Title: Terrorism Survivors Student Loan Deferment Act
Policy area: Education

Summary:
Terrorism Survivors Student Loan Deferment Act
This bill amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to allow a borrower who is a victim of a terrorist attack to defer (i.e., suspend repayments on) student loans made under the Federal Family Education Loan, Federal Direct Loan, and Federal Perkins Loan programs.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 149 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 149

   To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to provide student loan 
              deferment for victims of terrorist attacks.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            January 17, 2017

   Mr. Rubio 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 student loan 
              deferment for victims of terrorist attacks.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Terrorism Survivors Student Loan 
Deferment Act''.

SEC. 2. STUDENT LOAN DEFERMENT FOR VICTIMS OF TERRORIST ATTACKS.

    (a) Terms of Federally Insured Student Loans.--Section 427(a)(2)(C) 
of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1077(a)(2)(C)) is 
amended--
            (1) in clause (ii), by striking ``or'' after the semicolon;
            (2) in clause (iii), by inserting ``or'' after the 
        semicolon; and
            (3) by inserting after clause (iii) the following:
                            ``(iv) not in excess of 1 year due to the 
                        borrower being a victim of a terrorist 
                        attack;''.
    (b) FFEL Program.--Section 428(b) of the Higher Education Act of 
1965 (20 U.S.C. 1078(b)) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (1)(M)--
                    (A) in clause (iii), by striking ``or (II); or'' 
                and inserting ``or (II);'';
                    (B) in clause (iv), by inserting ``or'' after the 
                semicolon; and
                    (C) by adding at the end the following:
                            ``(v) not in excess of 1 year due to the 
                        borrower being a victim of a terrorist attack 
                        as described in paragraph (10);''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(10) Deferment for victims of terrorist attacks.--For 
        purposes of deferment under paragraph (1)(M)(v), a victim of a 
        terrorist attack is an individual who is designated as a victim 
        of a terrorist attack by the head of the Federal agency that is 
        handling the investigation of the attack.''.
    (c) Direct Loans.--Section 455 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 
(20 U.S.C. 1087e) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (e)(7)(B)(i), by inserting ``or due to 
        the borrower being a victim of a terrorist attack'' after 
        ``section 435(o)''; and
            (2) in subsection (f)--
                    (A) in paragraph (2)--
                            (i) in subparagraph (C), by striking 
                        ``clause (i) or (ii); or'' and inserting 
                        ``clause (i) or (ii);'';
                            (ii) in subparagraph (D), by striking the 
                        period at the end and inserting ``; or''; and
                            (iii) by adding at the end the following:
                    ``(E) not in excess of 1 year due to the borrower 
                being a victim of a terrorist attack as described in 
                paragraph (5).''; and
                    (B) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(5) Deferment for victims of terrorist attacks.--For 
        purposes of deferment under paragraph (2)(E), a victim of a 
        terrorist attack is an individual who is designated as a victim 
        of a terrorist attack by the head of the Federal agency that is 
        handling the investigation of the attack.''.
    (d) Federal Perkins Loans.--Section 464(c)(2) of the Higher 
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1087dd(c)(2)) is amended--
            (1) in subparagraph (A)--
                    (A) in clause (iv), by striking ``or'' after the 
                semicolon;
                    (B) in clause (v), by inserting ``or'' after the 
                semicolon; and
                    (C) by inserting after clause (v) the following:
                            ``(vi) not in excess of 1 year due to the 
                        borrower being a victim of a terrorist attack 
                        as described in subparagraph (D);''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(D) For purposes of deferment under subparagraph (A)(vi), 
        a victim of a terrorist attack is an individual who is 
        designated as a victim of a terrorist attack by the head of the 
        Federal agency that is handling the investigation of the 
        attack.''.
    (e) Designating Victims of Terrorist Attacks.--The head of the 
Federal agency that is handling the investigation of a terrorist 
attack, or has handled the investigation of a terrorist attack, shall 
designate the individuals who are victims of such terrorist attack.
    (f) Anti-Fraud Protections.--The Secretary of Education shall 
establish anti-fraud protections in carrying out the amendments made by 
this Act.
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