S. 5634

SPELL Act

Sponsor: Alex Padilla

1 cosponsor
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Official summary

Written by the Congressional Research Service.

Supporting Providers of English Language Learning Act or the SPELL Act

This bill allows elementary and secondary school teachers who teach English learners, bilingual students, or dual language immersion students to receive additional amounts of student loan forgiveness and loan cancellation.

Text of the bill

Expand all
Sec. 2. Teachers of English learners and bilingual and dual language students

(a) Loan forgiveness for teachers. Section 428J(c)(3) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1078–10(c)(3)) is amended—

(1) in the paragraph heading, by striking Mathematics, science, or special education and inserting Mathematics, science, special education, or English language education;

(2) in subparagraph (A)(ii), by striking and at the end;

(3) in subparagraph (B)(iii), by striking the period at the end and inserting ; and; and

(4) by adding at the end the following:

Text this section adds to the law

(C) an elementary school or secondary school teacher—

(i) who meets the requirements of subsection (b);

(ii) whose qualifying employment for purposes of such subsection is—

(I) as a teacher of English learners (as that term is defined in section 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965) whose primary responsibility is to teach such learners; or

(II) as a bilingual or dual language immersion teacher; and

(iii) who, as certified by the chief administrative officer of the public or nonprofit private elementary school or secondary school in which the borrower is employed, or, in the case of a teacher who is employed by an educational service agency, as certified by the chief administrative officer of such agency—

(I) is teaching English learners or bilingual or dual language immersion students who correspond with the borrower’s training; and

(II) has demonstrated knowledge and teaching skills in the content areas of the elementary school or secondary school curriculum that the borrower is teaching.

(b) Loan cancellation for teachers. Section 460(c)(3) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1087j(c)(3)) is amended—

(1) in the paragraph heading, by striking Mathematics, science, or special education and inserting Mathematics, science, special education, or English language education;

(2) in subparagraph (A)(ii), by striking and at the end;

(3) in subparagraph (B)(iii), by striking the period at the end and inserting ; and; and

(4) by adding at the end the following:

Text this section adds to the law

(C) an elementary school or secondary school teacher—

(i) who meets the requirements of subsection (b);

(ii) whose qualifying employment for purposes of such subsection is—

(I) as a teacher of English learners (as that term is defined in section 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965) whose primary responsibility is to teach such learners; or

(II) as a bilingual or dual language immersion teacher; and

(iii) who, as certified by the chief administrative officer of the public or nonprofit private elementary school or secondary school in which the borrower is employed, or, in the case of a teacher who is employed by an educational service agency, as certified by the chief administrative officer of such agency—

(I) is teaching English learners or bilingual or dual language immersion students who correspond with the borrower’s training; and

(II) has demonstrated knowledge and teaching skills in the content areas of the elementary school or secondary school curriculum that the borrower is teaching.