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]
[S. 2248 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

<DOC>






116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 2248

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


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             July 24, 2019

 Mr. Scott of South Carolina introduced the following bill; which was 
       read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend title 10, United States Code, to redesignate and expand 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. REDESIGNATION AND EXPANSION OF TROOPS-TO-TEACHERS PROGRAM.

    (a) Redesignation as Troops-to-Support-Education Program.--
            (1) In general.--Section 1154 of title 10, United States 
        Code, is amended--
                    (A) in subsection (a)(6), by striking ``Troops-to-
                Teachers Program'' and inserting ``Troops-to-Support-
                Education Program''; and
                    (B) in subsection (b), by striking ``Troops-to-
                Teachers Program'' and inserting ``Troops-to-Support-
                Education Program''.
            (2) 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-
        Support-Education Program.
    (b) Definitions.--Subsection (a) of such section is further 
amended--
            (1) by redesignating paragraphs (7) and (8) as paragraphs 
        (9) and (10), respectively;
            (2) 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
            (3) by amending paragraph (10), as redesignated by 
        paragraph (1) of this subsection, 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).''.
    (c) Expansion of Program Generally.--Subsection (b) of such section 
is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (1), by striking ``become a teacher'' and 
        inserting ``obtain a qualifying position''; and
            (2) in paragraph (2)(A)--
                    (A) in clause (i), by striking ``or'' at the end;
                    (B) in clause (ii), by striking ``and'' at the end 
                and inserting ``or''; and
                    (C) by adding at the end the following new clause:
                                    ``(iii) experiencing a shortage of 
                                personnel to fill qualifying positions; 
                                and''.
    (d) Selection Criteria for Participants.--Subsection (d)(3) of such 
section is amended--
            (1) by redesignating subparagraph (D) as subparagraph (E); 
        and
            (2) by inserting after subparagraph (C) the following new 
        subparagraph (D):
            ``(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 (C), the Secretary shall require the member 
        to obtain the professional credentials that are required by the 
        State for the position involved.''.
    (e) Participation Agreement and Assistance.--Subsection (e) of such 
section is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (1)(A)--
                    (A) in clause (i), by striking ``become a teacher'' 
                and inserting ``obtain a qualifying position''; and
                    (B) 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.'';
            (2) 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
            (3) in paragraph (3)--
                    (A) in subparagraph (A), by striking ``educational 
                level, certification, or licensing'' and inserting 
                ``educational level, certification, licensing, or other 
                professional credentials'';
                    (B) 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
                    (C) in subparagraph (C)--
                            (i) in clause (i), by striking ``5,000'' 
                        and inserting ``7,500''; and
                            (ii) in clause (ii), by striking ``3,000'' 
                        and inserting ``4,500''.
    (f) Reimbursement.--Subsection (f)(1) of such section is amended--
            (1) in subparagraph (A)--
                    (A) by striking ``become a teacher'' and inserting 
                ``obtain a qualifying position''; and
                    (B) by striking ``as an elementary school teacher, 
                secondary school teacher, or career or technical 
                teacher'' and insert ``in a qualifying position''; and
            (2) 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''.
    (g) Participation by States.--Subsection (h)(2)(A) of such section 
is amended by striking ``as elementary school teachers, secondary 
school teachers, and career or technical teachers'' and inserting ``in 
qualifying positions''.
    (h) Public-Private Partnerships.--Such section is further amended--
            (1) by redesignating subsection (i) as subsection (j); and
            (2) by inserting after subsection (h) the following new 
        subsection (i):
    ``(i) Public-Private Partnerships.--
            ``(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.''.
    (i) Funding Limitation.--Subsection (j) of such section, as 
redesignated by subsection (h)(1) of this section, is amended by 
striking ``$15,000,000'' and inserting ``$20,000,000''.
    (j) Conforming and Clerical Amendments.--
            (1) Heading amendment.--The heading of such section is 
        amended to read as follows:
``Sec. 1154. Assistance to eligible members and former members to 
              obtain employment in schools: Troops-to-Support-Education 
              Program''.
            (2) 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.''.
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