Q: In this task, you are given text for US Congressional and California state bills, your task is to generate a summary for this bill.
SECTION 1. ESTABLISHMENT OF THE NATIONAL REMOTE TEACHER CORPS.

The Secretary of Education may establish the National Remote
Teacher Corps (in this Act referred to as the ''Corps'') to fill
teacher vacancies, reduce class sizes, and improve educational quality
in qualified remote areas.

SEC. 2. DESIGNATION AS A CORPS SITE.

(a) In General.--In order to be designated as a Corps site, a local
educational agency or charter school located in a qualified remote area
shall submit an application to the Secretary at such time, in such
manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may require.
(b) Contents.--An application submitted under subsection (a) shall
demonstrate that the agency or charter school is--
(1) experiencing a shortage of teachers;
(2) willing to work with the Secretary to--
(A) promote teacher accountability and high
standards for teachers; and
(B) provide cooperation, support, and use of
facilities for the programs described in section 10;
(3) willing to provide mentorship and professional
development programs to teachers;
(4) willing to provide compensation in accordance with
section 8(a) for each Corps participant placed with the agency
or school under the Corps; and
(5) willing to--
(A) work with the Secretary under section 9 to
develop and implement an alternative certification
route for individuals selected to be Corps
participants; or
(B) allow such individuals to participate in an
existing alternative certification program that is in
compliance with any requirements prescribed by the
Secretary.

SEC. 3. RECRUITMENT.

The Secretary may--
(1) conduct recruiting programs for the Corps at
institutions of higher education, including institutions that
offer majors in the fields of education, science, technology,
engineering, or mathematics; and
(2) recruit current highly qualified elementary school or
secondary school teachers.

SEC. 4. APPLICATION; SELECTION CRITERIA; PRIORITY.

(a) Application.--Selection of individuals to participate in the
Corps shall be made on the basis of applications submitted to the
Secretary at such time, in such manner, and containing such information
as the Secretary may require.
(b) Selection Criteria.--An individual selected to participate in
the Corps shall--
(1) have at least a bachelor's degree from an institution
of higher education; and
(2) comply with such other criteria as the Secretary may
prescribe.
(c) Priority.--In selecting individuals to participate in the
Corps, the Secretary shall give priority to individuals--
(1) with at least a master's degree in education (such as
special education or teaching English as a second language),
science, technology, engineering, or mathematics and who agree
to seek employment as science, technology, engineering,
mathematics, special education, or English as a second language
teachers in elementary schools or secondary schools; or
(2) who are highly qualified teachers with--
(A) 10 or more years of experience teaching
students in elementary school or secondary school; or
(B) equivalent qualifications and experience, as
determined by the Secretary.

SEC. 5. COMPENSATION FOR APPLICANTS.

(a) In General.--The Secretary may reimburse an individual applying
to participate in the Corps for the actual and reasonable expenses
incurred--
(1) in traveling to and from the individual's place of
residence to a Corps site at which the individual may be placed
under section 6 for the purpose of evaluating such site with
regard to being assigned at such site; and
(2) for the travel of 1 family member to accompany the
individual to such site.
(b) Maximum Amount.--The Secretary may establish a maximum total
amount that may be paid to an individual as reimbursement for such
expenses.

SEC. 6. PLACEMENT OF CORPS PARTICIPANTS.

(a) In General.--The Secretary shall place each individual selected
to be a Corps participant with a local educational agency or charter
school that is designated as a Corps site.
(b) Considerations.--In placing a Corps participant at a Corps
site, the Secretary shall take into account--
(1) the preference of the Corps participant;
(2) the preferences of local educational agencies and
charter schools that are Corps sites; and
(3) the relative need among Corps sites with respect to
teacher shortages, including--
(A) the total number of open teaching positions;
(B) the number of teachers needed for class size
reductions; and
(C) the shortage of teachers with a particular
subject-matter expertise.

