Strengthening Forgiveness for Public Servants Act

Bill: 113-s-2826
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Blumenthal, Richard [D-CT]
Introduced: 2014-09-16
Policy area: Education
Subjects: Child care and development

Family services

First responders and emergency personnel

Government employee pay, benefits, personnel management

Government lending and loan guarantees

Health personnel

Higher education

Interest, dividends, interest rates

Law enforcement officers

Lawyers and legal services

Military personnel and dependents

Social work, volunteer service, charitable organizations

Student aid and college costs

Tax-exempt organizations

Teaching, teachers, curricula
Latest action: action_date: 2014-09-16
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

Summaries:
action_date: 2014-09-16
action_desc: Introduced in Senate
text: <p>Strengthening Forgiveness for Public Servants Act - Amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to direct the Secretary of Education to cancel 15%, 15%, 20%, 20%, and 30% of the amount a borrower owes after 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 years of public service employment, respectively, on a William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan made after this Act's enactment. (Currently, the balance of a borrower's Direct Loan is cancelled if the borrower is not in default and has made 120 monthly payments on such loan while employed as a public service employee.)</p> <p>Requires borrowers availing themselves of such loan cancellation to submit an employment certification form that includes self-certification of employment and employer certification of employment dates. Places the borrower's loan in deferment during the period in which the borrower is employed in an eligible public service job if the borrower submits such form to the Secretary.</p> <p>Cancels the entire amount of interest on such a loan that accrues for any year in which a portion of the loan is cancelled under this Act.</p>

tv_txt: II 113th CONGRESS 2d Session S. 2826 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES September 16, 2014 Mr. Blumenthal (for himself and Ms. Warren ) 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 for a percentage of student loan forgiveness for public service employment, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Strengthening Forgiveness for Public Servants Act . 2. Public service loan forgiveness program Section 455(m) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 ( 20 U.S.C. 1087e(m) ) is amended— (1) in paragraph (1), in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by inserting , except as provided in paragraph (5), after on any eligible Federal Direct Loan not in default ; and (2) by adding at the end the following: (5) Loan cancellation for new loans (A) In general Beginning after the date of enactment of the Strengthening Forgiveness for Public Servants Act , after the conclusion of each employment period in a public service job, as described in subparagraph (B), the Secretary shall cancel the percent specified in such subparagraph of the total amount due on any eligible Federal Direct Loan made after the date of enactment of the Strengthening Forgiveness for Public Servants Act for a borrower who is employed in such public service job and submits an employment certification form described in subparagraph (C). (B) Percent amount The percent of a loan that shall be canceled under subparagraph (A) is as follows: (i) In the case of a borrower who completes 2 years of employment in a public service job, 15 percent of the total amount due on the eligible Federal Direct Loan on the date the borrower commenced employment in such public service job. (ii) In the case of a borrower who completes 4 years of employment in a public service job, 15 percent of the total amount due on the eligible Federal Direct Loan on the date the borrower commenced employment in such public service job. (iii) In the case of a borrower who completes 6 years of employment in a public service job, 20 percent of the total amount due on the eligible Federal Direct Loan on the date the borrower commenced employment in such public service job. (iv) In the case of a borrower who completes 8 years of employment in a public service job, 20 percent of the total amount due on the eligible Federal Direct Loan on the date the borrower commenced employment in such public service job. (v) In the case of a borrower who completes 10 years of employment in a public service job, 30 percent of the total amount due on the eligible Federal Direct Loan on the date the borrower commenced employment in such public service job. (C) Employment certification form (i) In general In order to receive loan cancellation under this paragraph, a borrower shall submit to the Secretary an employment certification form that is developed by the Secretary and includes self-certification of employment and a separate part for employer certification that indicates the dates of employment. (ii) Deferment If a borrower submits to the Secretary the employment certification form described in clause (i), during the period in which the borrower is employed in a public service job for which loan cancellation is eligible under this paragraph, the borrower's eligible Federal Direct Loan shall be placed in deferment. (D) Interest cancelled If a portion of a loan is canceled under this paragraph for any year, the entire amount of interest on such loan that accrues for such year shall be canceled. .