Title: Student Opportunity Act
Policy area: Education

Summary:
Student Opportunity Act
This bill amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to direct the Department of Education to establish a program to refinance the outstanding principal, interest, and late charges on Federal Direct Loans (DLs) and Federal Family Education Loans (FFELs) in order to give a borrower a fixed interest rate equal to the 10-year Treasury note rate plus .5 percentage point.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3346 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>






115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3346

  To provide for the refinancing and recalculation of certain Federal 
                 student loans, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 20, 2017

Mr. Lawson of Florida introduced the following bill; which was referred 
to the Committee on Education and the Workforce, and in addition to the 
Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined 
 by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as 
        fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To provide for the refinancing and recalculation of certain Federal 
                 student loans, and for other purposes.

    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 ``Student Opportunity Act''.

SEC. 2. REFINANCING PROGRAMS.

    (a) Program Authority.--Section 451(a) of the Higher Education Act 
of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1087a(a)) is amended--
            (1) by striking ``and (2)'' and inserting ``(2)''; and
            (2) by inserting ``; and (3) to make loans under section 
        460A'' after ``section 459A''.
    (b) Refinancing Program.--Part D of title IV of the Higher 
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1087a et seq.) is amended by adding at 
the end the following:

``SEC. 460A. REFINANCING FFEL AND FEDERAL DIRECT LOANS.

    ``(a) In General.--Beginning not later than 180 days after the date 
of enactment of the Student Opportunity Act, the Secretary shall 
establish a program under which the Secretary, upon the receipt of an 
application from a qualified borrower, reissues the borrower's original 
loan under this part or part B as a loan under this part, in accordance 
with the provisions of this section, in order to permit the borrower to 
obtain the interest rate provided under subsection (c).
    ``(b) Reissuing Loans.--
            ``(1) Federal direct loans.--Upon application of a 
        qualified borrower, the Secretary shall reissue a Federal 
        Direct Stafford Loan, a Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford 
        Loan, a Federal Direct PLUS Loan, or a Federal Direct 
        Consolidation Loan of the qualified borrower, for which the 
        first disbursement was made, or the application for the 
        reissuance of a loan under this section was received before 
        July 1, 2018, in an amount equal to the sum of--
                    ``(A) the unpaid principal, accrued unpaid 
                interest, and late charges of the original loan; and
                    ``(B) the administrative fee under subsection 
                (d)(3).
            ``(2) Discharging and reissuing ffel program loans as 
        refinanced federal direct loans.--Upon application of a 
        qualified borrower for any loan that was made, insured, or 
        guaranteed under part B and for which the first disbursement 
        was made before July 1, 2010, the Secretary shall reissue such 
        loan as a loan under this part, in an amount equal to the sum 
        of the unpaid principal, accrued unpaid interest, and late 
        charges of the original loan and the administrative fee under 
        subsection (d)(3), to the borrower in accordance with the 
        following:
                    ``(A) The Secretary shall pay the proceeds of such 
                reissued loan to the eligible lender of the loan made, 
                insured, or guaranteed under part B, in order to 
                discharge the borrower from any remaining obligation to 
                the lender with respect to the original loan.
                    ``(B) The Secretary shall reissue--
                            ``(i) a loan originally made, insured, or 
                        guaranteed under section 428 as a Federal 
                        Direct Stafford Loan;
                            ``(ii) a loan originally made, insured, or 
                        guaranteed under section 428B as a Federal 
                        Direct PLUS Loan;
                            ``(iii) a loan originally made, insured, or 
                        guaranteed under section 428H as a Federal 
                        Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loan; and
                            ``(iv) a loan originally made, insured, or 
                        guaranteed under section 428C as a Federal 
                        Direct Consolidation Loan.
                    ``(C) The interest rate for each loan reissued 
                under this paragraph shall be the rate provided under 
                subsection (c).
