Title: Preserving Teacher Loan Forgiveness for Military Spouses Act of 2019
Policy area: Education

Summary:
Preserving Teacher Loan Forgiveness for Military Spouses Act of 2019
This bill modifies the qualifying service requirement of the teacher loan forgiveness program for certain military spouses who have student federal loans.
Under current law, an otherwise qualified full-time teacher must complete five consecutive years of service to be eligible for the teacher loan forgiveness program. This bill permits a teacher who completes five full-time years of nonconsecutive service to be eligible for loan forgiveness if the teacher's spouse was relocated by the military.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 532 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 532

To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to provide that an individual 
  may remain eligible to participate in the teacher loan forgiveness 
   program under title IV of such Act if the individual's period of 
 consecutive years of employment as a full-time teacher is interrupted 
 because the individual is the spouse of a member of the Armed Forces 
who is relocated during the school year pursuant to military orders for 
a permanent change of duty station, or the individual works in a school 
     of the defense dependents' education system under the Defense 
  Dependents' Education Act of 1978 due to such a relocation, and for 
                            other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           February 14, 2019

  Mr. Cardin (for himself, Mr. Cornyn, and Mr. Jones) introduced the 
 following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on 
                 Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to provide that an individual 
  may remain eligible to participate in the teacher loan forgiveness 
   program under title IV of such Act if the individual's period of 
 consecutive years of employment as a full-time teacher is interrupted 
 because the individual is the spouse of a member of the Armed Forces 
who is relocated during the school year pursuant to military orders for 
a permanent change of duty station, or the individual works in a school 
     of the defense dependents' education system under the Defense 
  Dependents' Education Act of 1978 due to such a relocation, 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 ``Preserving Teacher Loan Forgiveness 
for Military Spouses Act of 2019''.

SEC. 2. CONTINUING ELIGIBILITY TO PARTICIPATE IN STUDENT LOAN 
              FORGIVENESS OR LOAN CANCELLATION PROGRAM FOR TEACHERS 
              WHOSE PERIOD OF CONSECUTIVE EMPLOYMENT IS INTERRUPTED 
              BECAUSE OF MILITARY ORDERS REQUIRING SPOUSE TO RELOCATE 
              TO NEW RESIDENCE, OR WHO WORK IN A SCHOOL OF THE DEFENSE 
              DEPENDENTS' EDUCATION SYSTEM DUE TO SUCH A RELOCATION.

