Student Borrower Fairness Act

To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to ensure that student loans are available at interest rates that do not exceed the interest rates at which the Federal Government provides loans to banks through the discount window operated by the Federal Reserve System, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Student Borrower Fairness Act 2. Availability of student loans at Federal Reserve bank discount rate (a) Availability of Student Loans Section 455(b) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 ( 20 U.S.C. 1087e(b) (1) by redesignating paragraphs (9) and (10) as paragraphs (10) and (11); and (2) by inserting after paragraph (8) the following new paragraph: (9) Special rule for new loans on or after July 1, 2015 (A) Application of lower rate of interest Notwithstanding the preceding paragraphs of this subsection, if the rate of interest determined under subparagraph (B) with respect to any loan for which the first disbursement is made on or after July 1, 2015, is less than the applicable rate of interest for the loan under paragraph (8), the applicable rate of interest for the loan shall be the rate determined under subparagraph (B). (B) Determination of rate The rate of interest determined under this subparagraph is, with respect to a loan disbursed during any 12-month period beginning on July 1 and ending on June 30, the primary credit rate charged by the Federal Reserve banks on the preceding June 1 for purposes of sections 13 and 13A of the Federal Reserve Act ( 12 U.S.C. 342 et seq. (C) Consultation The Secretary shall determine the rate of interest under subparagraph (B) after consultation with the Secretary of the Treasury and shall publish such rate in the Federal Register as soon as practicable after the date of determination. (D) Fixed rate The applicable rate of interest determined under this paragraph for a loan shall be fixed for the period of the loan. . (b) Borrower Modification of Interest Rates Section 455(b) of such Act ( 20 U.S.C. 1087e(b) (12) Borrower modification of interest rate (A) Modification Notwithstanding the preceding paragraphs of this subsection, the borrower of a Federal Direct Stafford Loan, a Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loan, a Federal Direct PLUS Loan, or a Federal Direct Consolidation Loan may elect to modify the interest rate of the loan to be equal to the interest rate that would be applicable to such loan if such loan were first disbursed (or in the case of a Federal Direct Consolidation Loan, first applied for) on the date on which such borrower elects to modify the interest rate of such loan. (B) Fixed rate Except as provided in subparagraph (C), an interest rate elected under subparagraph (A) for a loan shall be fixed for the life of the loan. (C) Continuing authority to modify A borrower may elect to modify the interest rate of a loan in accordance with subparagraph (A) at any time during the life of the loan. (D) Construction Nothing in this paragraph shall be construed to authorize any refunding of any repayment of a loan. . 3. Income tax rate of publicly traded corporations based on compensation ratio (a) In general Section 11 (e) Tax rate of publicly traded corporations based on compensation ratio (1) In general In the case of a publicly traded corporation (as defined in section 162(m)(2)), the amount of tax under subsection (b) shall be determined— (A) by adjusting the highest rate of tax applicable to the taxpayer by the percentage point adjustment specified in paragraph (2), and (B) by making proper adjustments to— (i) the dollar amount in clause (ii) of the second sentence of paragraph (1), and (ii) the dollar amount in clause (ii) of the third sentence of paragraph (1). (2) Adjustment of tax rate For purposes of paragraph (1), the percentage points specified in this paragraph shall be determined as follows: If the compensation ratio is: The percentage point adjustment is: Not more than 25 −1 percentage points More than 25 but not more than 50 −0.5 percentage points More than 50 but not more than 100 zero More than 100 but not more than 150 +0.5 percentage points More than 150 but not more than 200 +1 percentage points More than 200 but not more than 250 +1.5 percentage points More than 250 but not more than 300 +2 percentage points More than 300 but not more than 400 +2.5 percentage points More than 400 +3 percentage points. (3) Definitions For purposes of this subsection— (A) Compensation ratio The compensation ratio for a taxable year means a ratio— (i) the numerator of which is the amount equal to the greater of the compensation of the chief operating officer or the highest paid employee of the taxpayer for the calendar year preceding the beginning of the taxable year, and (ii) the denominator of which is the amount equal to the median compensation of all employees employed by the taxpayer in the United States for the calendar year preceding the beginning of the taxable year. (B) Compensation (i) Employees In the case of employees of the taxpayer other than the chief operating officer or the highest paid employee, the term compensation (ii) CEO and highest paid employee In the case of the chief operating officer and the highest paid employee of the taxpayer, the term compensation (4) Special rule if contracted or foreign employee ratio increases (A) In general If— (i) the total number of full-time employees, determined on an annual full-time equivalent basis, employed by the taxpayer in the United States for a taxable year is reduced by more than 10 percent, as compared to the total number of full-time employees, determined on an annual full-time equivalent basis, employed by the taxpayer in the United States for the preceding taxable year, and (ii) the total number of contracted employees or foreign full-time employees, determined on an annual full-time equivalent basis, of the taxpayer for that taxable year has increased, as compared with the total number of contracted employees or foreign full-time employees, determined on an annual full-time equivalent basis, of the taxpayer for the preceding taxable year, then the applicable tax rate determined under paragraph (2) shall be increased by 50 percent. For taxpayers who first commence doing business during the taxable year, the number of full-time employees, contracted employees, and foreign full-time employees for the immediately preceding prior taxable year shall be zero. (B) Definitions For purposes of this paragraph— (i) Annual full-time equivalent The term annual full-time equivalent (I) in the case of a full-time employee paid hourly qualified wages, the total number of hours worked for the taxpayer by the employee, not to exceed 2,000 hours per employee, divided by 2,000, and (II) in the case of a salaried full-time employee, the total number of weeks worked for the taxpayer by the employee divided by 52. (ii) Contracted full-time employee The term contracted full-time employee (iii) Foreign full-time employee The term foreign full-time employee (iv) Full-time employee The term full-time employee (I) is paid compensation by the taxpayer for services of not less than an average of 35 hours per week, or (II) is a salaried employee of the taxpayer and is paid compensation during the taxable year for full-time employment. (5) Controlled groups For purposes of this subsection, all persons treated as a single employer under subsection (b), (c), (m) or (o) of section 414, shall be treated as one person. (6) Reports The taxpayer shall furnish such reports to the Secretary with respect to compensation and such other matters as the Secretary may require. The reports required by this subsection shall be filed at such time and in such manner as may be required by the Secretary. (7) Regulations The Secretary shall prescribe such regulations and other guidance as may be necessary or appropriate to carry out this subsection, including any guidelines regarding the determination of wages, average compensation, and compensation ratio. . (b) Effective date The amendment made by subsection (a) shall apply to taxable years beginning after the date of the enactment of this Act.

Summary: Student Borrower Fairness Act This bill amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to permit student loan borrowers to refinance their loans at interest rates offered on loans to banks by the Federal Reserve System. The cost of this bill is offset by an amendment to the Internal Revenue Code that increases the corporate income rate on companies that pay their chief executive officers or highest paid employees more than 100 times the median compensation of all their employees.