    ``(c) Interest Rate.--
            ``(1) In general.--The interest rate for the reissued 
        Federal Direct Stafford Loans, Federal Direct Unsubsidized 
        Stafford Loans, Federal Direct PLUS Loans, and Federal Direct 
        Consolidation Loans, shall be a rate equal to--
                    ``(A) the high yield of the 10-year Treasury note 
                auctioned at the final auction held prior to the first 
                day of the month in which the application for 
                reissuance under this section is received, plus
                    ``(B) .5 percent.
            ``(2) Fixed rate.--The applicable rate of interest 
        determined under paragraph (1) for a reissued loan under this 
        section shall be fixed for the period of the loan.
    ``(d) Terms and Conditions of Loans.--
            ``(1) In general.--A loan that is reissued under this 
        section shall have the same terms and conditions as the 
        original loan, except as otherwise provided in this section.
            ``(2) No automatic extension of repayment period.--
        Reissuing a loan under this section shall not result in the 
        extension of the duration of the repayment period of the loan, 
        and the borrower shall retain the same repayment term that was 
        in effect on the original loan. Nothing in this paragraph shall 
        be construed to prevent a borrower from electing a different 
        repayment plan at any time in accordance with section 
        455(d)(3).
            ``(3) Administrative fee.--The Secretary shall charge the 
        borrower of a loan reissued under this section an 
        administrative fee of not more than 0.5 percent of the sum of 
        the unpaid principal, accrued unpaid interest, and late 
        charges, of the original loan.
    ``(e) Definition of Qualified Borrower.--
            ``(1) In general.--The term `qualified borrower' means a 
        borrower--
                    ``(A) of a loan under this part or part B for which 
                the first disbursement was made, or the application for 
                reissuance under this section was received, before July 
                1, 2018; and
                    ``(B) who meets the eligibility requirements based 
                on income or debt-to-income ratio established by the 
                Secretary.
            ``(2) Income requirements.--Not later than 180 days after 
        the date of enactment of the Student Opportunity Act, the 
        Secretary shall establish eligibility requirements based on 
        income or debt-to-income ratio that take into consideration 
        providing access to refinancing under this section for 
        borrowers with the greatest financial need.
    ``(f) Expiration of Authority.--The Secretary's authority to 
reissue loans under this section shall expire on the date that is 
determined in accordance with the Student Opportunity Act.''.
    (c) Amendments to Public Service Repayment Plan Provisions.--
Section 455(m) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1087e(m)) 
is amended--
            (1) by redesignating paragraphs (3) and (4) as paragraphs 
        (4) and (5), respectively;
            (2) by inserting after paragraph (2) the following:
            ``(3) Special rules for section 460a loans.--
                    ``(A) Refinanced federal direct loans.--
                Notwithstanding paragraph (1), in determining the 
                number of monthly payments that meet the requirements 
                of such paragraph for an eligible Federal Direct Loan 
                reissued under section 460A that was originally a loan 
                under this part, the Secretary shall include all 
                monthly payments made on the original loan that meet 
                the requirements of such paragraph.
                    ``(B) Refinanced ffel loans.--In the case of an 
                eligible Federal Direct Loan reissued under section 
                460A that was originally a loan under part B, only 
                monthly payments made after the date on which the loan 
                was reissued may be included for purposes of paragraph 
                (1).''; and
            (3) in paragraph (4)(A) (as redesignated by paragraph (1) 
        of this subsection), by inserting ``(including any Federal 
        Direct Stafford Loan, Federal Direct PLUS Loan, Federal Direct 
        Unsubsidized Stafford Loan, or Federal Direct Consolidation 
        Loan reissued under section 460A)'' before the period at the 
        end.
    (d) Income-Based Repayment.--Section 493C of the Higher Education 
Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1098e) is amended by adding at the end the 
following:
    ``(f) Refinanced Federal Direct and FFEL Loans.--In calculating the 
period of time during which a borrower of a loan that is reissued under 
section 460A has made monthly payments for purposes of subsection 
(b)(7), the Secretary shall deem the period to include all monthly 
payments made for the original loan, and all monthly payments made for 
the reissued loan, that otherwise meet the requirements of this 
section.''.

