000,000 for fiscal year 2006.
SEC. 3. LOAN FORGIVENESS FOR RURAL TEACHERS.
Section 428J(b)(1) of the Higher Education Act of
1965 (20 U.S.C. 1078–10(b)(1)) is amended—
(1) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A),
by striking ‘‘teacher for 5 consecutive complete
school years—’’ and inserting ‘‘teacher—’’; and
(2) by amending subparagraph (A) to read as
follows:
‘‘(A) in a school—
‘‘(i) for 5 consecutive complete school
years, if the school qualifies under section
465(a)(2)(A) for loan cancellation for Per-
kins loan recipients who teach in such
schools; or
‘‘(ii) for 3 consecutive complete school
years, if the school is located in a county
with a population density of less than 200
persons per square mile;’’.