H.R. 2021

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2021 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 2021

To provide grants to State educational agencies to support State 
efforts to increase teacher salaries, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

March 10, 2025

Ms. Wilson of Florida (for herself, Ms. Adams, Ms. Bonamici, Ms. Brown, 
Mr. Carbajal, Mr. Carson, Ms. Castor of Florida, Mr. Casten, Mrs. 
Cherfilus-McCormick, Ms. Chu, Ms. Clarke of New York, Mr. Cleaver, Mr. 
Clyburn, Mrs. Watson Coleman, Mr. Courtney, Mr. Cuellar, Mr. Davis of 
Illinois, Ms. Dean of Pennsylvania, Ms. DeLauro, Mr. Deluzio, Mrs. 
Dingell, Mr. Espaillat, Mr. Evans of Pennsylvania, Mrs. Foushee, Mr. 
Frost, Mr. Gottheimer, Mr. Green of Texas, Mr. Grijalva, Mrs. Hayes, 
Ms. Norton, Ms. Hoyle of Oregon, Mr. Jackson of Illinois, Ms. Jayapal, 
Mr. Johnson of Georgia, Ms. Kamlager-Dove, Mr. Keating, Mr. 
Krishnamoorthi, Mr. Landsman, Mr. Lieu, Mr. Lynch, Mr. Magaziner, Mrs. 
McBath, Mr. McGovern, Mrs. McIver, Mr. Menendez, Ms. Meng, Ms. Moore of 
Wisconsin, Mr. Moskowitz, Mr. Mrvan, Mr. Mullin, Mr. Neguse, Mr. 
Norcross, Ms. Ocasio-Cortez, Ms. Omar, Ms. Perez, Ms. Pingree, Mr. 
Pocan, Ms. Pressley, Mr. Quigley, Mr. Raskin, Ms. Ross, Ms. Salinas, 
Ms. Sanchez, Ms. Schakowsky, Ms. Scholten, Ms. Sewell, Ms. Sherrill, 
Mr. Sorensen, Ms. Stevens, Mrs. Sykes, Mr. Takano, Mr. Thanedar, Mr. 
Thompson of Mississippi, Ms. Tlaib, Ms. Tokuda, Ms. Velazquez, Ms. 
Williams of Georgia, and Mr. Fitzpatrick) introduced the following 
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and Workforce

_______________________________________________________________________

A BILL

To provide grants to State educational agencies 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. FINDINGS.

Congress finds the following:
(1) Teachers are the backbone of our nation, from the first 
bell to the last bell, they act as caregivers, counselors, role 
models, advocates, and cheerleaders, helping children achieve 
their greatest potential.
(2) What is more, teacher shortages are among the most 
pressing threats to education access today, with districts 
across the country forced to radically adjust school offerings 
to respond to turnover and prolonged vacancies. Every day, 
stories surface of schools shortening their weeks, canceling 
courses, increasing student-teacher ratios, and placing 
underprepared or temporary substitute staff in core 
instructional roles. Such adjustments disrupt learning, take a 
sustained toll on teacher morale, and harm student achievement.
(3) The teacher wage penalty, characterizing lower weekly 
wages and overall compensation for teachers compared to 
college-educated peers in other professions, hit an all-time 
high of 23.5 percent in 2021 and continues to demonstrate 
significant, adverse impacts on teacher recruitment and 
retention. According to a recent report by the Teacher Salary 
Project, over 90 percent of teachers believe low salary 
contributes to shortages in their communities and over 45 
percent believe their salary is insufficient for medium and 
long-term career sustainability.
(4) Significant numbers of teachers report maintaining 
multiple jobs to make ends meet or being able to work in their 
profession only through the support of a partner's higher-
paying job. This instability is worse for teachers of color who 
are more likely to work in under-resourced schools. As a 
result, high-poverty communities face a compounded burden.
(5) In August of 2022, the White House issued a fact sheet 
renewing attention to the weak teacher pipeline and calling 
upon legislators to use federal, state, and local resources to 
strengthen teaching career pathways and ensure competitive, 
livable wages. This statement accompanies efforts by twenty-
five states to propose and enact legislation addressing teacher 
compensation since January 2021.
(6) To restore stability in our schools and secure 
equitable access to high-quality education, we must raise 
awareness surrounding the value of teaching as a profession and 
provide compensation that reflects this value.

