#aafth ,,congress #b;d ,session ,s4 #achg ,,an ,,act ,to amend the ,higher ,education ,act of #aife in order to improve the service obligation verification process for ,,teach ,grant recipients1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,consider ,teachers ,act4 #b4 ,,teach ,grants ,section #dbj,n of the ,higher ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ajgj;g-#b7 is amended-- 7#a7 in subsection 7b77#a7-- 7,a7 in subparagraph 7,a71 by inserting 7referred to in this section as the service obligation window7 after under this subpart2 7,b7 in subparagraph 7,c77vii71 by inserting or geographic area after field2 and 7,c7 by striking subparagraphs 7,d7 and 7,e7 and inserting the following3 7,d7 submit a certification of employment by the chief administrative officer of the school in accordance with subsection 7d77#e72 and 7,e7 meet all ,state certification requirements for teaching 7which may include meeting such requirements through a certification obtained through alternative routes to teaching72 2 7#b7 in subsection 7c7-- 7,a7 by striking ,in the event and inserting the following3 7#a7 ,in general ,in the event 2 and 7,b7 by adding at the end the following3 7#b7 ,reconsideration of conversion decisions 7,a7 ,request to reconsider ,in any case where the ,secretary has determined that a recipient of a grant under this subpart has failed or refused to comply with the service obligation in the agreement under subsection 7b7 and has converted the grant into a ,federal ,direct ,unsubsidized ,stafford ,loan under part ,d in accordance with paragraph 7#a71 the recipient may request that the ,secretary reconsider such initial determination and may submit additional information to demonstrate satisfaction of the service obligation4 ,upon receipt of such a request1 the ,secretary shall reconsider the determination in accordance with this paragraph not later than #ij days after the date that such request was received4 7,b7 ,reconsideration ,if1 in reconsidering an initial determination under subparagraph 7,a71 the ,secretary determines that the reason for such determination was the recipient's failure to timely submit a certification required under subsection 7b77#a77;,d7 7as in effect on the day before the date of enactment of the ,consider ,teachers ,act71 an error or processing delay by the ,secretary1 a change to the fields considered eligible for fulfillment of the service obligation 7as described in subsection 7b77#a77;,c771 a recipient having previously requested to have the ,,teach ,grant converted to a loan1 or another valid reason determined by the ,secretary1 and that the recipient has1 as of the date of the reconsideration1 demonstrated that the recipient did meet1 or is meeting the service obligation in the agreement under subsection 7b71 the ,secretary shall-- 7i7 discharge the ,federal ,direct ,unsubsidized ,stafford ,loan under part ,d1 and reinstate the recipient's grant under this subpart2 7ii7 discharge any interest or fees that may have accumulated during the period that the grant was converted to a ,federal ,direct ,unsubsidized ,stafford ,loan under part ,d2 7iii7 if the recipient has other loans under part ,d1 apply any payments made for the ,federal ,direct ,unsubsidized ,stafford ,loan under part ,d during such period to those other loans under part ,d2 7iv7 if the recipient does not have other loans under part ,d1 reimburse the recipient for any amounts paid on the ,federal ,direct ,unsubsidized ,stafford ,loan under part ,d during such period2 7v7 request that consumer reporting agencies remove any negative credit reporting due to the conversion of the ,,teach ,grant to a loan2 and 7vi7 use the additional information provided under subparagraph 7,a7 to determine the progress the recipient has made in meeting the service obligation4 7,c7 ,extension of time to complete service obligation ,in the case of a recipient whose ,,teach ,grant was reinstated in accordance with subparagraph 7,b71 the ,secretary shall1 upon such reinstatement-- 7i7 extend the time remaining for the recipient to fulfill the service obligation described in subsection 7b77#a7 to a period of time equal to-- 7,i7 #h years2 minus 7,,ii7 the number of full academic years of teaching that the recipient completed prior to the reconversion of the loan to a ,,teach ,grant under subparagraph 7,b71 including any years of qualifying teaching completed during the period when the ,,teach ,grant was in loan status2 and 7ii7 treat any full academic years of teaching described in clause 7i77,,ii7 as years that count toward the individual's service obligation 7regardless of whether the ,,teach ,grant funds were in grant or loan status7 if that time otherwise meets the requirements of this section4 2 and 7#c7 in subsection 7d71 by adding at the end the following3 7#c7 ,communication with recipients ,the ,secretary shall notify ,,teach grant recipients not less than once per calendar year regarding how to submit the employment certification under subsection 7b77#a77;,d7 and the recommendations and requirements for submitting that certification