II 

117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 2478 

To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to provide for a percentage 

of student loan forgiveness for public service employment, and for other 

purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JULY 27, 2021 

Mr. BLUMENTHAL (for himself, Ms. SMITH, Ms. WARREN, Ms. HIRONO, and 

Mrs. FEINSTEIN) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 

referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions 

A BILL 

To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to provide 

for a percentage of student loan forgiveness for public 

service employment, 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 ‘‘Strengthening Loan 

5 Forgiveness for Public Servants Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. PUBLIC SERVICE LOAN FORGIVENESS PROGRAM. 

7 Section 455(m) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 

8 (20 U.S.C. 1087e(m)) is amended— 


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

2 subparagraph (A), by inserting ‘‘, except as provided 

3 in paragraph (5),’’ after ‘‘on any eligible Federal Di4 rect Loan not in default’’; and 

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

6 ‘‘(5) LOAN CANCELLATION FOR NEW LOANS.— 

7 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Beginning after the 

8 date of enactment of the Strengthening Loan 

9 Forgiveness for Public Servants Act, after the 

10 conclusion of each employment period in a pub11 lic service job, as described in subparagraph 

12 (B), the Secretary shall cancel the percent spec13 ified in such subparagraph of the total amount 

14 due on any eligible Federal Direct Loan made 

15 after the date of enactment of the Strength16 ening Loan Forgiveness for Public Servants Act 

17 for a borrower who is employed in such public 

18 service job and submits an employment certifi19 cation form described in subparagraph (C). 

20 ‘‘(B) PERCENT AMOUNT.—The percent of 

21 a loan that shall be canceled under subpara22 graph (A) is as follows: 

23 ‘‘(i) In the case of a borrower who 

24 completes 2 years of employment in a pub25 lic service job, 15 percent of the total 


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1 amount due on the eligible Federal Direct 

2 Loan on the date the borrower commenced 

3 employment in such public service job. 

4 ‘‘(ii) In the case of a borrower who 

5 completes 4 years of employment in a pub6 lic service job, 15 percent of the total 

7 amount due on the eligible Federal Direct 

8 Loan on the date the borrower commenced 

9 employment in such public service job. 

10 ‘‘(iii) In the case of a borrower who 

11 completes 6 years of employment in a pub12 lic service job, 20 percent of the total 

13 amount due on the eligible Federal Direct 

14 Loan on the date the borrower commenced 

15 employment in such public service job. 

16 ‘‘(iv) In the case of a borrower who 

17 completes 8 years of employment in a pub18 lic service job, 20 percent of the total 

19 amount due on the eligible Federal Direct 

20 Loan on the date the borrower commenced 

21 employment in such public service job. 

22 ‘‘(v) In the case of a borrower who 

23 completes 10 years of employment in a 

24 public service job, 30 percent of the total 

25 amount due on the eligible Federal Direct 


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1 Loan on the date the borrower commenced 

2 employment in such public service job. 

3 ‘‘(C) EMPLOYMENT CERTIFICATION

4 FORM.— 

5 ‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—In order to receive 

6 loan cancellation under this paragraph, a 

7 borrower shall submit to the Secretary an 

8 employment certification form that is de9 veloped by the Secretary and includes self10 certification of employment and a separate 

11 part for employer certification that indi12 cates the dates of employment. 

13 ‘‘(ii) DEFERMENT.—If a borrower 

14 submits to the Secretary the employment 

15 certification form described in clause (i), 

16 during the period in which the borrower is 

17 employed in a public service job for which 

18 loan cancellation is eligible under this 

19 paragraph, the borrower’s eligible Federal 

20 Direct Loan shall be placed in deferment. 

21 ‘‘(D) INTEREST CANCELED.—If a portion 

22 of a loan is canceled under this paragraph for 

23 any year, the entire amount of interest on such 


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1 loan that accrues for such year shall be can2 celed.’’. 

Æ 


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