SEC. 3. 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 State educational 
agencies.
(B) Application.--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, including--
(i) the plan required under subparagraph 
(C); and
(ii) the assurances required under 
subparagraph (D).
(C) Sustainability plan.--The Secretary shall 
require a State educational agency submitting an 
application under subparagraph (B) to provide a plan 
that demonstrates how, following the conclusion of the 
4-year grant period, such agency will continue to 
maintain and adjust the annual base minimum salary in 
accordance with subsection (b).
(D) Required assurances.--The Secretary shall 
require a State educational agency submitting an 
application under subparagraph (B) 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 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), 
proportionately reduced in accordance with the 
number of hours worked by such teacher;
(iv) priority will be given to local 
educational agencies in accordance with 
subparagraph (E)(ii); and
(v) the State educational agency will, upon 
request by the Secretary, carry out the 
compliance demonstration in accordance with 
subsection (c)(3).
(E) Subgrants.--
(i) In general.--A State educational agency 
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) Priority.--The State educational 
agency, in allocating funds to local 
educational agencies under this section, shall 
give priority to local educational agencies--
(I) serving greater numbers or 
percentages of elementary or secondary 
schools receiving funds under title I 
of the Elementary and Secondary 
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6301 
et seq.); or
(II) 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.
(b) Salary Threshold.--
(1) In general.--For school year 2026-2027, the base 
minimum salary dollar amount shall be $60,000.
(2) Inflation adjustment.--For school year 2026-2027 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.
(3) No salary limit.--The base minimum salary dollar amount 
may be greater than the dollar amount described in paragraphs 
(1) or (2).
(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 base 
salaries.
(2) Maintenance of effort.--A State educational agency or 
local educational agency shall not reduce or adjust any teacher 
pay or State 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 State 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. 4. GRANTS FOR ADJUSTMENT OF TEACHER SALARIES.

(a) In General.--From amounts made available to carry out this 
section, the Secretary of Education shall award grants to eligible 
State educational agencies to provide, in accordance with subsection 
(c), cost-of-living adjustments to the annual base salary of such State 
and the annual salary of each teacher who is employed full-time at a 
qualifying school in such State.
(b) Application.--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, including the demonstration required under subsection 
(d)(2).
(c) Adjustment.--The annual base salary of the State and the annual 
salary of each teacher described in subsection (a) shall be 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.
(d) Eligible State Defined.--In this section, the term ``eligible 
State'' means a State--
(1) with an annual base salary of not less than $60,000 for 
teachers who are employed full-time at a qualifying school; and
(2) that demonstrates in the application submitted under 
subsection (b) that, due to inflation, such State is unable to 
adjust such base salary or the annual salaries of such teachers 
for cost-of-living.

SEC. 5. ENHANCED AWARENESS OF THE VALUE OF TEACHING PROFESSION.

The Secretary may reserve not more than 4 percent of the funds 
appropriated under section 8 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. 6. RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.

Nothing in this Act shall be construed to alter or otherwise affect 
the rights, remedies, and procedures afforded to school or local 
educational agency employees under Federal, State, or local laws 
(including applicable regulations, court orders, or requirements that 
local educational agencies negotiate or meet and confer in good faith) 
or under the terms of collective bargaining agreements, memoranda of 
understanding, or other agreements between such employers and their 
employees.

SEC. 7. 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, 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);
(B) meets the applicable requirements for State 
certification or licensure, as applicable, in the State 
in which such school is located and in the subject area 
in which the individual is the teacher of record; and
(C) possesses skills and knowledge needed for 
effective classroom practice, including with respect to 
demonstrating the ability to improve student learning.
(4) Teacher of record.--The term ``teacher of record'' 
means a teacher who has--
(A) been assigned the responsibility for specified 
pupils' learning in a grade, subject, or course as 
reflected on the school's official record of 
attendance;
(B) learned and developed extensive teaching and 
basic classroom management skills; and
(C) demonstrated the ability to plan and deliver 
instruction to students from different cultural 
backgrounds and with different learning styles and to 
assess and support student learning.

SEC. 8. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act such 
sums as may be necessary for fiscal years 2026 through 2030.
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