PRINTER'S NO. 268
No. 242 Session of 2005
INTRODUCED BY NAILOR, FLICK, TIGUE, ALLEN, BALDWIN, BELARDI,
BUNT, CALTAGIRONE, CAPPELLI, CORRIGAN, CRUZ, DeLUCA, DeWEESE,
EACHUS, FREEMAN, GEIST, GERGELY, GINGRICH, GOOD, GOODMAN,
GRUCELA, HARHAI, HENNESSEY, HERMAN, KIRKLAND, LESCOVITZ,
MANN, McILHATTAN, MELIO, MUNDY, O'NEILL, PYLE, READSHAW,
ROEBUCK, SAINATO, SATHER, SCAVELLO, SHANER, SOLOBAY, STABACK,
STURLA, SURRA, E. Z. TAYLOR, J. TAYLOR, THOMAS, TRUE, WATSON,
WOJNAROSKI, YOUNGBLOOD, BROWNE, BOYD, WHEATLEY AND BISHOP,
FEBRUARY 8, 2005
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, FEBRUARY 8, 2005
AN ACT
1 Providing for a limited loan forgiveness program for certified
2 Pennsylvania residents who teach in an empowerment district.
3 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
4 hereby enacts as follows:
5 Section 1. Short title.
6 This act shall be known and may be cited as the Loan
7 Forgiveness Program for Empowerment District Educators.
8 Section 2. Definitions.
9 The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
10 have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
11 context clearly indicates otherwise:
12 "Agency." The Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance
13 Agency.
14 "Department." The Department of Education of the
1 Commonwealth.
2 "Education empowerment list." A list prepared annually by
3 the Department of Education containing school districts that
4 fall below certain academic assessments as provided in section
5 1703-B of the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known as
6 the Public School Code of 1949.
7 "Empowerment district." A school district certified by the
8 Department of Education as an empowerment district under Article
9 XVII-B of the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known as
10 the Public School Code of 1949.
11 "Program." The Loan Forgiveness Program for Empowerment
12 District Educators.
13 "Qualified applicant." A person who, in that person's first
14 year of full-time teaching and in each subsequent year, meets
15 all of the following criteria:
16 (1) Has graduated from an undergraduate or graduate
17 institution of higher education.
18 (2) Is certified by the Department of Education to
19 teach.
20 (3) Executes a sworn affidavit, under penalty of
21 perjury, that the person does not have a delinquent payment
22 owing to any Commonwealth agency.
23 (4) Was hired for employment subsequent to the effective
24 date of this act to be a full-time permanent teacher in a
25 school district which has been placed on the education
26 empowerment list.
27 (5) Is an applicant for the Loan Forgiveness Program for
28 Empowerment District Educators in the first year of full-time
29 teaching.
30 Section 3. Program.
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1 (a) General rule.--Qualified applicants shall be eligible
2 for payments by the agency of a portion of the debt incurred by
3 the applicant through agency-administered federally insured loan
4 programs for the education necessary to be certified to teach in
5 Pennsylvania.
6 (b) Amounts to be forgiven.--For each consecutive school
7 year that the qualified applicant is a full-time permanent
8 teacher in a school district which has been placed on the
9 education empowerment list, the agency shall pay up to $3,000 of
10 the qualified applicant's loan up to $15,000 over a five-year
11 period per qualified applicant, regardless of whether that
12 district subsequently is removed from the education empowerment
13 list.
14 (c) Payment.--Payments shall be made in accordance with
15 procedures established by the agency. A loan forgiveness payment
16 shall not be made for a loan that is in default at the time of
17 application.
18 Section 4. Funding.
19 Loan forgiveness payments may be made to the extent that
20 funds are appropriated by the General Assembly.
21 Section 5. Agency duties.
22 The agency shall administer the program and promulgate such
23 regulations, policies, procedures and forms as are necessary and
24 consistent with the provisions of this act.
25 Section 6. Effective date.
26 This act shall take effect July 1, 2005, or immediately,
27 whichever occurs later.
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