[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 9566 Introduced in House (IH)]
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117th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 9566
To provide grants to States to support State efforts to increase
teacher salaries, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
December 14, 2022
Ms. Wilson of Florida (for herself, Mr. Bowman, Mr. Thompson of
Mississippi, Ms. Adams, Mr. Takano, Mr. Evans, Mrs. Cherfilus-
McCormick, Ms. DeLauro, and Ms. Pressley) introduced the following
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and Labor
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To provide grants to States to support State efforts to increase
teacher salaries, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``American Teacher Act''.
SEC. 2. GRANTS TO SUPPORT STATE EFFORTS TO INCREASE TEACHER SALARIES.
(a) Teacher Salary Incentive Grants.--
(1) Purpose.--The purpose of this section is to ensure that
each teacher who is employed full-time at a qualifying school
in a State earns an annual salary for any year of employment of
not less than $60,000 (adjusted for inflation).
(2) Grants for minimum salary threshold.--
(A) In general.--From amounts made available to
carry out this section, the Secretary of Education
shall award 4-year grants to States. To be eligible to
receive such a grant, the State educational agency
shall submit an application to the Secretary at such
time, in such manner, and containing such information
as the Secretary may require.
(B) Required assurances.--As a requirement for a
State to receive funds under this section, the
Secretary shall require the State to provide an
assurance in such application that--
(i) if necessary to achieve the purpose of
this section, the State will enact and enforce
legislation to establish a statewide teacher
salary schedule or otherwise to establish
minimum teacher salary requirements;
(ii) each teacher described in paragraph
(1) will be compensated on a salary basis at an
annual rate per school year that is not less
than the salary threshold described in
subsection (b);
(iii) each teacher who is employed part-
time at a qualifying school in a State earns an
annual salary that is proportionately reduced
from the salary threshold described in
subsection (b); and
(iv) priority will be given to local
educational agencies in accordance with
subparagraph (C)(ii).
(C) Subgrants.--
(i) In general.--A State awarded a grant
under this section shall use not less than 85
percent of the grant funds to award subgrants
to local educational agencies to carry out the
purpose of this section.
(ii) Priorities.--
(I) In general.--The State
educational agency, in allocating funds
to local educational agencies under
this section, shall give priority to
local educational agencies--
(aa) serving greater
numbers or percentages of
children from low-income
families; or
(bb) with respect to which
all of the schools served by
the local educational agency
are designated with a locale
code of 41, 42, or 43, as
determined by the Secretary.
(II) Low-income family.--For
purposes of subclause (I)(aa), the term
``low-income family'' means a family--
(aa) in which the children
are eligible for a free or
reduced-price lunch under the
Richard B. Russell National
School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C.
1751 et seq.);
(bb) receiving assistance
under the program of block
grants to States for temporary
assistance for needy families
established under part A of
title IV of the Social Security
Act (42 U.S.C. 601 et seq.); or
(cc) in which the children
are eligible to receive medical
assistance under the Medicaid
program under title XIX of the
Social Security Act (42 U.S.C.
1396 et seq.).
(b) Salary Threshold.--
(1) In general.--For school year 2024-2025, the base
minimum salary dollar amount shall be $60,000.
(2) Inflation adjustment.--For school year 2025-2026 and
each succeeding school year, the dollar amount referred to in
paragraph (1) shall be deemed to refer to the dollar amount
calculated under this subsection for the preceding school year,
increased by a percentage equal to the annual percentage
increase in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers
published by the Department of Labor for the most recent
calendar year.
(c) Supplement, Not Supplant.--
(1) In general.--Grant funds received under this section
shall be used to supplement and not supplant other Federal,
State, and local public funds that would, in the absence of
such Federal funds, be made available for teacher pay.
(2) Maintenance of effort.--A State educational agency or
local educational agency shall not reduce or adjust any teacher
pay or teacher loan forgiveness program due to the eligibility
of teachers within the jurisdiction of such agency for pay
supplementation under this section.
(3) Compliance demonstration to secretary.--Each State
educational agency and local educational agency, upon request
by the Secretary, shall demonstrate that the methodology used
to allocate teacher pay and teacher loan forgiveness (if
applicable) to teachers and qualifying schools ensures that
each such teacher and school receives the same State and local
funds for teacher compensation it would receive if this Act had
not been enacted.
SEC. 3. ENHANCED AWARENESS OF THE VALUE OF TEACHING PROFESSION.
The Secretary may reserve not more than 4 percent of the funds
appropriated under section 5 to carry out a national campaign--
(1) to increase awareness about the importance of teachers
and the value of the teaching profession;
(2) to encourage secondary school and college students to
consider teaching as a professional career; and
(3) to diversify the pool of individuals who enter the
teaching profession.
SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) ESEA definitions.--The terms ``elementary school'',
``local educational agency'', ``secondary school'',
``Secretary'', ``State'', and ``State educational agency'' have
the meanings given such terms in section 8101 of the Elementary
and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801).
(2) Qualifying school.--The term ``qualifying school''
means, with respect to any school year, is a public elementary
school or a public secondary school.
(3) Teacher.--The term ``teacher'' means an individual
who--
(A) is a teacher of record who provides direct
classroom teaching (or classroom-type teaching in a
nonclassroom setting) in a qualifying school for not
less than the normal or statutory number of hours of
work for a full-time or part-time teacher over a
complete school year (as determined by the State in
which the school is located); and
(B) meets the applicable requirements for State
certification and licensure in the State in which such
school is located in the subject area in which the
individual is the teacher of record.
(4) Teacher of record.--The term ``teacher of record''
means a teacher who has been assigned the responsibility for
specified pupils' learning in a grade, subject, or course as
reflected on the school's official record of attendance.
SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act such
sums as may be necessary for fiscal years 2024 through 2028.
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