under subsection 7d77#e74 7#d7 ,qualifying schools and high-need fields ,the ,secretary shall maintain and annually update a list of qualifying schools as described in subsection 7b77#a77;,b71 and a list of high-need fields as described in subsection 7b77#a77;,c7 and shall make such lists publicly available on the ,department's website in a sortable and searchable format4 4 #c4 ,submission of employment certification ,section #dbj,n7d7 of the ,higher ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ajgj;g-#b7;d771 as amended by section #b1 is further amended by adding at the end the following3 7#e7 ,submission of employment certification 7,a7 ,recommended submissions ,the ,secretary shall notify ,,teach ,grant recipients that the ,department recommends that ,,teach ,grant recipients submit the employment certification described in subsection 7b77#a77;,d7 as soon as practicable after the completion of each year of service4 7,b7 ,required submission ,a ,,teach ,grant recipient shall be required to submit to the ,department employment certification within the timeframe that would allow that individual to complete their service obligation before the end of the service obligation window4 7,c7 ,notification ,the ,secretary shall notify ,,teach ,grant recipients of the required submission deadlines described in this paragraph4 7,d7 ,adjustment of deadline ,the ,secretary shall adjust the submission deadline described in subparagraph 7,b7 to account for a service obligation window extension4 7,e7 ,alternative to certification ,the ,secretary shall provide an alternative to the certification of employment described in subsection 7b77#a77;,d7 for recipients who cannot obtain such required certification of employment from the chief administrative officer of the school because the recipient can demonstrate the school is no longer in existence or the school refuses to cooperate4 4 #d4 ,extension of time to fulfill service obligation due to ,,covid-#ai 7a7 ,section #ceai7;a7 of the ,,cares ,act 7,public ,law #aaf-acf2 #bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ajja note7 is amended-- 7#a7 in the matter preceding paragraph 7#a71 by striking ,for the purpose of section #dbj,n of the ,higher ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ajgj;g-#b71 during a qualifying emergency1 and inserting ,notwithstanding any provision of subpart #i of part ,a of title ,,iv of the ,higher ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ajgj;g et seq4712 7#b7 in paragraph 7#a71 by striking and after the semicolon2 7#c7 in paragraph 7#b71 by striking such section #dbj,n4 and inserting section #dbj,n of such ,act2 and2 and 7#d7 by adding at the end the following3 7#c7 shall extend the service obligation window 7as described in section #dbj,n7b77#a77;,a7 of such ,act7 for a period of not more than #c years1 in addition to any extensions provided in accordance with subpart #i of part ,a of title ,,iv of the ,higher ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ajgj;g et seq471 in the case of a grant recipient whose service obligation window begins during1 or includes-- 7,a7 the qualifying emergency period2 or 7,b7 a period of recession or economic downturn related to the qualifying emergency period1 as determined by the ,secretary in consultation with the ,secretary of ,labor4 4 7b7 ,section #ceai of the ,,cares ,act 7,public ,law #aaf-acf2 #bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ajja note7 is amended by adding at the end the following3 7c7 ,federal perkins loans ,notwithstanding section #dfe of the ,higher ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ajhg;ee71 the ,secretary shall waive the requirements of such section in regard to full-time service and shall consider an incomplete year of service of a borrower as fulfilling the requirement for a complete year of service under such section1 if the service was interrupted due to a qualifying emergency4 4 7c7 ,effective date ,the amendments made by this section shall take effect as if included in the enactment of the ,,cares ,act 7,public ,law #aaf-acf74 #e4 ,implementation ,in carrying out this ,act and any amendments made by this ,act1 or any regulations promulgated under this ,act or under such amendments1 the ,secretary of ,education may waive the application of-- 7#a7 subchapter ,i of chapter #ce of title #dd1 ,united ,states ,code 7commonly known as the ,paperwork ,reduction ,act72 7#b7 the master calendar requirements under section #dhb of the ,higher ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ajhi72 7#c7 negotiated rulemaking under section #dib of the ,higher ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ajih;a72 and 7#d7 the requirement to publish the notices related to the system of records of the agency before implementation required under paragraphs 7#d7 and 7#aa7 of section #eeb;a7e7 of title #e1 ,united ,states ,code 7commonly known as the ,privacy ,act of #aigd71 except that the notices shall be published not later than #ahj days after the date of enactment of this ,act4 ,passed the ,senate ,december #af1 #bjbj4,secretary