    (a) Continuing Eligibility.--
            (1) Part b loans.--Section 428J(g) of the Higher Education 
        Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1078-10(g)) is amended by adding at the 
        end the following:
            ``(4) Continuing eligibility for certain military 
        spouses.--
                    ``(A) In general.--
                            ``(i) Complete but nonconsecutive years.--
                        Notwithstanding paragraph (1) of subsection 
                        (b), an individual who is employed in a full-
                        time teaching position that meets the 
                        requirements of this section for a period that 
                        includes 5 complete but nonconsecutive years 
                        may be eligible for loan forgiveness pursuant 
                        to such subsection, if the individual was a 
                        qualified military spouse, as defined in 
                        subparagraph (B)(i), with respect to any year 
                        during such period for which the individual was 
                        not employed as a full-time teacher in a school 
                        or location meeting the requirements of this 
                        section.
                            ``(ii) Employment in defense department 
                        schools.--Notwithstanding paragraph (1) of 
                        subsection (b), an individual may be eligible 
                        for loan forgiveness pursuant to such 
                        subsection, if the individual is a qualified 
                        military spouse, as defined in subparagraph 
                        (B)(ii), and the individual has been employed 
                        as a full-time teacher for 5 complete school 
                        years in a school described in subparagraph (A) 
                        of subsection (b)(1) or in a school of the 
                        defense dependents' education system under the 
                        Defense Dependents' Education Act of 1978 (20 
                        U.S.C. 921 et seq.) that is located outside of 
                        the United States, and met the requirements of 
                        subparagraph (B) of subsection (b)(1).
                    ``(B) Qualified military spouse defined.--In this 
                paragraph, the term `qualified military spouse' means--
                            ``(i) with respect to a year, an individual 
                        who--
                                    ``(I) during the previous year, 
                                served as a teacher in a school or 
                                location meeting the requirements of 
                                subparagraph (A) of subsection (b)(1) 
                                and met the requirements of 
                                subparagraph (B) of subsection (b)(1);
                                    ``(II) is the spouse of a member of 
                                the Armed Forces who is relocated 
                                during the year pursuant to military 
                                orders for a permanent change of duty 
                                station;
                                    ``(III) did not serve as a teacher 
                                in a school or location meeting the 
                                requirements of subparagraph (A) of 
                                subsection (b)(1) during the year or 
                                any portion of the year because the 
                                individual accompanied the spouse to a 
                                new residence as a result of such 
                                military orders; and
                                    ``(IV) during the following year, 
                                resumed service as a teacher in a 
                                school or location meeting the 
                                requirements of subparagraph (A) of 
                                subsection (b)(1) and met the 
                                requirements of subparagraph (B) of 
                                subsection (b)(1); or
                            ``(ii) an individual who is the spouse of a 
                        member of the Armed Forces who is relocated 
                        overseas during a year of employment as a 
                        teacher for which the individual seeks loan 
                        forgiveness under this section pursuant to 
                        military orders for a change of duty station 
                        and the individual accompanied the spouse to a 
                        new residence overseas as a result of such 
                        military orders.
                    ``(C) Reports to congress.--Not later than 90 days 
                after the end of the second academic year during which 
                this paragraph is in effect, and every 2 years 
                thereafter, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a 
                report describing the number of individuals who, as a 
                result of this paragraph, remained eligible for loan 
                forgiveness pursuant to subsection (b) during the 2 
                most recent academic years.''.
            (2) Part d loans.--Section 460(g) of the Higher Education 
        Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1087j(g)) is amended by adding at the 
        end the following:
            ``(4) Continuing eligibility for certain military 
        spouses.--
                    ``(A) In general.--
                            ``(i) Complete but nonconsecutive years.--
                        Notwithstanding paragraph (1) of subsection 
                        (b), an individual who is employed in a full-
                        time teaching position that meets the 
                        requirements of this section for a period that 
                        includes 5 complete but nonconsecutive years 
                        may be eligible for loan cancellation pursuant 
                        to such subsection, if the individual was a 
                        qualified military spouse, as defined in 
                        subparagraph (B)(i), with respect to any year 
                        during such period for which the individual was 
                        not employed as a full-time teacher in a school 
                        or location meeting the requirements of this 
                        section.
                            ``(ii) Employment in defense department 
                        schools.--Notwithstanding paragraph (1) of 
                        subsection (b), an individual may be eligible 
                        for loan cancellation pursuant to such 
                        subsection, if the individual is a qualified 
                        military spouse, as defined in subparagraph 
                        (B)(ii), and the individual has been employed 
                        as a full-time teacher for 5 complete school 
                        years in a school described in subparagraph (A) 
                        of subsection (b)(1) or in a school of the 
                        defense dependents' education system under the 
                        Defense Dependents' Education Act of 1978 (20 
                        U.S.C. 921 et seq.) that is located outside of 
                        the United States, and met the requirements of 
                        subparagraph (B) of subsection (b)(1).
                    ``(B) Qualified military spouse defined.--In this 
                paragraph, the term `qualified military spouse' means--
                            ``(i) with respect to a year, an individual 
                        who--
                                    ``(I) during the previous year, 
                                served as a teacher in a school or 
                                location meeting the requirements of 
                                subparagraph (A) of subsection (b)(1) 
                                and met the requirements of 
                                subparagraph (B) of subsection (b)(1);
                                    ``(II) is the spouse of a member of 
                                the Armed Forces who is relocated 
                                during the year pursuant to military 
                                orders for a permanent change of duty 
                                station;
                                    ``(III) did not serve as a teacher 
                                in a school or location meeting the 
                                requirements of subparagraph (A) of 
                                subsection (b)(1) during the year or 
                                any portion of the year because the 
                                individual accompanied the spouse to a 
                                new residence as a result of such 
                                military orders; and
                                    ``(IV) during the following year, 
                                resumed service as a teacher in a 
                                school or location meeting the 
                                requirements of subparagraph (A) of 
                                subsection (b)(1) and met the 
                                requirements of subparagraph (B) of 
                                subsection (b)(1); or
                            ``(ii) an individual who is the spouse of a 
                        member of the Armed Forces who is relocated 
                        overseas during a year of employment as a 
                        teacher for which the individual seeks loan 
                        forgiveness under this section pursuant to 
                        military orders for a change of duty station 
                        and the individual accompanied the spouse to a 
                        new residence overseas as a result of such 
                        military orders.
                    ``(C) Reports to congress.--Not later than 90 days 
                after the end of the second academic year during which 
                this paragraph is in effect, and every 2 years 
                thereafter, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a 
                report describing the number of individuals who, as a 
                result of this paragraph, remained eligible for loan 
                cancellation pursuant to subsection (b) during the 2 
                most recent academic years.''.
    (b) Effective Date.--The amendments made by subsection (a) shall 
apply with respect to individuals who first become employed as full-
time teachers on or after the date of the enactment of this Act.
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