I 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 7457 

To direct the Secretary of Education to count months during which Peace 

Corps volunteers and AmeriCorps members have eligible Federal Direct 

Loans in deferment or forbearance toward eligibility for public service 

loan forgiveness, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

FEBRUARY 26, 2024 

Mr. GARAMENDI (for himself, Mr. LYNCH, Ms. NORTON, Ms. LOFGREN, Mr. 

CARSON, Ms. MOORE of Wisconsin, Mr. TRONE, and Ms. GARCIA of 

Texas) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 

on Education and the Workforce 

A BILL 

To direct the Secretary of Education to count months during 

which Peace Corps volunteers and AmeriCorps members 

have eligible Federal Direct Loans in deferment or forbearance toward eligibility for public service loan forgiveness, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Peace Corps and 

5 AmeriCorps Student Loan Forgiveness Act’’. 


kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
2 

•HR 7457 IH

1 SEC. 2. DEFERMENT PERIODS FOR PEACE CORPS VOLUN2 TEERS AND AMERICORPS MEMBERS COUNT3 ED TOWARD PUBLIC SERVICE LOAN FOR4 GIVENESS. 

5 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 455(m) of the Higher 

6 Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1087e(m)) is amend7 ed— 

8 (1) by redesignating paragraphs (2) through 

9 (4) as paragraphs (3) through (5), respectively; 

10 (2) in paragraph (1), in the matter preceding 

11 subparagraph (A), by striking ‘‘paragraph (2)’’ and 

12 inserting ‘‘paragraph (3)’’; and 

13 (3) by inserting after paragraph (1) the fol14 lowing: 

15 ‘‘(2) TREATMENT OF CERTAIN PERIODS OF

16 DEFERMENT OR FORBEARANCE.— 

17 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding any 

18 other provision of this subsection, each month 

19 of a period described in subparagraph (B) with 

20 respect to a borrower of an eligible Federal Di21 rect Loan shall be treated as if the borrower 

22 made a qualifying payment under paragraph 

23 (1)(A) on such loan. 

24 ‘‘(B) PERIOD DESCRIBED.—A period de25 scribed in this subparagraph is any period after 

26 October 1, 2007, during which a borrower— 


kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
3 

•HR 7457 IH

1 ‘‘(i) owes an outstanding balance on 

2 an eligible Federal Direct Loan; 

3 ‘‘(ii) is in an authorized period of 

4 deferment or forbearance; and 

5 ‘‘(iii) serves— 

6 ‘‘(I) as a Peace Corps volunteer 

7 or volunteer leader (as referred to in 

8 the Peace Corps Act (22 U.S.C. 2501 

9 et seq.)); or 

10 ‘‘(II) in an approved national 

11 service position (as defined in section 

12 101 of the National and Community 

13 Service Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 

14 12511)).’’. 

15 (b) CONSULTATION REQUIREMENT.—In imple16 menting section 455(m)(2) of the Higher Education Act 

17 of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1087e(m)(2)) (as amended by sub18 section (a) of this section) the Secretary of Education 

19 shall consult with— 

20 (1) the Director of the Peace Corps; 

21 (2) the Chief Executive Officer of the Corpora22 tion for National and Community Service; and 

23 (3) borrowers who may be affected by the im24 plementation of such section, including current and 


kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
4 

•HR 7457 IH

1 former volunteers of the Peace Corps and current 

2 and former AmeriCorps members. 

Æ 


kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB