Title: HEROES Act
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security

Summary:
Heroes Entering Roles Of Education Service Act or the HEROES Act
This bill revises and expands the Troops-to-Teachers Program, which supports the transition of current and former military personnel to employment positions in education. The program places personnel in (1) elementary and secondary schools that serve more than a certain percentage of lower-income students or those who qualify for aid under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, and (2) Bureau of Indian Affairs-funded schools.
The bill renames the program as the Troops-To-Support-Education Program and expands the positions covered to include a number of teaching support, administrative, and security personnel. Excluded from eligibility are positions performed outside the grounds of a school or for a contractor. For placement in non-teacher positions, the service member must obtain credentials required by the state in which the position is located.
The bill increases the total number of stipends and bonuses provided. It also increases the limit on the amount of obligations for the program for each fiscal year. The Department of Defense may enter into partnership agreements with tax-exempt charitable organizations to assist with the placement of participants.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2869 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>






116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2869

To amend title 10, United States Code, to expand and rename the Troops-
              to-Teachers Program, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 21, 2019

Mr. Duffy (for himself and Ms. Gabbard) introduced the following bill; 
         which was referred to the Committee on Armed Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend title 10, United States Code, to expand and rename the Troops-
              to-Teachers Program, and for other purposes.

    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 ``Heroes Entering Roles Of Education 
Service Act'' or the ``HEROES Act''.

SEC. 2. TROOPS-TO-SCHOOLS PROGRAM.

    Section 1154 of title 10, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) in the section heading, by striking: ``employment as 
        teachers: Troops-to-Teachers Program'' and inserting 
        ``employment in schools: Troops-To-Support-Education Program'';
            (2) in subsection (a)--
                    (A) in paragraph (6), by striking ``Troops-to-
                Teachers'' and inserting ``Troops-To-Support-
                Education'';
                    (B) by redesignating paragraphs (7) and (8) as 
                paragraphs (9) and (10), respectively;
                    (C) by inserting after paragraph (6) the following 
                new paragraphs:
            ``(7) Qualifying position.--
                    ``(A) Except as provided in subparagraph (B), the 
                term `qualifying position' means any full-time position 
                in an eligible school, including a position as:
                            ``(i) a teacher, including an elementary 
                        school teacher, a secondary school teacher, or 
                        a career or technical education teacher;
                            ``(ii) a school resource officer;
                            ``(iii) a school leader;
                            ``(iv) specialized instructional support 
                        personnel;
                            ``(v) a paraprofessional; or
                            ``(vi) other staff.
                    ``(B) Such term does not include a position that 
                is--
                            ``(i) performed primarily at a location 
                        outside the grounds of an eligible school; or
                            ``(ii) held by an individual who is 
                        employed by a contractor.
            ``(8) School resource officer.--The term `school resource 
        officer' has the meaning given that term in section 1709(4) of 
        the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (34 
        U.S.C. 10389(4)).''; and
                    (D) by amending paragraph (10), as so redesignated, 
                to read as follows:
            ``(10) Additional terms.--The terms `elementary school', 
        `local educational agency', `other staff', `paraprofessional', 
        `school leader', `secondary school', `specialized instructional 
        support personnel', and `State' have the meanings given those 
        terms in section 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education 
        Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801).'';
            (3) in subsection (b)--
                    (A) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by 
                striking ``Troops-to-Teachers'' and inserting ``Troops-
                To-Support-Education'';
                    (B) in paragraph (1), by striking ``become a 
                teacher'' and inserting ``obtain a qualifying 
                position''; and
                    (C) in paragraph (2)(A)--
                            (i) in clause (i), by striking ``or'' at 
                        the end;
                            (ii) in clause (ii), by striking ``and'' at 
                        the end and inserting ``or''; and
                            (iii) by adding at the end the following 
                        new clause:
                                    ``(iii) experiencing a shortage of 
                                personnel to fill qualifying positions; 
                                and'';
            (4) in subsection (d)(3)--
                    (A) by redesignating subparagraph (D) as 
                subparagraph (E); and
                    (B) by inserting after subparagraph (C) the 
                following new subparagraph:
            ``(D) If a member of the armed forces is applying for the 
        Program to receive assistance for placement in a qualifying 
        position other than a position as a teacher described in 
        subparagraph (B) or subparagraph (C), the Secretary shall 
        require the member to obtain the professional credentials that 
        are required by the State for the position involved.'';
            (5) in subsection (e)--
                    (A) in paragraph (1)(A)--
                            (i) in clause (i), by striking ``become a 
                        teacher'' and inserting ``obtain a qualifying 
                        position''; and
                            (ii) in clause (ii), by striking ``as an 
                        elementary school teacher'' and all that 
                        follows through the period at the end and 
                        inserting ``in a qualifying position for not 
                        less than three school years in an eligible 
                        school to begin the school year after the 
                        member obtains the professional credentials 
                        required for the position involved'';
                    (B) in paragraph (2)(E), by striking ``as a teacher 
                in an eligible elementary school or secondary school or 
                as a career or technical teacher'' and inserting ``in a 
                qualifying position''; and
                    (C) in paragraph (3)--
                            (i) in subparagraph (A), by striking 
                        ``educational level, certification, or 
                        licensing'' and inserting ``educational level, 
                        certification, licensing, or other professional 
                        credentials'';
                            (ii) in subparagraph (B)(i), by striking 
                        ``as an elementary school teacher, secondary 
                        school teacher, or career or technical 
                        teacher'' and inserting ``in a qualifying 
                        position''; and
                            (iii) in subparagraph (C)--
                                    (I) in clause (i), by striking 
                                ``5,000'' and inserting ``7500''; and
                                    (II) in clause (ii), by striking 
                                ``3,000'' and inserting ``4500'';
            (6) in subsection (f)(1)--
                    (A) in subparagraph (A)--
                            (i) by striking ``become a teacher'' and 
                        inserting ``obtain a qualifying position''; and
                            (ii) by striking ``as an elementary school 
                        teacher, secondary school teacher, or career or 
                        technical teacher'' and insert ``in a 
                        qualifying position''; and
                    (B) in subparagraph (B), by striking ``, employment 
                as an elementary school teacher, secondary school 
                teacher, or career or technical teacher'' and inserting 
                ``employment in a qualifying position'';
            (7) in subsection (h)(2)(A) by striking ``as elementary 
        school teachers, secondary school teachers, and career or 
        technical teachers'' and inserting ``in qualifying positions'';
            (8) in subsection (i), by striking ``$15,000,000'' and 
        inserting ``$20,000,000''; and
            (9) by adding at the end the following new subsection:
    ``(j) Public-Private Partnership.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Secretary may enter into one or more 
        partnerships with nonprofit entities, including veterans 
        service organizations, to assist with the placement of 
        participants in eligible schools in accordance with this 
        section.
            ``(2) Nonprofit entity defined.--In this subsection, the 
        term `nonprofit entity' means an entity qualifying as an exempt 
        organization under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue 
        Code of 1986.''.

SEC. 3. CONFORMING AMENDMENT AND REFERENCES.

    (a) Table of Sections.--The table of sections at the beginning of 
chapter 58 of such title is amended by striking the item relating to 
section 1154 and inserting the following new item:

``1154. Assistance to eligible members and former members to obtain 
                            employment in schools: Troops-To-Support-
                            Education Program.''.
    (b) References.--Any reference in Federal law (other than this 
Act), regulations, guidance, instructions, or other documents of the 
Federal Government to the Troops-to-Teachers Program shall be deemed to 
be a reference to the Troops-to-Schools Program.
                                 <all>