1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to education; improving recruitment of 
  1.3             excellent teachers in science, math, industrial 
  1.4             technology, and special education and in rural areas; 
  1.5             establishing a loan repayment program; providing for 
  1.6             rulemaking; appropriating money; proposing coding for 
  1.7             new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 122A. 
  1.8   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.9      Section 1.  [122A.655] [RECRUITMENT OF EXCELLENT TEACHERS 
  1.10  IN SCIENCE, MATH, INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGY, AND SPECIAL EDUCATION 
  1.11  AND IN RURAL AREAS; LOAN REPAYMENT PROGRAM.] 
  1.12     Subdivision 1.  [PROGRAM ESTABLISHED; ACCOUNT CREATED.] A 
  1.13  loan repayment program is established to assist Minnesota public 
  1.14  schools in recruiting and retaining excellent teachers in the 
  1.15  fields of science, math, industrial technology, and special 
  1.16  education, and in rural areas.  A loan repayment program account 
  1.17  is created in the state treasury.  The account consists of money 
  1.18  appropriated by the legislature for loan repayments.  All money 
  1.19  in this account is annually appropriated to the higher education 
  1.20  services office and must be used to repay loans of qualified 
  1.21  licensed teachers who teach in high-need curricular and 
  1.22  geographic areas under subdivision 2. 
  1.23     Subd. 2.  [ELIGIBILITY; APPLICATION.] (a) To participate in 
  1.24  this program, a person must: 
  1.25     (1) have graduated from an approved teacher preparation 
  1.26  institution within 12 months of submitting an application to the 
  2.1   higher education services office to participate in this program; 
  2.2   and 
  2.3      (2) have a 3.0 grade point average or higher in that 
  2.4   portion of the teacher preparation program affecting licensure 
  2.5   in the field of math, science, industrial technology, or special 
  2.6   education, and be licensed to teach in the field of math, 
  2.7   science, industrial technology, or special education. 
  2.8      (b) A person who has a 3.0 grade point average in that 
  2.9   portion of the teacher preparation program or certification 
  2.10  process affecting licensure in the field of math, science, 
  2.11  industrial technology or special education also may participate 
  2.12  in this program if the person is a teacher: 
  2.13     (1) who is licensed to teach science, math, industrial 
  2.14  technology, or special education and is employed to teach for 
  2.15  the first time in a Minnesota school district or is placed on 
  2.16  unrequested leave of absence pursuant to section 122A.40, 
  2.17  subdivision 10 or 11, or is terminated on account of 
  2.18  discontinuance of position or lack of pupils pursuant to section 
  2.19  122A.41, subdivision 14, or whose contract as a probationary 
  2.20  teacher is nonrenewed pursuant to section 122A.40 or 122A.41, 
  2.21  and is employed by another school district to teach science, 
  2.22  math, industrial technology, or special education; or 
  2.23     (2) with continuing contract or tenure rights who received 
  2.24  certification to teach in the field of science, math, industrial 
  2.25  technology, or special education within 12 months of submitting 
  2.26  an application to the higher education services office to 
  2.27  participate in this program.  
  2.28     (c) A person who meets the criteria in paragraph (a) or (b) 
  2.29  and is employed as a teacher in a public school located in 
  2.30  Minnesota outside the metropolitan area, as defined in section 
  2.31  473.121, subdivision 2, is eligible to receive an additional 
  2.32  loan repayment amount of up to $2,000 per year under subdivision 
  2.33  3. 
  2.34     (d) To be eligible to participate in this program, a person 
  2.35  must submit an application to the higher education services 
  2.36  office in the form and manner the higher education services 
  3.1   office prescribes.  The person must be employed as a teacher for 
  3.2   at least three consecutive school years in a Minnesota public 
  3.3   school.  
  3.4      (e) The higher education services office shall ensure that 
  3.5   applicants are qualified for this program, notify eligible 
  3.6   people about the program, develop and disseminate application 
  3.7   materials, and carry out other activities needed to implement 
  3.8   this section. 
  3.9      Subd. 3.  [LOAN REPAYMENT.] (a) For fiscal year 2002 and 
  3.10  following, the higher education services office may select up to 
  3.11  .. teacher applicants to participate in this program.  Program 
  3.12  participants are responsible for securing their own loans.  For 
  3.13  each year that a participant is employed in a school district 
  3.14  according to subdivision 2, up to a total of three years, the 
  3.15  higher education services office shall pay the following loan 
  3.16  repayment amounts for the costs a participant incurred for a 
  3.17  post-secondary education leading to a license to teach or for 
  3.18  certification to teach in the field of science, math, industrial 
  3.19  technology, or special education:  
  3.20     (1) at the end of the first successfully completed school 
  3.21  year, if the teacher meets the criteria of subdivision 2, 
  3.22  paragraph (a) or (b), up to $1,000, and if the teacher meets the 
  3.23  criteria of subdivision 2, paragraphs (a) or (b) and (c), up to 
  3.24  $3,000; 
  3.25     (2) at the end of the second successfully completed school 
  3.26  year, if the teacher meets the criteria of subdivision 2, 
  3.27  paragraph (a) or (b), up to $3,000, and if the teacher meets the 
  3.28  criteria of subdivision 2, paragraphs (a) or (b) and (c), up to 
  3.29  $5,000; and 
  3.30     (3) at the end of the third successfully completed school 
  3.31  year, if the teacher meets the criteria of subdivision 2, 
  3.32  paragraph (a) or (b), up to $5,000, and if the teacher meets the 
  3.33  criteria of subdivision 2, paragraphs (a) or (b) and (c), up to 
  3.34  $7,000. 
  3.35     (b) The higher education services office shall make 
  3.36  payments according to paragraph (a).  The annual and total 
  4.1   payment amounts must not exceed the amount of the participant's 
  4.2   loan.  
  4.3      Subd. 4.  [RULES.] The higher education services office 
  4.4   shall adopt rules to administer this loan repayment program 
  4.5   consistent with its authority under Minnesota Statutes, section 
  4.6   136A.01, subdivision 2, clause (8).  
  4.7      <b>[EFFECTIVE DATE.]</b> This section is effective July 1, 2001. 
  4.8      Sec. 2.  [APPROPRIATION.] 
  4.9      $....... is appropriated from the general fund to the 
  4.10  higher education services office in fiscal year 2002 for the 
  4.11  loan repayment program account under section 1. 
  4.12     <b>[EFFECTIVE DATE.]</b> This section is effective July 1, 2001.