2678                                          LAWS OF MARYLAND                                      Ch. 712

(a) The recipient shall repay the State Scholarship Board
the funds expended plus simple interest that is equal to the
prime rate plus 2 percent calculated from the date of the first
payment of the tuition assistance award for any portion of the
award not forgiven if the recipient does not:

(1) Complete the teacher education or certification
program; and

(2) Teach in a field of critical shortage in a public
school in this    State for a period, SUBJECT TO THE PROVISIONS OF §
18-1406(C), of 1 1/2 years for each year that the tuition
assistance was awarded.

(b) (1) The State Scholarship Board shall forgive the
repayment of the tuition assistance award at the rate, SUBJECT TO
THE PROVISIONS OF § 18-1406(C), of 1 year for each year and
one-half that the recipient teaches in this State.

18-1405.

(c) Deletion of any ACADEMIC FIELD [program] as an area of
critical shortage shall not;

(1) TERMINATE [terminate] the right of existing
recipients to renew awards under § 18-1403(e); OR

(2) IF THE RECIPIENT CONTINUES TO TEACH IN A PUBLIC
SCHOOL IN THIS STATE IN THAT ACADEMIC FIELD, INVOKE THE
PROVISIONS OF § 18-1404(A) OR DISQUALIFY THE RECIPIENT UNDER THE
PROVISIONS OF § 18-1404(B).

18-1406.

(A) "AREA OF EXTRAORDINARY SHORTAGE" MEANS A GEOGRAPHIC
AREA OF THE STATE IDENTIFIED BY THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION AS
LESS ABLE THAN OTHERS IN THE STATE TO SATISFY THE NEED FOR PUBLIC
SCHOOL TEACHERS IN AN ACADEMIC FIELD IDENTIFIED FOR AT LEAST 3
YEARS AS AN AREA OF CRITICAL SHORTAGE.

(B) THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION SHALL IDENTIFY AREAS OF
EXTRAORDINARY SHORTAGE BY A PROCEDURE SUBSTANTIALLY SIMILAR TO
THAT SET FORTH IN § 18-1405 OF THIS SUBTITLE.

(C) THE REPAYMENT OF THE TUITION ASSISTANCE AWARD OF A
RECIPIENT WHO IS NOT YET REQUIRED BY THE PROVISIONS OF § 18-1404
TO BEGIN REPAYMENT OF THE AWARD AND WHO ACCEPTS EMPLOYMENT AS A
PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHER IN AN AREA IDENTIFIED AS AN AREA OF
EXTRAORDINARY SHORTAGE IN THE RECIPIENT'S ACADEMIC FIELD, WHETHER
OR NOT THE AREA REMAINS SO IDENTIFIED, SHALL BE FORGIVEN, FOR THE
PURPOSES OF § 18-1404, AT THE RATE OF 1 YEAR FOR EACH YEAR THAT
THE RECIPIENT TEACHES IN THAT FIELD IN THAT AREA.

(D) THE STATE SCHOLARSHIP BOARD MAY PROMULGATE REGULATIONS
TO IMPLEMENT THE PROVISIONS OF THIS SECTION.