Bill Text: MI HB4142 | 2017-2018 | 99th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Education; teachers; teacher shortage prevention act; create. Creates new act.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2017-02-02 - Bill Electronically Reproduced 02/01/2017 [HB4142 Detail]
Download: Michigan-2017-HB4142-Introduced.html
HOUSE BILL No. 4142
February 1, 2017, Introduced by Rep. Kosowski and referred to the Committee on Education Reform.
A bill to establish a teacher shortage prevention program for
certain teachers in certain areas; to establish a teacher shortage
prevention grant fund and to provide for its administration; and to
prescribe certain powers and duties of certain state officers,
agencies, and departments.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:
Sec. 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as the
"teacher shortage prevention act".
Sec. 3. As used in this act:
(a) "Authority" means the Michigan finance authority created
by Executive Reorganization Order No. 2010-2, MCL 12.194.
(b) "Department" means the department of treasury.
(c) "Fund" means the teacher shortage prevention grant fund
created in section 11.
(d) "Grant" means money awarded to an individual under this
act in an amount determined under section 9.
(e) "Qualified educational loan" means the total unpaid amount
of all of an individual's unpaid government, commercial, or
foundation student loans for actual costs paid for tuition and
reasonable education and living expenses related to a teacher's
preparation or further education, calculated at the time the
individual first applies for a grant under this act.
(f) "School district" means a school district, local act
school district, or intermediate school district as those terms are
defined in the revised school code, 1976 PA 451, MCL 380.1 to
380.1852, or a public school academy established under the revised
school code, 1976 PA 451, MCL 380.1 to 380.1852.
(g) "Superintendent" means the superintendent of public
instruction described in section 3 of article VIII of the state
constitution of 1963.
(h) "Teacher" means an individual who holds a valid teaching
certificate issued by the superintendent under section 1531 of the
revised school code, 1976 PA 451, MCL 380.1531.
(i) "Teacher shortage area" means those school districts
reported by the superintendent as experiencing a teacher shortage.
Sec. 5. (1) The teachers shortage prevention program is
created within the department, to be administered by the authority.
Subject to appropriation, the authority shall do all of the
following:
(a) Award grants to eligible teachers under this act.
(b) Develop an application form and application process for
teachers applying for grants under this act.
(c) Promulgate any rules necessary to implement this act
pursuant to the administrative procedures act of 1969, 1969 PA 306,
MCL 24.201 to 24.328.
(2) The superintendent shall survey the state's school
districts and teacher preparation programs and report to the
authority and the senate and house committees that have the
responsibility for education legislation on or before February 1 of
each odd-numbered year on the status of teacher early retirement
patterns, the teacher shortage, and the substitute teacher
shortage, including patterns and shortages in subject areas and
regions of the state. The report must also include how districts
are making progress in hiring teachers and substitutes in the areas
of shortage and a 5-year projection of teacher demand for each
district. The report must also identify those school districts that
fall within a teacher shortage area.
Sec. 7. The authority may award a grant under section 9 to an
individual determined by the authority to meet all of the following
eligibility criteria:
(a) At the time of application, the individual has a qualified
educational loan.
(b) Is a legal resident of this state.
(c) Has not previously defaulted and is not currently in
default on a qualified educational loan.
(d) Has accepted an offer of employment or will continue to
teach in a teacher shortage area in the school's academic year that
begins on or after the first July 1 following the date of the
application.
(e) Has submitted a grant application to the authority on or
before July 1. The grant application shall include a certification
that the applicant meets the eligibility criteria described in this
section and has applied for all state or federal loan forgiveness
programs applicable to his or her qualified educational loan.
(f) Has met any other requirements established by the
authority.
Sec. 9. (1) The authority shall award an individual eligible
under section 7 a grant under this subsection. Subject to
subsection (2) and to adjustment under subsection (3), the maximum
amount of the grant is $1,000.00 for not more than 5 consecutive
years or an amount equal to the individual's qualified educational
loan, whichever is less.
(2) A grant under subsection (1) shall be reduced by an amount
equal to the amount the individual is entitled to receive from any
state or federal loan forgiveness program applicable to a qualified
educational loan.
(3) In any state fiscal year, the authority may adjust the
amount of each partial grant under subsection (1) on a pro rata
basis, based upon its determination of money available from the
fund and from appropriations in that fiscal year. If it makes an
adjustment under this subsection, the authority shall notify each
grant recipient of his or her obligation to continue to make
payments of principal and interest on his or her qualified
educational loan in the manner described in his or her state
student loan documents.
Sec. 11. (1) There is created the teacher prevention grant
fund as a separate fund in the state treasury, to be administered
by the department. The department may accept money for the fund
from any source. The state treasurer shall deposit that money and
credit the amount to the fund. The department shall use the fund
only to provide money to the authority for grants awarded under
this act.
(2) The state treasurer shall direct the investment of the
fund money and shall credit earnings to the fund.
(3) Money in the fund at the end of a fiscal year shall not
revert to the general fund but shall be carried over in the fund to
the next fiscal year.
Sec. 13. Before February 1 of each year, the authority shall
report to the senate and house committees that have the
responsibility for education legislation on the number of
individuals who received a grant under this act, the list of those
school districts within a teacher shortage area, the average amount
paid to a teacher participating in the program, and any other data
to support the operation and effectiveness of the program.
Sec. 15. A teacher who submits a false or misleading
application or other false or misleading information to the
authority may be required to repay the total amount of the grant
that he or she received under this program, plus interest in
accordance with section 23 of 1941 PA 122, MCL 205.23.
