# 117-s-848: Consider Teachers Act of 2021

117-s-848, Consider Teachers Act of 2021, is a 117th Congress bill sponsored by Sen. Braun, Mike [R-IN] (R-IN); status became_law; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-01-05).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/117-s-848
- As of: 2026-01-05
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 117-s-848
- Congress: 117
- Title: Consider Teachers Act of 2021
- Status: became_law
- Introduced: 2021-03-18
- Sponsor: Sen. Braun, Mike [R-IN] (R-IN)
- Cosponsors: 4
- Policy area: Education
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2026-01-05

## Summary

**This Act strengthens TEACH Grant service verification and remedies for converted grants.** It clarifies when service must be finished, requires stronger employer certification, and adds pandemic-era extensions and administrative flexibilities. - Teachers and recipients: Schools must have the chief administrative officer certify employment and recipients must meet State teaching requirements, including alternative certification routes. Recipients get a 90-day reconsideration right if a grant was converted to a loan and can have the grant reinstated, interest or fees discharged, and related negative credit reporting removed; remaining time to complete service is set at eight years minus full academic years already taught. - Schools and program administrators: The Department must notify recipients annually about certification procedures and deadlines. The Secretary must publish and update searchable lists of qualifying schools and high-need fields to guide placements and certifications. - Emergency and implementation rules: Service-obligation windows can be extended by up to three years for qualifying emergencies or recessions and certain CARES Act treatments for Perkins Loans are codified. The Secretary may waive specific administrative requirements to speed implementation.

## Cosponsors (4)

- Rep. Sinema, Kyrsten [D-AZ-9] (D-AZ), 2021-03-18T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Cornyn, John [R-TX] (R-TX), 2021-03-23T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Smith, Tina [D-MN] (D-MN), 2021-03-23T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Warnock, Raphael G. [D-GA] (D-GA), 2021-04-27T00:00:00.000Z

## Votes

| Date | Chamber | Question | Result | Yea | Nay |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2021-09-28T00:00:00.000Z | house | On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass | Passed | 406 | 16 |

## Provisions PRIA read

- More TEACH Grant loan relief and time: benefit, high. If your TEACH Grant was turned into a loan, you can ask for reconsideration, and the Department must review within 90 days. If you met or are meeting the service rules and the conversion happened for listed reasons, the grant is restored, the loan is canceled, interest and fees are wiped, payments…
- Emergency credit for Perkins loan service: benefit, medium. If an emergency interrupted your Perkins loan service, the Department treats that incomplete year as a full year and waives the full‑time service rule. This applies as if it started with the CARES Act. This helps you keep eligibility for cancellation.
- More TEACH-eligible jobs and public lists: benefit, low. More teaching jobs count because the law adds geographic areas to the reasons a job qualifies. The Department also posts searchable, yearly updated lists of qualifying schools and high‑need fields to help you find eligible work. Payment amounts do not change.
- New TEACH certification rules and deadlines: mixed, medium. You must submit yearly employment certifications signed by your school’s chief administrator. The Department tells you how and when to submit and adjusts deadlines if your service window is extended; there is an alternative if a school closed or will not cooperate. Your teaching must meet your Stat…
- Faster rollout with Education rule waivers: mixed, low. The Education Department can waive some paperwork and rulemaking steps to put these changes in place faster. It can waive parts of the Paperwork Reduction Act, certain timelines, and some Privacy Act notices, which must be published within 180 days. This speeds implementation but does not change wh…

## Related bills

- 117-s-2607: Iran Hostages Congressional Gold Medal Act
- 117-sres-748: A resolution honoring and celebrating the life and legacy of Representative Jackie Walorski.
- 117-sres-621: A resolution honoring the life and legacy of the late Senator Orrin G. Hatch.
- 117-sres-593: A resolution relating to the death of Kaneaster Hodges, Jr., former United States Senator for the State of Arkansas.
- 117-sres-565: A resolution honoring and celebrating the life and legacy of Representative Don Young.
- 117-sres-485: A resolution relating to the death of the Honorable Harry Mason Reid, Jr., former Senator for the State of Nevada.

## Sources
- [117-s-848 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/848)

## Related
- [117-s-2607: Iran Hostages Congressional Gold Medal Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/117-s-2607)
- [117-sres-748: A resolution honoring and celebrating the life and legacy of Representative Jac…](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/117-sres-748)
- [117-sres-621: A resolution honoring the life and legacy of the late Senator Orrin G. Hatch.](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/117-sres-621)
- [117-sres-593: A resolution relating to the death of Kaneaster Hodges, Jr., former United Stat…](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/117-sres-593)
- [117-sres-565: A resolution honoring and celebrating the life and legacy of Representative Don…](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/117-sres-565)
- [117-sres-485: A resolution relating to the death of the Honorable Harry Mason Reid, Jr., form…](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/117-sres-485)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/117-s-848 (as of 2026-01-05).