                 CHAPTER 74--TROOPS-TO-TEACHERS PROGRAM
 
Sec. 9304. Selection of participants


(a) Submission of applications

    Selection of eligible members of the Armed Forces to participate in 
the Troops-to-Teachers Program shall be made on the basis of 
applications submitted to the administering Secretary on a timely basis. 
An application shall be in such form and contain such information as the 
administering Secretary may require.

(b) Timely applications

    An application shall be considered to be submitted on a timely basis 
if the application is submitted as follows:
        (1) In the case of a member of the Armed Forces who is eligible 
    under section 9303(a)(1) or 9303(a)(2) of this title, not later than 
    September 30, 2003.
        (2) In the case of a member who is eligible under section 
    9303(a)(3) of this title, not later than four years after the date 
    on which the member first receives retired or retainer pay under 
    title 10 or title 14.

(c) Selection priorities

    In selecting eligible members of the Armed Forces to receive 
assistance for placement as elementary or secondary school teachers or 
vocational or technical teachers, the administering Secretary shall give 
priority to members who--
        (1) have educational or military experience in science, 
    mathematics, special education, or vocational or technical subjects 
    and agree to seek employment as science, mathematics, or special 
    education teachers in elementary or secondary schools or in other 
    schools under the jurisdiction of a local educational agency; or
        (2) have educational or military experience in another subject 
    area identified by the administering Secretary, in consultation with 
    the National Governors Association, as important for national 
    educational objectives and agree to seek employment in that subject 
    area in elementary or secondary schools.

(d) Selection subject to funding

    The administering Secretary may not select a member of the Armed 
Forces to participate in the Troops-to-Teachers Program unless the 
administering Secretary has sufficient appropriations for the program 
available at the time of the selection to satisfy the obligations to be 
incurred by the United States under section 9305 of this title with 
respect to that member.

(e) Participation agreement

    A member of the Armed Forces selected to participate in the Troops-
to-Teachers Program shall be required to enter into an agreement with 
the administering Secretary in which the member agrees--
        (1) to obtain, within such time as the administering Secretary 
    may require, certification or licensure as an elementary or 
    secondary school teacher or vocational or technical teacher; and
        (2) to accept an offer of full-time employment as an elementary 
    or secondary school teacher or vocational or technical teacher for 
    not less than four school years with a local educational agency 
    identified under section 9302 of this title, to begin the school 
    year after obtaining that certification or licensure.

(f) Exceptions to violation determination

    A participant in the Troops-to-Teachers Program shall not be 
considered to be in violation of an agreement entered into under 
subsection (e) of this section during any period in which the 
participant--
        (1) is pursuing a full-time course of study related to the field 
    of teaching at an eligible institution;
        (2) is serving on active duty as a member of the Armed Forces;
        (3) is temporarily totally disabled for a period of time not to 
    exceed three years as established by sworn affidavit of a qualified 
    physician;
        (4) is unable to secure employment for a period not to exceed 12 
    months by reason of the care required by a spouse who is disabled;
        (5) is seeking and unable to find full-time employment as a 
    teacher in an elementary or secondary school or as a vocational or 
    technical teacher for a single period not to exceed 27 months; or
        (6) satisfies the provisions of additional reimbursement 
    exceptions that may be prescribed by the administering Secretary.

(Pub. L. 106-65, div. A, title XVII, Sec. 1704, Oct. 5, 1999, 113 Stat. 
819.)

                  Section Referred to in Other Sections

    This section is referred to in section 9305 of this title.
