Student Loan Debt Protection Act of 2015

To establish student loan borrowers’ rights to basic consumer protections, reasonable and flexible repayment options, access to earned credentials, and effective loan cancellation in exchange for public service, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Student Loan Debt Protection Act of 2015 I Borrowers’ Right to Basic Consumer Protections 101. Dischargeability of student loans in bankruptcy cases Section 523(a) of title 11 of the United States Code is amended— (1) by striking paragraph (8); and (2) by redesignating paragraphs (9) through (19) as paragraphs (8) through (18). 102. Reinstatement of the 6-year Statute of Limitations for student loans Subsection (a) of section 484A of the Higher Education Act of 1965 ( 20 U.S.C. 1091a(a) (a) Statute of limitations Notwithstanding any Federal or State statutory, regulatory, or administrative limitation on the period within which debts may be enforced— (1) an institution that receives funds under this title may file a suit or initiate or take another action for collection of a refund due from a student on a grant made, or work assistance awarded, under this title, during the 6-year period beginning on the day after the refund first became due (exclusive of period during which the State statute of limitations otherwise applicable to a suit under this paragraph would be tolled under State law); (2) a guaranty agency that has an agreement with the Secretary under section 428(c) may file a suit or initiate or take another action for collection of the amount due from a borrower on a loan made under part B during the 6-year period beginning on the day after such guaranty agency reimburses the previous holder of the loan for its loss on account of the default of the borrower (exclusive of period during which the State statute of limitations otherwise applicable to a suit under this paragraph would be tolled under State law); (3) an institution that has an agreement with the Secretary pursuant to section 487 may file a suit or initiate or take another action for collection of the amount due from a borrower on a loan made under part D or E after the default of the borrower on such loan during the 6-year period beginning on the day after the date of the default of the borrower with respect to such amount (exclusive of period during which the State statute of limitations otherwise applicable to a suit under this paragraph would be tolled under State law); or (4) the Secretary, the Attorney General, or the administrative head of another Federal agency, as the case may be, may file a suit or initiate or take another action for collection of a refund due from a student on a grant made under this title, or for the repayment of the amount due from a borrower on a loan made under this title that has been assigned to the Secretary under this title, during the 6-year period beginning on the day after the refund or the amount first became due. . 103. Prohibition of collection of student loans through certain offsets or through wage garnishment (a) Prohibition on offset of social security benefits Section 3716(c)(3)(A) of title 31, United States Code, is amended— (1) in clause (i), by striking except as provided in clause (ii) except as provided in clauses (ii) and (iii) (2) by adding at the end the following new clause: (iii) Notwithstanding clause (i), any payments due to an individual under Federal benefits programs cited under clause (i) shall not be subject to offset under this subsection if the offset is for payments certified by the Department of Education under a program administered by the Secretary of Education under title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 ( 20 U.S.C. 1070 et seq. . (b) Prohibition on offset of tax refund Section 3720A(a) of title 31, United States Code, is amended— (1) by striking Any Federal agency (1) Except as provided in paragraph (2), any Federal agency (2) by adding at the end the following new paragraph: (2) Any past-due legally enforceable debt owed by an individual to the Department of Education under a program administered by the Secretary of Education under title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 ( 20 U.S.C. 1070 et seq. . (c) Prohibition on wage garnishment Section 3720D(a) of title 31, United States Code, is amended— (1) by striking Notwithstanding (1) Except as provided in paragraph (2) and notwithstanding (2) by adding at the end the following new paragraph: (2) Any delinquent nontax debt owed by an individual to the Department of Education under a program administered by the Secretary of Education under title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 ( 20 U.S.C. 1070 et seq. . II Borrower’s Right to Reasonable and Flexible Repayment Options 201. Exclusion from gross income for discharge of student loan indebtedness (a) In general Paragraph (1) of section 108(f) if such discharge (b) Student loans Paragraph (2) of section 108(f) of such Code is amended by striking made by— . Such term includes indebtedness used to refinance indebtedness which qualifies as a student loan under the preceding sentence. (c) Conforming amendments Section 108(f) of such Code is amended by striking paragraphs (3) and (4). (d) Effective date The amendments made by this section shall apply to discharges of indebtedness after the date of the enactment of this Act. 202. 529 plan distribution for student loan payments (a) In general Subparagraph (A) of section 529(e)(3) (iii) interest or principal paid with respect to a qualified education loan (as defined in section 221) with respect to a designated beneficiary. . (b) Conforming amendments (1) Section 529(e)(3)(A) of such Code is amended by striking the second sentence. (2) Section 72(t)(7)(A) of such Code is amended by inserting determined without regard to subparagraph (A)(iii) thereof section 529(e)(3) (3) Section 530(b)(2)(A)(i) of such Code is amended by inserting determined without regard to subparagraph (A)(iii) thereof section 529(e)(3) (c) Effective date The amendments made by this section shall apply to distributions made after the date of the enactment of this Act. 203. Inclusion of Parent PLUS Loans in Repayment Programs (a) Income contingent repayment plan Section 455(d)(1)(D) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 ( 20 U.S.C. 1087e(d)(1)(D) , except that the plan described in this subparagraph shall not be available to the borrower of a Federal Direct PLUS loan made on behalf of a dependent student; (b) Income-Based repayment (1) Section 493C Section 493C of the Higher Education Act of 1965 ( 20 U.S.C. 1098e (A) in subsection (a)— (i) by striking this section hardship In this section, the term partial financial hardship (ii) by striking (other than an excepted PLUS loan or excepted consolidation loan) (B) in subsection (b)— (i) in paragraph (1), by striking (other than an excepted PLUS loan or excepted consolidation loan) (ii) in paragraph (6)(A), by striking (other than an excepted PLUS loan or excepted consolidation loan) (C) in subsection (c), by striking (other than an excepted PLUS loan or excepted consolidation loan), (2) Section 455(d)(1)(E) Section 455(d)(1)(E) of such Act ( 20 U.S.C. 1087e(d)(1)(D) , except that the plan described in this subparagraph shall not be available to the borrower of a Federal Direct PLUS Loan made on behalf of a dependent student or a Federal Direct Consolidation Loan, if the proceeds of such loan were used to discharge the liability on such Federal Direct PLUS Loan or a loan under section 428B made on behalf of a dependent student (c) Pay As You Earn The income-contingent repayment plan (based on the President's Pay As You Earn (1) a Federal Direct PLUS loan made on behalf of a dependent student; and (2) a Federal Direct Consolidation Loan, the proceeds of which were used to discharge the liability on a Federal Direct PLUS Loan under part D of title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 or a loan under section 428B of such Act made, insured, or guaranteed on behalf of a dependent student. (d) Loan forgiveness for service in areas of national need Section 428K(a)(2) of such Act ( 20 U.S.C. 1078–11(a)(2) (1) in subparagraph (A), by striking (other than an excepted PLUS loan or an excepted consolidation loan (as such terms are defined in section 493C(a))) (2) in subparagraph (B), by striking (other than an excepted PLUS loan or an excepted consolidation loan) (e) Other repayment plans Any plan for the repayment of loans made under title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 ( 20 U.S.C. 1070 et seq. III Borrowers’ right to a meaningful degree 301. Prohibition on suspensions of professional licenses for loan default No evidence of an individual’s default on the repayment of a loan made, insured, or guaranteed under title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 ( 20 U.S.C. 1070 et seq. 302. Prohibition on loss of access to transcripts for loan default Section 487(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 ( 20 U.S.C. 1094(a) (31) (A) The institution will not prohibit a student from accessing the student’s transcripts, degree scrolls, or other certifications of coursework or educational attainments at the institution because the student is in default on the repayment of a loan made, insured, or guaranteed under this title. (B) For purposes of this paragraph, the term student . IV Right to effective loan cancellation for borrowers engaged in public service careers 401. Extension of loan cancellation for borrowers employed in public service jobs for 5 years Section 455(m) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 ( 20 U.S.C. 1087e(m) (1) by redesignating paragraphs (3) and (4) as paragraphs (4) and (5), respectively; and (2) by inserting after paragraph (2), the following: (3) Additional loan cancellation for certain borrowers (A) In general The Secretary shall— (i) after the conclusion of the employment period described in subparagraph (B)(ii) for an eligible borrower, cancel the obligation to repay 10 percent of the balance of interest and principal due, as of the time of such cancellation, on the eligible Federal Direct Loans made to the borrower under this part; and (ii) after the loan cancellation under clause (i), carry out such loan cancellation for each year in which the borrower makes 12 monthly payments on the eligible Federal Direct Loans pursuant to any one or a combination of the repayment plans described in subclauses (I) through (IV) of subparagraph (B)(i) and is employed in a public service job during the period in which the borrower makes each of such payments, except that once the borrower is eligible for the loan cancellation under paragraph (2) the Secretary shall carry out the loan cancellation under paragraph (2) in lieu of the loan cancellation under this clause. (B) Eligible borrower In this paragraph, an eligible borrower is a borrower who— (i) has made 60 monthly payments on the eligible Federal Direct Loan after October 1, 2015, pursuant to any one or a combination of the following— (I) payments under an income-based repayment plan under section 493C; (II) payments under a standard repayment plan under subsection (d)(1)(A), based on a 10-year repayment period; (III) monthly payments under a repayment plan under subsection (d)(1) or (g) of not less than the monthly amount calculated under subsection (d)(1)(A), based on a 10-year repayment period; or (IV) payments under an income contingent repayment plan under subsection (d)(1)(D); and (ii) has been employed in a public service job during the period in which the borrower makes each of the 60 payments described in clause (i). .

Summary: Student Loan Debt Protection Act of 2015 This bill amends the federal bankruptcy code to permit a borrower to discharge in bankruptcy a nonprofit, government, or private student loan, or an obligation to repay an educational benefit, scholarship, or stipend. It amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to reinstate the six-year statute of limitations on actions to recover on defaulted student loans. The bill prohibits collecting the amount owed on a defaulted federal student loan through: (1) offsets of social security, railroad retirement, or black lung benefits; (2) offsets of tax refunds; or (3) wage garnishment. It amends the Internal Revenue Code to exclude from an individual's gross income: (1) discharged student loan debt, and (2) income distributions from qualified tuition plans that are used to pay the interest or principal on student loans. The bill makes parent PLUS loans eligible for income-contingent repayment plans, including the Pay As You Earn repayment plan. Additionally, it makes parent PLUS loans and consolidation loans that repay parent PLUS loans eligible for income-based repayment plans and loan forgiveness for service in areas of national need. It prohibits: (1) evidence of an individual's default on a federal student loan from being used in a federal or state proceeding involving the individual's professional or vocational license, and (2) an institution of higher education from blocking access to a student's records due to federal student loan default. Finally, the bill modifies the public service loan forgiveness program to require the Department of Education to forgive 50% of the Direct loan balance for an eligible borrower who is employed in a public service job and makes 60 monthly payments after October 1, 2015.