{"format":1,"id":"117-s-848","congress":117,"number":"S. 848","kind":"bill","group":"bills","title":"Consider Teachers Act of 2021","title_source":"Short Titles as Enacted","official_title":"A bill to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 in order to improve the service obligation verification process for TEACH Grant recipients, and for other purposes.","titles":[{"type":"Official Title as Introduced","title":"A bill to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 in order to improve the service obligation verification process for TEACH Grant recipients, and for other purposes."},{"type":"Short Titles from ENR (Enrolled) bill text","title":"Consider Teachers Act of 2021"},{"type":"Display Title","title":"Consider Teachers Act of 2021"},{"type":"Short Title(s) as Passed Senate","title":"Consider Teachers Act of 2021"},{"type":"Short Title(s) as Introduced","title":"Consider Teachers Act of 2021"},{"type":"Short Titles as Enacted","title":"Consider Teachers Act of 2021"}],"outcome":"became_law","law_number":"Public Law 117-49","introduced":"2021-03-18","chambers":{"house":{"status":"roll_call","date":"2021-09-28","vote":{"id":"117-2021-h302","question":"On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass","title":"Consider Teachers Act","result":"Passed","yea":406,"nay":16,"present":0,"not_voting":9,"source":"https://clerk.house.gov/evs/2021/roll302.xml"}},"senate":{"status":"voice","date":"2021-04-27","vote":null,"how":"unanimous_consent","words":"Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent.(text: CR S2246-2247)"}},"president":{"status":"signed","date":"2021-10-13"},"vice_president_tie_breaker":null,"latest_action":{"text":"Became Public Law No: 117-49.","date":"2021-10-13"},"nominees":null,"amendments":[],"other_votes":[],"crs_summary":{"date":"2021-10-13","stage":"Public Law","blocks":[{"k":"h","t":"Consider Teachers Act of 2021"},{"k":"p","t":"This bill revises the service obligation verification process for the Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) grant program. The TEACH program awards grants to postsecondary students who commit to teaching for four years in high-need subjects in low-income schools. In addition, the bill establishes certain program flexibilities with respect to the service obligations of teachers affected by the COVID-19 pandemic."},{"k":"p","t":"Specifically, the bill provides a process for the Department of Education (ED) to reconsider and reverse the conversion of a TEACH grant to a loan. Under current program terms, TEACH grants are converted into loan obligations if service requirements are not met."},{"k":"p","t":"In addition, the bill directs ED to notify TEACH grant recipients of the requirements for submitting employment certifications. ED must also provide an alternative to certification."},{"k":"p","t":"ED must maintain and annually update a list of qualifying schools and high-need fields."},{"k":"p","t":"The bill also provides certain program flexibilities with respect to the service obligations of teachers affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. In particular, the bill (1) extends the service obligation window for TEACH grants, and (2) requires ED to consider teaching service that is interrupted as a result of a qualifying emergency as full-time service for purposes of Federal Perkins Loans."}],"words":210},"summary":{"main_subject":{"text":"Amends the TEACH Grant program under the Higher Education Act of 1965 to change how teaching service obligations are certified and reviewed, and extends service deadlines and Federal Perkins Loan service credit for service affected by a qualifying emergency under the CARES Act.","cites":[{"label":"Sec. 2","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/848/text/enr#idFD5BA6A3BFED4872B74D5A4FBBE4C41E:~:text=2.%20TEACH%20Grants"},{"label":"Sec. 3","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/848/text/enr#id9AD1DC0D08B04F4590072921FF75BD6F:~:text=3.%20Submission%20of%20employment%20certification"},{"label":"Sec. 4","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/848/text/enr#idD44B221C794845119CAA08E7B387FE90:~:text=4.%20Extension%20of%20time%20to%20fulfill%20service"}]},"core_areas":["TEACH Grant service obligation certification","Reconsideration of TEACH Grant conversions to loans","Service obligation window extensions under the CARES Act","Federal Perkins Loan service credit"],"what_it_does":[{"text":"Allows a TEACH Grant recipient whose grant was converted to a Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loan to ask the Secretary of Education to reconsider, and requires the Secretary to reconsider within 90 days of receiving the request.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 2","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/848/text/enr#idFD5BA6A3BFED4872B74D5A4FBBE4C41E:~:text=2.%20TEACH%20Grants"}},{"text":"Requires the Secretary, on finding certain listed reasons and that the recipient met or is meeting the service obligation, to discharge the loan, reinstate the grant, discharge accumulated interest and fees, and apply or reimburse payments made.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 2","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/848/text/enr#idFD5BA6A3BFED4872B74D5A4FBBE4C41E:~:text=2.%20TEACH%20Grants"}},{"text":"Requires the Secretary to notify TEACH Grant recipients at least once per calendar year about how to submit the employment certification, and to maintain and annually update public lists of qualifying schools and high-need fields.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 2","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/848/text/enr#idFD5BA6A3BFED4872B74D5A4FBBE4C41E:~:text=2.%20TEACH%20Grants"}},{"text":"Requires recipients to submit an employment certification in time to finish their service obligation within the service obligation window, and requires the Secretary to provide an alternative when the school no longer exists or refuses to cooperate.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 3","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/848/text/enr#id9AD1DC0D08B04F4590072921FF75BD6F:~:text=3.%20Submission%20of%20employment%20certification"}},{"text":"Amends section 3519 of the CARES Act to require the Secretary to extend the TEACH Grant service obligation window by not more than 3 years for recipients whose window begins during or includes the qualifying emergency period or a related recession or economic downturn.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 4","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/848/text/enr#idD44B221C794845119CAA08E7B387FE90:~:text=4.%20Extension%20of%20time%20to%20fulfill%20service"}},{"text":"Requires the Secretary to waive the full-time service requirements of section 465 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 and count an incomplete year of service as a complete year for Federal Perkins Loans if a qualifying emergency interrupted the service.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 4","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/848/text/enr#idD44B221C794845119CAA08E7B387FE90:~:text=4.%20Extension%20of%20time%20to%20fulfill%20service"}}],"unexpected":[{"category":"process_change","items":[{"cite":{"label":"Sec. 5","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/848/text/enr#idffe7323389f643bd87d4101aaf8e0452"},"heading":"Implementation","effect":"Lets the Secretary of Education waive the Paperwork Reduction Act, master calendar requirements, negotiated rulemaking, and advance Privacy Act system-of-records notices when carrying out this Act.","amount":null,"quote":"the Secretary of Education may waive the application of— (1) subchapter I of chapter 35 of title 44, United States Code (commonly known as the “Paperwork Reduction Act”);"}]}],"version":{"type":"Enrolled Bill","date":null,"rule":"enrolled","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/848/text/enr"},"current":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","approved":"2026-10-15","approved_by":"checks"},"sources":{"congress_gov":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/848","text":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/848/text"},"card":{"image":"card/item/117-s-848.png","v":"166c4f52df1c","alt":"Votes on Record. S. 848, 117th Congress: Consider Teachers Act of 2021. House: 406 Yea, 16 Nay. Senate: unanimous consent. Outcome: Became law, 13 Oct 2021."}}