SEC. 7. PARTICIPATION AGREEMENT.

(a) Participation Agreement.--
(1) In general.--An individual selected to participate in
the Corps shall be required to enter into an agreement with the
Secretary under which the individual agrees--
(A) within such time as the Secretary may require,
to obtain certification or licensing as an elementary
school teacher or secondary school teacher under
section 9 or through another procedure approved by the
Secretary; and
(B) to accept an offer of full-time employment as
an elementary school teacher or secondary school
teacher for not less than 3 school years with a local
educational agency or charter school that is a Corps
site.
(2) Waiver.--The Secretary may waive the 3-year commitment
described in paragraph (1)(B), or any other requirement under a
participation agreement described in paragraph (1), for a
participant if the Secretary determines such waiver to be
appropriate. If the Secretary provides the waiver to a
participant, the participant--
(A) shall not be considered to be in violation of
the agreement; and
(B) shall not be required to provide reimbursement
for any funds received as a Corps participant.
(b) Agreement Renewal.--Upon completion of the 3-year commitment
described in subsection (a)(1)(B), a Corp participant's participation
agreement may be renewed in 1-year increments.

SEC. 8. COMPENSATION FOR CORPS PARTICIPANTS.

(a) Salary.--A Corps participant shall be considered an employee of
the local educational agency or charter school in which the participant
is employed under the Corps and shall be compensated at the same rates,
including periodic increases, as employees who are similarly situated
in similar teaching positions and who have similar training,
experience, and skills, and such rates shall be in accordance with
applicable law.
(b) Federal Benefits.--
(1) Supplement, not supplant.--Any Federal funds a Corps
participant receives from the Secretary under this section or
section 5 shall supplement, not supplant, the compensation the
participant receives under subsection (a) of this section.
(2) Travel stipends.--The Secretary may reimburse each
Corps participant for all or part of the actual and reasonable
expenses incurred by the participant and 1 family member when
traveling, not more than once per year of participation, from
the Corps site to any location in the continental United States
and from such location back to the Corps site.
(3) Cash bonus.--
(A) In general.--The Secretary may award annual or
one-time cash bonuses to Corps participants, in amounts
determined by the Secretary.
(B) Priority.--In awarding cash bonuses under
subparagraph (A), the Secretary shall give priority to
Corps participants--
(i) with at least a master's degree in
education (such as special education or
teaching English as a second language),
science, technology, engineering, or
mathematics and who are participating in the
Corps as science, technology, engineering,
mathematics, special education, or English as a
second language teachers in elementary schools
or secondary schools; or
(ii) who are highly qualified teachers
with--
(I) 10 or more years of experience
teaching students in elementary school
or secondary school; or
(II) equivalent qualifications and
experience, as determined by the
Secretary.
(C) Treatment of cash bonus.--A cash bonus paid
under subparagraph (A) to a Corps participant shall not
be taken into account in determining the eligibility of
the participant for Federal student financial
assistance provided under title IV of the Higher
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1070).

SEC. 9. ALTERNATIVE CERTIFICATION ROUTE.

(a) In General.--Subject to subsection (d), the Secretary and each
Corps site shall, jointly, develop and implement a high-quality
alternative certification route for individuals selected to participate
in the Corps who are not certified teachers.
(b) Priority.--In selecting individuals described in subsection (a)
to participate in the alternative certification route, the Secretary
shall give priority to individuals--
(1) who do not have a degree in education; and
(2) who have expertise in a field in which there is a
shortage of teachers, such as mathematics, science, special
education, English language acquisition, or another high-need
subject.
(c) Access.--All classes and materials available under the
alternative certification route shall be accessible to all Corps
participants.
(d) Exception.--A Corps site that has an existing alternative
certification program that complies with any requirements prescribed by
the Secretary, may, in lieu of developing and implementing an
alternative certification route under subsection (a), allow individuals
described in subsection (a) participate in such program.

