I 
118TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 9753 
To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to provide relief for borrowers 
of Federal Direct PLUS loans made on behalf of students. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
SEPTEMBER 23, 2024 
Ms. ADAMS (for herself, Ms. WATERS, Ms. TLAIB, and Mr. DAVIS of Illinois) 
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
Education and the Workforce 
A BILL 
To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to provide 
relief for borrowers of Federal Direct PLUS loans made 
on behalf of students. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Parent Plus Parity 
Act’’. 
SEC. 2. RELIEF FOR BORROWERS OF FEDERAL DIRECT 
PLUS LOANS MADE ON BEHALF OF STU-
DENTS. 
(a) EXPANSION OF REPAYMENT PLAN OPTIONS.— 
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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 dis-
charge the liability on such Federal Direct 
PLUS Loan or a loan under section 428B 
made on behalf of a dependent student’’; 
and 
(D) in section 493C— 
(i) by striking subsection (a) and in-
serting the following: 
‘‘(a) DEFINITION
OF PARTIAL FINANCIAL HARD-
SHIP.—In this section, the term ‘partial financial hard-
ship’, when used with respect to a borrower, means that 
for such borrower— 
‘‘(1) the annual amount due on the total 
amount of loans made, insured, or guaranteed under 
part B or D to a borrower as calculated under the 
standard 
repayment 
plan 
under 
section 
428(b)(9)(A)(i) or 455(d)(1)(A), based on a 10-year 
repayment period; exceeds 
‘‘(2) 15 percent of the result obtained by calcu-
lating, on at least an annual basis, the amount by 
which— 
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‘‘(A) the borrower’s, and the borrower’s 
spouse’s (if applicable), adjusted gross income; 
exceeds 
‘‘(B) 150 percent of the poverty line appli-
cable to the borrower’s family size as deter-
mined under section 673(2) of the Community 
Services 
Block 
Grant 
Act 
(42 
U.S.C. 
9902(2)).’’; 
(ii) 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)’’; and 
(III) in paragraph (7), by strik-
ing ‘‘(other than a loan under section 
428B or a Federal Direct PLUS 
Loan)’’; and 
(iii) in subsection (c)— 
(I) in paragraph (1), by striking 
‘‘(other than an excepted PLUS loan 
or excepted consolidation loan)’’; and 
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(II) in paragraph (2)(B), by 
striking ‘‘(other than an excepted 
PLUS loan or excepted consolidation 
loan)’’; and 
(iv) in subsection (e), by striking 
‘‘2014—’’ and all that follows through the 
period at the end and inserting ‘‘2014, 
subsection (a)(3)(B) shall be applied by 
substituting ‘10 percent’ for ‘15 percent’.’’. 
(2) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in the 
amendments made under paragraph (1) shall be con-
strued to authorize any refunding of any repayment 
of a loan. 
(b) DISCHARGE FOR TOTAL AND PERMANENT DIS-
ABILITY.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.— 
(A) PART B.—Section 437(a) of the High-
er Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1087(a)) 
is amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(4) DISCHARGE OF PARENT PLUS LOANS FOR 
TOTAL
AND
PERMANENT
DISABILITY
OF
STU-
DENT.—Notwithstanding any other provision of this 
Act, the Secretary shall discharge the liability on a 
loan made under section 428B on behalf of a stu-
dent by repaying the amount owed on the loan, if 
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the student becomes permanently and totally dis-
abled (as determined in accordance with regulations 
of the Secretary).’’. 
(B) PART D.—Section 455 of the Higher 
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1087e) is 
amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(q) DISCHARGE
OF PARENT PLUS LOANS
FOR 
TOTAL
AND PERMANENT DISABILITY
OF STUDENT.— 
Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, the Sec-
retary shall discharge the liability on a Federal Direct 
PLUS loan made on behalf of a student, if the student 
becomes permanently and totally disabled (as determined 
in accordance with regulations of the Secretary).’’. 
(2) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in the 
amendments made under paragraph (1) shall be con-
strued to authorize any refunding of any repayment 
of a loan. 
(c) ELIGIBILITY FOR PUBLIC SERVICE LOAN FOR-
GIVENESS FOR PARENT PLUS LOANS.—Section 455(m) of 
the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1087e(m)) 
is amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(5) PARENT PLUS LOAN.—The Secretary shall 
cancel the balance of interest and principal due on 
a Federal Direct PLUS loan made on behalf of a 
student after the date of enactment of the Parent 
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Plus Parity Act, if the student is a borrower for 
whom the Secretary has cancelled the obligation to 
repay the balance of principal and interest due on an 
eligible Federal Direct Loan under this subsection.’’. 
(d) AUTOMATIC DISCHARGE.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.— 
(A) PART B.—Section 437(c) of the High-
er Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1087(c)) 
is amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(6) AUTOMATIC
DISCHARGE
FOR
PARENT 
PLUS LOANS.—If a student on whose behalf a parent 
has received a loan described in section 428B is a 
borrower for whom a loan has been discharged pur-
suant to this subsection, then the Secretary shall 
automatically discharge the parent borrower’s liabil-
ity on the loan described in section 428B by repay-
ing the amount owed on the loan.’’. 
(B) PART D.—Section 455(h) of the High-
er Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1087e(h)) 
is amended— 
(i) by striking ‘‘Notwithstanding’’ and 
inserting the following: 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding’’; and 
(ii) by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
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‘‘(2) AUTOMATIC
DISCHARGE
FOR
PARENT 
PLUS LOANS.—If a student on whose behalf a parent 
has received a Federal Direct PLUS Loan is a bor-
rower for whom a loan made under this part has 
been discharged pursuant to a defense to repayment, 
then the Secretary shall automatically discharge the 
parent borrower’s liability on the Federal Direct 
PLUS Loan.’’. 
(2) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in the 
amendments made under paragraph (1) shall be con-
strued to authorize any refunding of any repayment 
of a loan. 
(e) DISCHARGE FOR HARDSHIP.— 
(1) PART B.—Section 437 of the Higher Edu-
cation Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1087) is amended by 
adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(e) DISCHARGE
OF PARENT PLUS LOANS
FOR 
HARDSHIP.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding any other 
provision of this Act, the Secretary shall discharge 
the liability on a loan made under section 428B on 
behalf of a student by repaying the amount owed on 
the loan, if the Secretary determines that the parent 
borrower has experienced hardship or may experi-
ence future hardship as a result of such a loan. 
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