I 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 4597 

To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to allow for the deferment 

of certain student loans during a period in which a borrower is enrolled 

in a drug treatment program. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

DECEMBER 7, 2017 

Mr. MACARTHUR (for himself, Ms. ESTY of Connecticut, Mr. FOSTER, and 

Mr. CARSON of Indiana) introduced the following bill; which was referred 

to the Committee on Education and the Workforce 

A BILL 

To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to allow for 

the deferment of certain student loans during a period 

in which a borrower is enrolled in a drug treatment 

program. 

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 ‘‘College Loan 

5 Deferment for Recovery Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. STUDENT LOAN DEFERMENT FOR BORROWERS EN2 ROLLED IN A DRUG TREATMENT PROGRAM. 

3 (a) DIRECT LOANS.—Section 455(f) of the Higher 

4 Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1087e(f)) is amended— 

5 (1) by redesignating paragraphs (3) and (4) as 

6 paragraphs (4) and (5), respectively; and 

7 (2) by inserting after paragraph (2) the fol8 lowing: 

9 ‘‘(3) DEFERMENT FOR BORROWERS ENROLLED

10 IN A DRUG TREATMENT PROGRAM.— 

11 ‘‘(A) EFFECT ON PRINCIPAL AND INTER12 EST.—A borrower of a loan made under this 

13 part who meets the requirements of subpara14 graph (B) shall be eligible for a deferment, dur15 ing which periodic installments of principal 

16 need not be paid, and interest shall not accrue. 

17 ‘‘(B) ELIGIBILITY.—A borrower of a loan 

18 made under this part shall be eligible for a 

19 deferment during— 

20 ‘‘(i) any period in which such bor21 rower is enrolled in a drug treatment pro22 gram; and 

23 ‘‘(ii) the 30 days after such period. 

24 ‘‘(C) DRUG TREATMENT PROGRAM DE25 FINED.—In this paragraph, the term ‘drug 

26 treatment program’ means a program certified 


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1 or licensed by a State to provide drug treat2 ment in the State. 

3 ‘‘(D) APPLICABILITY.—This paragraph 

4 shall apply with respect to loans— 

5 ‘‘(i) made on or after the date of the 

6 enactment of this paragraph; or 

7 ‘‘(ii) in repayment on the date of the 

8 enactment of this paragraph.’’. 

9 (b) TERMS OF FEDERALLY INSURED STUDENT

10 LOANS.—Section 427(a)(2)(C) of the Higher Education 

11 Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1077(a)(2)(C)) is amended— 

12 (1) in clause (ii), by striking ‘‘; or’’ and insert13 ing a semicolon; 

14 (2) in clause (iii), by inserting ‘‘or’’ after the 

15 semicolon; and 

16 (3) by inserting after clause (iii) the following: 

17 ‘‘(iv) in which the borrower is enrolled 

18 in a drug treatment program (as defined in 

19 section 455(f)(3)(C)), and the 30 days 

20 after such period.’’. 

21 (c) FFEL PROGRAM.—Section 428(b)(1)(M) of the 

22 Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1078(b)(1)(M)) 

23 is amended— 

24 (1) in clause (iii), by striking ‘‘or (II); or’’ and 

25 inserting ‘‘or (II);’’; 


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1 (2) in clause (iv), by inserting ‘‘or’’ after the 

2 semicolon; and 

3 (3) by adding at the end the following: 

4 ‘‘(v) during which the borrower is en5 rolled in a drug treatment program (as de6 fined in section 455(f)(3)(C)), and the 30 

7 days after such period;’’. 

8 (d) FEDERAL PERKINS LOANS.—Section 464(c)(2) 

9 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 

10 1087dd(c)(2)) is amended— 

11 (1) in subparagraph (A)— 

12 (A) in clause (iv), by striking ‘‘; or’’ and 

13 inserting a semicolon; 

14 (B) in clause (v), by inserting ‘‘or’’ after 

15 the semicolon; and 

16 (C) by inserting after clause (v) the fol17 lowing: 

18 ‘‘(vi) during which the borrower is enrolled in 

19 a drug treatment program (as defined in section 

20 455(f)(3)(C)), and the 30 days after such period;’’. 

21 (e) INTEREST ON UNSUBSUBSIDIZED STAFFORD

22 LOANS.—Section 428H(e)(2) of the Higher Education Act 

23 of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1078–8(e)(2)) is amended— 


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1 (1) in subparagraph (A), by striking ‘‘Interest’’ 

2 and inserting, ‘‘Except as provided in subparagraph 

3 (C), interest’’; and 

4 (2) by adding at the end the following: 

5 ‘‘(C) Interest shall not accrue on a loan de6 ferred under section 428(b)(1)(M)(v) or 

7 427(a)(2)(C)(iv).’’. 

8 (f) APPLICABILITY.—The amendments made by this 

9 Act shall apply with respect to loans— 

10 (1) made on or after the date of the enactment 

11 of this Act; or 

12 (2) in repayment on the date of the enactment 

13 of this Act. 

Æ 


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