Defense Community Teacher Support Act

Bill: 117-s-2399
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Peters, Gary C. [D-MI]
Introduced: 2021-07-20
Policy area: Education
Subjects: Elementary and secondary education

Government lending and loan guarantees

Higher education

Military personnel and dependents

Student aid and college costs

Teaching, teachers, curricula
Latest action: action_date: 2021-07-20
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

Summaries:
action_date: 2021-07-20
action_desc: Introduced in Senate
text: <p><strong>Defense Community Teacher Support Act</strong></p> <p>This bill makes certain teachers who teach in military impacted communities eligible for student loan forgiveness. A school in a <em>military impacted community </em> 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.</p> <p>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.</p> <p>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.</p>

tv_txt: II 117th CONGRESS 1st Session S. 2399 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES July 20, 2021 Mr. Peters (for himself and Mr. Moran ) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions A BILL To provide Federal student loan relief for teachers who work in a military impacted community.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Defense Community Teacher Support Act . 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 .