SEC. 3. INTEREST RATES.

    (a) Interest Rates.--Section 455(b) of the Higher Education Act of 
1965 (20 U.S.C. 1087e(b)) is amended--
            (1) by redesignating paragraph (9) as paragraph (10); and
            (2) by inserting after paragraph (8) the following:
            ``(9) Interest rate provisions for new loans on or after 
        july 1, 2018.--
                    ``(A) Rates for undergraduate fdsl and fdusl.--
                Notwithstanding the preceding paragraphs of this 
                subsection, for Federal Direct Stafford Loans and 
                Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loans issued to 
                undergraduate students, for which the first 
                disbursement is made on or after July 1, 2018, the 
                applicable rate of interest shall, for loans disbursed 
                during any 12-month period beginning on July 1 and 
                ending on June 30, be determined on the preceding June 
                1 and be equal to the lesser of--
                            ``(i) a rate equal to--
                                    ``(I) the high yield of the 10-year 
                                Treasury note auctioned at the final 
                                auction held prior to such June 1, plus
                                    ``(II) .5 percent; or
                            ``(ii) 8.25 percent.
                    ``(B) Rates for graduate and professional fdusl.--
                Notwithstanding the preceding paragraphs of this 
                subsection, for Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford 
                Loans issued to graduate or professional students, for 
                which the first disbursement is made on or after July 
                1, 2018, the applicable rate of interest shall, for 
                loans disbursed during any 12-month period beginning on 
                July 1 and ending on June 30, be determined on the 
                preceding June 1 and be equal to the lesser of--
                            ``(i) a rate equal to--
                                    ``(I) the high yield of the 10-year 
                                Treasury note auctioned at the final 
                                auction held prior to such June 1, plus
                                    ``(II) .5 percent; or
                            ``(ii) 9.5 percent.
                    ``(C) Plus loans.--Notwithstanding the preceding 
                paragraphs of this subsection, for Federal Direct PLUS 
                Loans, for which the first disbursement is made on or 
                after July 1, 2018, the applicable rate of interest 
                shall, for loans disbursed during any 12-month period 
                beginning on July 1 and ending on June 30, be 
                determined on the preceding June 1 and be equal to the 
                lesser of--
                            ``(i) a rate equal to--
                                    ``(I) the high yield of the 10-year 
                                Treasury note auctioned at the final 
                                auction held prior to such June 1, plus
                                    ``(II) .5 percent; or
                            ``(ii) 10.5 percent.
                    ``(D) Consolidation loans.--Notwithstanding the 
                preceding paragraphs of this subsection, any Federal 
                Direct Consolidation Loan for which the application is 
                received on or after July 1, 2018, shall bear interest 
                at an annual rate on the unpaid principal balance of 
                the loan that is equal to the weighted average of the 
                interest rates on the loans consolidated, rounded to 
                the nearest higher one-eighth of one percent.
                    ``(E) Consultation.--The Secretary shall determine 
                the applicable rate of interest under this paragraph 
                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.
                    ``(F) Rate.--The applicable rate of interest 
                determined under this paragraph for a Federal Direct 
                Stafford Loan, a Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford 
                Loan, or a Federal Direct PLUS Loan shall be fixed for 
                the period of the loan.''.
    (b) In School Deferment.--Section 455(f) of the Higher Education 
Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1087e(f)) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (1), in the matter preceding subparagraph 
        (A), by striking ``A borrower'' and inserting ``Except as 
        provided in paragraph (5), a borrower''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
            ``(5) Special rule for in school deferment.--
        Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, a borrower 
        described in paragraph (2)(A) shall be eligible for a 
        deferment, during which periodic installments of principal need 
        not be paid, and interest--
                    ``(A) shall not accrue, in the case of a borrower 
                with an expected family contribution of not more than 
                $10,000 (computed in accordance with part F of this 
                title); and
                    ``(B) shall accrue at the rate equal to the high 
                yield of the 10-year Treasury note applicable to such 
                loan under subsection (b)(9), in the case of a borrower 
                of an unsubsidized loan with an expected family 
                contribution of more than $10,000 (computed in 
                accordance with part F of this title).''.
    (c) Effective Date.--The amendments made by subsections (a) and (b) 
shall take effect as if enacted on July 1, 2018.

SEC. 4. ELIMINATION OF ORIGINATION FEES FOR FEDERAL DIRECT LOANS.

    (a) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that no 
origination fees should be charged on any future Federal Direct Loans.
    (b) Repeal of Origination Fees.--Subsection (c) of section 455 of 
the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1087e(c)) is repealed.
    (c) Effective Date.--The amendment made by subsection (b) shall 
apply with respect to loans made under part D of title IV of the Higher 
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1087a et seq.) for which the first 
disbursement of principal is made, or, in the case of a Federal Direct 
Consolidation Loan, the application is received, on the first July 1 
after the date of enactment of this Act.

SEC. 5. MODIFICATION OF TREATMENT OF STUDENT LOAN FORGIVENESS.

    (a) In General.--Section 108(f) of the Internal Revenue Code of 
1986 is amended--
            (1) by striking paragraphs (1) and (2) and inserting the 
        following:
            ``(1) In general.--In the case of an individual, gross 
        income does not include any amount which (but for this 
        subsection) would be includible in gross income by reasons of 
        the discharge (in whole or in part) of--
                    ``(A) any loan provided expressly for postsecondary 
                educational expenses, regardless of whether provided 
                through the educational institution or directly to the 
                borrower, if such loan was made by--
                            ``(i) the United States, or an 
                        instrumentality or agency thereof,
                            ``(ii) a State, territory, or possession of 
                        the United States, or the District of Columbia, 
                        or any political subdivision thereof, or
                            ``(iii) any institution of higher 
                        education,
                    ``(B) any loan made by any educational organization 
                described in section 170(b)(1)(A)(ii) if such loan is 
                made--
                            ``(i) pursuant to an agreement with any 
                        entity described in subparagraph (A) under 
                        which the funds from which the loan was made 
                        were provided to such educational organization, 
                        or
                            ``(ii) pursuant to a program of such 
                        educational organization which is designed to 
                        encourage its students to serve in occupations 
                        with unmet needs or in areas with unmet needs 
                        and under which the services provided by the 
                        students (or former students) are for or under 
                        the direction of a governmental unit or an 
                        organization described in section 501(c)(3) and 
                        exempt from tax under section 501(a), or
                    ``(C) any loan made by an educational organization 
                described in section 170(b)(1)(A)(ii) or by an 
                organization exempt from tax under section 501(a) to 
                refinance a loan to an individual to assist the 
                individual in attending any such educational 
                organization but only if the refinancing loan is 
                pursuant to a program of the refinancing organization 
                which is designed as described in subparagraph 
                (C)(ii).'';
            (2) by redesignating paragraphs (3) and (4) as paragraphs 
        (2) and (3), respectively; and
            (3) in paragraph (2), as so redesignated, by striking 
        ``made by an organization described in paragraph (2)(D)'' and 
        inserting ``made by an organization described in paragraph 
        (1)(C)''.
    (b) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall 
apply to discharges of loans after December 31, 2017.
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