FIRST REGULAR SESSION

HOUSE COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR

HOUSE BILL NO. 26

91ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY

Reported from the Committee on Education-Higher, February 22, 2001, with recommendation that the House Committee Substitute for House Bill No. 26 Do Pass.

TED WEDEL, Chief Clerk

0155L.04C

AN ACT

To amend chapter 168, RSMo, by adding thereto one new section relating to a loan repayment assistance program for teachers working in certain school districts.



Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the state of Missouri, as follows:

Section A. Chapter 168, RSMo, is amended by adding thereto one new section, to be known as section 168.610, to read as follows:

168.610. 1. The "Missouri Essential Needs School Districts Loan Repayment Assistance Program", which is hereby created, shall make undergraduate and graduate loan repayment assistance available, subject to appropriation, to eligible teachers in essential needs school districts, as that term is defined in subdivision (1) of subsection 2 of this section.

2. To be eligible for the loan repayment assistance program established pursuant to this section, a candidate shall:

(1) Be a full-time teacher in an "essential needs school district", which means, for purposes of this section, a school district in this state that, as of August 28, 2001, or at any time thereafter, is either unaccredited or provisionally accredited;

(2) Have declared an intent to teach, for at least the number of years for which any loan repayment assistance is received, in an essential needs school district;

(3) Have received and maintained his or her certification for any year in which any loan repayment is received; and

(4) Have graduated with at least a 2.50 cumulative grade point average on a 4.00 scale, or an equivalent grade point average on any other scale, from a nationally accredited teacher education program; and

(5) Not be participating in any other loan repayment assistance program.

3. Loan repayment assistance may be awarded to any eligible teacher for any school year which begins in any of the first five years after the initial repayment period began on either any undergraduate or graduate student loan. The repayment assistance shall be in an amount not to exceed four thousand dollars in loan principal plus applicable accrued interest for each full year of eligible teaching service. For purposes of this subsection, "school year" means one full calendar year, beginning on the effective date listed on any teacher contract, or the first day of required work for a teacher in a school year if no such contract exists.

4. Any teacher receiving loan repayment assistance pursuant to this section who loses his or her certification, is terminated or who quits his or her teaching position in an essential needs school district shall, upon such loss, termination or quitting, immediately lose the pro-rata share of loan repayment assistance to which that person would have been entitled for the remainder of the school year; except that, a teacher receiving loan repayment assistance who has lost his or her certification and subsequently has his or her certification reinstated may have loan repayment assistance reinstated for any remainder of the school year during which that teacher was certified.

5. The Missouri higher education savings program board established in section 166.415, RSMo, shall work with local school districts to develop rules to implement this section. The board is authorized to adopt those rules that are reasonable and necessary to accomplish the limited duties specifically delegated pursuant to this section. No rule or portion of a rule promulgated pursuant to this section shall become effective unless it has been promulgated pursuant to the provisions of chapter 536, RSMo.


Missouri House of Representatives