SEC. 10. PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND DISTANCE LEARNING.

(a) Development of Program.--From the amounts appropriated to carry
out this subsection under section 12, the Secretary, in consultation
with at least 1 institution of higher education that is a research
university, as determined by the Secretary, shall develop a
professional development and distance-learning certificate or degree
program that offers academic credit through--
(1) online classes;
(2) classes through video- or tele-conference technology;
(3) independent study;
(4) in-person instruction at Corps sites; and
(5) other distance learning methodologies as the Secretary
designates,
to assist individuals located in qualified remote areas in becoming
highly qualified teachers.
(b) Grants.--
(1) In general.--From the amounts appropriated to carry out
this subsection under section 12, the Secretary shall award
grants to institutions of higher education that offer the
program developed under subsection (a) to students enrolled at
the institution.
(2) Uses of funds.--An institution of higher education that
receives a grant under this subsection shall use such grant
funds to cover--
(A) the cost of administering the program developed
under subsection (a); and
(B) to the maximum extent practicable, the total
cost of program tuition for teachers at Corps sites
enrolled in the program at the institution.
(3) Application.--
(A) In general.--To receive a grant under this
subsection, an institution of higher education shall
submit to the Secretary an application at such time, in
such manner, and containing such information as the
Secretary may require.
(B) Articulation agreements.--An application
submitted under subparagraph (A) shall include an
assurance by the institution that the institution will
include the program in its articulation agreements
between or among other institutions of higher
education.

SEC. 11. DEFINITIONS.

In this Act:
(1) In general.--Except as otherwise provided, any term
that is defined in section 9101 of the Elementary and Secondary
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801) shall have the meaning
given such term in such section.
(2) Articulation agreement.--The term ''articulation
agreement'' has the meaning given such term in section 486A of
the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1093a).
(3) Institution of higher education.--The term
''institution of higher education'' has the meaning given such
term in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20
U.S.C. 1001).
(4) Qualified remote area.--The term ''qualified remote
area'' means an area--
(A) from which an institution of higher education
is located more than 3 hours away when using public or
private transportation (including rail or bus);
(B) to which the only method of access to the site
at least 6 months of the year is by boat or airplane;
or
(C) that is located in a United States Territory.
(5) United states territory.--The term ''United States
Territory'' means the United States Virgin Islands, Guam,
American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana
Islands, and Puerto Rico.

SEC. 12. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be
necessary to carry out this Act.
A:
Authorizes the Secretary of Education to establish the National Remote Teacher Corps of elementary and secondary school teachers to fill vacancies, reduce class sizes, and improve educational quality in certain remote areas in the U.S. territories.

Requires Corps applicants to have at least a bachelor's degree from an institution of higher education (IHE), but gives priority to individuals who: (1) have at least a master's degree in education, science, technology, engineering, or mathematics; or (2) are highly qualified teachers with at least ten years of experience teaching elementary or secondary school students, or equivalent qualifications.

Directs the Secretary to place Corps teachers with local educational agencies or charter schools that have been designated as Corps sites.

Requires Corps teachers to agree to obtain certification or licensing as an elementary or secondary school teacher within such time as the Secretary may require and accept an offer to serve as a full-time teacher for at least three years at a Corps site.

Requires Corps sites to compensate Corps teachers as they would compensate other teachers having similar qualifications. Authorizes the Secretary to compensate Corps teachers for certain travel costs and award them annual or one-time cash bonuses.

Directs the Secretary and each Corps site to develop jointly and implement a high-quality alternative certification route for Corps teachers who are not certified teachers, unless the Corps site has an existing alternative certification program that is acceptable to the Secretary.

Requires the Secretary to: (1) develop a professional development and distance-learning certificate or degree program to assist individuals located in remote territorial areas in becoming highly qualified teachers; and (2) award grants to IHEs to implement such program and cover the program's tuition for teachers at Corps sites.