II 

117TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 4345 

To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to amend the public service 

loan forgiveness program. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MAY 26, 2022 

Mr. WHITEHOUSE (for himself and Mr. MERKLEY) 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 amend 

the public service loan forgiveness 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 ‘‘Simplifying and 

5 Strengthening Public Service Loan Forgiveness Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. PUBLIC SERVICE LOAN FORGIVENESS REFORM. 

7 (a) REDUCING PAYMENTS.— 

8 (1) IN GENERAL.—Section 455(m)(1) of the 

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

10 1087e(m)(1)) is amended— 


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1 (A) in subparagraph (A), by striking 

2 ‘‘120’’ and inserting ‘‘60’’; and 

3 (B) in subparagraph (B)(ii), by striking 

4 ‘‘120’’ and inserting ‘‘60’’. 

5 (2) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made 

6 by paragraph (1) shall apply with respect to any eli7 gible Federal Direct Loan which is in repayment 

8 status on or after the date of enactment of this Act. 

9 (b) MAKING WAIVERS PERMANENT.—Section 

10 455(m) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 

11 1087e(m)) is amended by adding at the end the following: 

12 ‘‘(5) COUNTING PRIOR PAYMENTS; SIMPLIFYING

13 PROGRAM.—Notwithstanding paragraph (1), in car14 rying out this section, the Secretary shall comply 

15 with the following: 

16 ‘‘(A) The Secretary shall consider as a 

17 monthly payment under this subsection, any 

18 monthly payment made while the borrower was 

19 employed in a public service job on a loan 

20 made, insured, or guaranteed under this title 

21 before, on, or after the date of enactment of 

22 this paragraph pursuant to any repayment plan 

23 authorized under this Act. 

24 ‘‘(B) The Secretary shall consider as a 

25 monthly payment under this subsection, a payVerDate Sep 11 2014 05:10 Jun 03, 2022 Jkt 029200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S4345.IS S4345

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1 ment described in subparagraph (A) that was 

2 late or was for less than the full amount of the 

3 monthly payment. 

4 ‘‘(C) The Secretary shall count as a 

5 monthly payment under this subsection, a 

6 month for which a borrower is serving on active 

7 duty (as described in section 101(d)(1) of title 

8 10, United States Code) or serving in the Peace 

9 Corps, even if the borrower’s loan was in 

10 deferment or forbearance and not in active re11 payment. 

12 ‘‘(D) The Secretary shall allow a borrower 

13 of a Federal PLUS Loan, made on behalf of a 

14 dependent student, under section 428B who is 

15 employed in a public service job to consolidate 

16 such loan into a Federal Direct Consolidation 

17 Loan in order to receive loan cancellation pur18 suant to this subsection. 

19 ‘‘(E) The Secretary shall allow the bor20 rowers of a Joint Consolidation Loan or a Joint 

21 Direct Consolidation Loan who are employed in 

22 a public service job to consolidate such loan into 

23 a Federal Direct Consolidation Loan in order to 


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1 receive loan cancellation pursuant to this sub2 section.’’. 

Æ 


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