Bill Text: HI SB3232 | 2024 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating To Teacher Loans.
Spectrum: Strong Partisan Bill (Democrat 10-1)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2024-01-29 - Referred to EDU, WAM. [SB3232 Detail]
Download: Hawaii-2024-SB3232-Introduced.html
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THE SENATE |
S.B. NO. |
3232 |
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THIRTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2024 |
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STATE OF HAWAII |
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A BILL FOR AN ACT
RELATING TO TEACHER LOANS.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:
SECTION 1. The legislature finds that providing a high-quality education to Hawaii's students allows future generations to succeed. However, the high cost of living in the State is a significant concern that contributes to the State's chronic teacher shortage. Teachers often incur higher expenses to purchase essential and additional classroom supplies, often with personal funds, to support their students. Additionally, as Hawaii's teachers are among the lowest paid in the United States when considering the cost of living, the department of education experiences persistent difficulties with teacher recruitment and retention.
The legislature further finds that recruiting teachers to fill vital positions in Hawaii's schools is extremely difficult. Due to the high cost of living in the State, acquiring housing can be a significant obstacle to accepting a position as a teacher. Additionally, the payroll lag that new state employees experience exasperates the difficulty in finding teachers to fill these essential positions. A program that incentivizes teachers to move to areas having hard-to-fill positions will give the students at Hawaii's public schools a better educational experience.
Accordingly, the purpose of this Act is to provide loans for teachers who relocate to Hawaii, or to an area in Hawaii having hard-to-fill teaching positions, and to forgive these loans if the teacher becomes a licensed teacher in Hawaii or if the teacher commits to teach for seven years at a Hawaii public school or public charter school.
SECTION 2. Chapter 302A, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a two new sections to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:
"§302A- Teacher
loans; forgiveness. (a) There is established the teacher loan program
to be administered by the department, in partnership with a financial
institution whose operations are principally conducted in Hawaii, to provide
financial support to teachers who become a licensed teacher in Hawaii or to
teachers who commit to teach as a full-time teacher for seven years in:
(1) The Hawaii
public school system in a hard-to-fill position including special education,
regular education shortage categories, or Title 1 schools, and in one of the
following capacities:
(A) As
an elementary school teacher teaching in the field of elementary education who
has met standards as set forth by the Hawaii teacher standards board; or
(B) As
a secondary school teacher who has met standards as set forth by the Hawaii
teacher standards board; or
(2) At a school
located in a rural area in the State, as determined by the superintendent.
(b) Eligibility shall be determined by the
department with priority for teachers who:
(1) Relocate to
Hawaii to teach; or
(2) Accept a
position at a school in a different complex area in Hawaii.
(c) Amounts to be loaned to each borrower shall
be determined by the board and shall not exceed $5,000 per borrower.
(d) Liability for repayment of a loan shall be
canceled upon the death or permanent total disability of the borrower.
(e) Upon a showing of proof that the borrower became
a licensed teacher in Hawaii or has committed to teach in the Hawaii public
school system pursuant to subsection (a)(1) or (2) for seven years, the loan
shall be forgiven.
(f) If a borrower fails to become a licensed
teacher in Hawaii or commit to teach in the Hawaii public school system for seven
years, then the borrower shall repay the loan at terms determined by the board;
provided that the terms shall be disclosed before the loan is made, the
interest rate shall not exceed per cent, and the
repayment term shall not exceed years.
(g) In accordance with chapter 103D, the
department may enter into written contracts with collection agencies for the
purpose of collecting delinquent loans.
All payments collected, exclusive of a collection agency's commissions,
shall revert, and be credited, to the teacher loan program revolving fund. A collection agency that enters into a
written contract with the department for the collection of delinquent loans
pursuant to this section may collect a commission from the debtor in accordance
with the terms of, and up to the amounts authorized in, the written contract.
§302A- Teacher
loan program revolving fund.
There is established the teacher loan program revolving fund, for the
purpose of providing loans pursuant to section 302A‑ . Appropriations made by the legislature,
private contributions, repayment of loans, including interest and payments
received on account of principal, and moneys from other sources shall be
deposited into the revolving fund and shall be expended by the department. An amount from the revolving fund not
exceeding five per cent of the total amount of outstanding loans may be used by
the department for administrative expenses incurred in administering the
revolving fund."
SECTION 3. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $ or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2024-2025 for deposit into the teacher loan program revolving fund.
SECTION 4. There is appropriated out of the teacher loan program revolving fund the sum of $ or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2024-2025 for the teacher loan program.
The sum appropriated shall be expended by the department of education for the purposes of this Act.
SECTION 5. In accordance with section 9 of article VII of the Hawaii State Constitution and sections 37‑91 and 37‑93, Hawaii Revised Statutes, the legislature has determined that the appropriations contained in H.B. No. , will cause the state general fund expenditure ceiling for fiscal year 2024‑2025 to be exceeded by $ or per cent. In addition, the appropriation contained in this Act will cause the general fund expenditure ceiling for fiscal year 2024‑2025 to be further exceeded by $ or per cent. The combined total amount of general fund appropriations contained in only these two Acts will cause the state general fund expenditure ceiling for fiscal year 2024‑2025 to be exceeded by $ or per cent. The reasons for exceeding the general fund expenditure ceiling are that:
(1) The appropriation made in this Act is necessary to serve the public interest; and
(2) The appropriation made in this Act meets the needs addressed by this Act.
SECTION 6. New statutory material is underscored.
SECTION 7. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2024.
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INTRODUCED BY: |
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Report Title:
Department of Education; Teacher Loans; Loan Forgiveness; Teacher Incentives; Appropriation; Expenditure Ceiling
Description:
Establishes a teacher loan program to encourage individuals to become teachers in hard-to-fill positions of Department of Education schools. Allows a loan to be forgiven for teachers who become a licensed teacher in Hawaii or for teachers who will commit to teach for seven years at a Hawaii public school or public charter school.
The summary description
of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is
not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.
