II 

113TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 2826 

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 

SEPTEMBER 16, 2014 

Mr. BLUMENTHAL (for himself and Ms. WARREN) 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 Forgive5 ness 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 For9 giveness for Public Servants Act, after the con10 clusion of each employment period in a public 

11 service job, as described in subparagraph (B), 

12 the Secretary shall cancel the percent specified 

13 in such subparagraph of the total amount due 

14 on any eligible Federal Direct Loan made after 

15 the date of enactment of the Strengthening 

16 Forgiveness for Public Servants Act for a bor17 rower who is employed in such public service 

18 job and submits an employment certification 

19 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 CANCELLED.—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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