Defense Community Teacher Support Act
Bill: S.2399 | Sponsor: Sen. Peters, Gary C. (D-MI)
Policy area: Education

Summary:
Defense Community Teacher Support Act
This bill makes certain teachers who teach in military impacted communities eligible for student loan forgiveness. A school in a military impacted community  is served by a local educational agency for which at least 20% of the students in average daily attendance in all schools served by the agency during the preceding school year had a parent on active duty.
Specifically, the bill directs the Department of Education to cancel up to $17,500 of federal student loans for a borrower who is an elementary or secondary school teacher employed for five consecutive years in a school in a military impacted community.
In addition, a teacher who is required to move due to a permanent change in duty station of their spouse may meet the five-year teaching requirement by teaching in multiple schools in different military impacted communities.

To provide Federal student loan relief for teachers who work in a 
                      military impacted community.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Defense Community Teacher Support 
Act''.

SEC. 2. LOAN FORGIVENESS FOR TEACHERS IN MILITARY IMPACTED COMMUNITIES.

    (a) FFEL Loans.--Section 428J of the Higher Education Act of 1965 
(20 U.S.C. 1078-10) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (b)(1)(A)--
                    (A) by inserting ``(i)'' before ``in a school'';
                    (B) by striking ``locations; and'' and inserting 
                ``locations; or''; and
                    (C) by adding at the end the following:
                    ``(ii) in a school in a military impacted 
                community; and'';
            (2) in subsection (c)(3)--
                    (A) in the subsection heading, by inserting ``or 
                Serving Military Impacted Communities'' after 
                ``Education'';
                    (B) in subparagraph (A)(ii), by striking ``and'' 
                after the semicolon;
                    (C) in subparagraph (B)(iii), by striking the 
                period at the end and inserting ``; and''; and
                    (D) by adding at the end the following:
                    ``(C) an elementary school or secondary school 
                teacher employed in a school in a military impacted 
                community.'';
            (3) in subsection (g)--
                    (A) in paragraph (1)(A), by striking ``(b)(1)(A)'' 
                and inserting ``(b)(1)(A)(i)''; and
                    (B) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(4) Military connected teachers.--In the case of an 
        elementary school or secondary school teacher who is employed 
        in a school in a military impacted community, is the spouse of 
        a member of the armed forces, and is required to move as a 
        result of the spouse's permanent change of station, the teacher 
        may meet the 5-year teaching requirement of this section by 
        teaching in multiple elementary schools or secondary schools in 
        different military impacted communities.''; and
            (4) in subsection (h), by striking ``Definition.--'' and 
        all that follows through ``the term'' and inserting the 
        following: ``Definitions.--For purposes of this section:
            ``(1) Military dependent student.--The term `military 
        dependent student' means a student described in subparagraph 
        (B) or (D)(i) of section 7003(a)(1) of the Elementary and 
        Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7703(a)(1)).
            ``(2) Military impacted community.--The term `military 
        impacted community', when used with respect to a school, means 
        a school served by a local educational agency for which not 
        less than 20 percent (as rounded to the nearest whole percent) 
        of the students in average daily attendance in all schools 
        served by the local educational agency during the preceding 
        school year were military dependent students for such year.
            ``(3) Year.--The term''.
    (b) Federal Direct Loans.--Section 460 of the Higher Education Act 
of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1087j) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (b)(1)(A)--
                    (A) by inserting ``(i)'' before ``in a school'';
                    (B) by striking ``locations; and'' and inserting 
                ``locations; or''; and
                    (C) by adding at the end the following:
                    ``(ii) in a school in a military impacted 
                community; and'';
            (2) in subsection (c)(3)--
                    (A) in the subsection heading, by inserting ``or 
                Serving Military Impacted Communities'' after 
                ``Education'';
                    (B) in subparagraph (A)(ii), by striking ``and'' 
                after the semicolon;
                    (C) in subparagraph (B)(iii), by striking the 
                period at the end and inserting ``; and''; and
                    (D) by adding at the end the following:
                    ``(C) an elementary school or secondary school 
                teacher employed in a school in a military impacted 
                community.'';
            (3) in subsection (g)--
                    (A) in paragraph (1)(A), by striking ``(b)(1)(A)'' 
                and inserting ``(b)(1)(A)(i)''; and
                    (B) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(4) Military connected teachers.--In the case of an 
        elementary school or secondary school teacher who is employed 
        in a school in a military impacted community, is the spouse of 
        a member of the armed forces, and is required to move as a 
        result of the spouse's permanent change of station, the teacher 
        may meet the 5-year teaching requirement of this section by 
        teaching in multiple elementary schools or secondary schools in 
        different military impacted communities.''; and
            (4) in subsection (h), by striking ``Definition.--'' and 
        all that follows through ``the term'' and inserting the 
        following: ``Definitions.--For purposes of this section:
            ``(1) Military dependent student.--The term `military 
        dependent student' means a student described in subparagraph 
        (B) or (D)(i) of section 7003(a)(1) of the Elementary and 
        Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7703(a)(1)).
            ``(2) Military impacted community.--The term `military 
        impacted community', when used with respect to a school, means 
        a school served by a local educational agency for which not 
        less than 20 percent (as rounded to the nearest whole percent) 
        of the students in average daily attendance in all schools 
        served by the local educational agency during the preceding 
        school year were military dependent students for such year.
            ``(3) Year.--The term''.
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