jiayi-li23/proxann_data huggingface dataset:
Topic: Education — Higher
Subject: Taxation
Date: 2015-07-23 00:00:00

Student Tax Relief Act of 2015

This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to exclude from the gross income of a student, for income tax purposes, imputed income due to a discharge of student loan indebtedness under provisions of the Higher Education Act of 1965 or in connection with the closure of an educational institution.
Topic: Education — Higher
Subject: Education
Date: 2015-07-28 00:00:00

Student Financial Aid Simplification Act

This bill amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to determine a student's financial need and federal financial aid eligibility by using tax return information, unless such student qualifies for the simplified needs test or a zero expected family contribution.

It amends the Internal Revenue Code to authorize the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to disclose certain tax return information to the Department of Education (ED). Students must submit to ED certain supplemental information not available from the IRS.

The bill requires ED to provide such tax return information to states and institutions of higher education, without charge, for use processing loan applications and determining institutional and state financial aid awards.
Topic: Education — Higher
Subject: Education
Date: 2015-07-29 00:00:00

Kids Before Cons Act

This bill amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to limit waiver authority of the Department of Education (ED) under the Experimental Sites Initiative.

Specifically, it prohibits ED from waiving statutory provisions that ban Pell Grant eligibility and federal financial aid for incarcerated students (e.g., as part of an experimental initiative to allow incarcerated students to receive Pell Grants for postsecondary education opportunities). The legislation also prohibits ED from awarding funds to an institution of higher education for providing such postsecondary education to incarcerated individuals.

ED must conduct and make publicly available a study that compares incarceration rates of: (1) private or charter school students who receive vouchers, and (2) traditional public school students.
Topic: Education — Higher
Subject: Education
Date: 2015-07-29 00:00:00

Teach Our Teachers Act

This bill amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to modify provisions of the teacher loan forgiveness program.

Specifically, the legislation reduces from five to three years the period of service a full-time teacher must complete consecutively to be eligible for forgiveness under the Federal Family Education Loan or Direct Loan program. It also increases from $5,000 to $17,500 the amount of available loan forgiveness for an elementary or secondary school teacher in any subject. (Currently, forgiveness up to $17,500 is only available for a full-time secondary school math or science teacher or for a special education teacher.)

The bill eliminates the prohibition on counting the same qualifying service for both the teacher and the public service loan forgiveness programs.
Topic: Education — Higher
Subject: Education
Date: 2015-07-29 00:00:00

Flexibility to Innovate for College Affordability Act 

This bill directs the Department of Education (ED) to establish the Higher Education Regulatory Reform Task Force to review, report on, and make recommendations to reduce, federal regulatory requirements for institutions of higher education (IHEs).

ED must publish the Higher Education Regulatory Reform Report; the President must submit a legislative proposal to implement its recommendations; and Congress must consider legislation to enact such recommendations under expedited procedures.

Additionally, this bill amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to expand ED's waiver authority under the Experimental Sites Initiative.

Specifically, it authorizes ED to waive title IV statutory and regulatory requirements to allow participating IHEs to award federal student aid: (1) above the annual maximum amount to students whose academic workload exceeds a full-time academic workload; and (2) to students enrolled in remedial or competency-based programs, students or potential students who incur costs (e.g., test fees) for prior learning assessments, and high school students enrolled in a postsecondary education program. A participating IHE must demonstrate that a waiver reduces the total cost of attendance for such students.
Topic: Education — Higher
Subject: Education
Date: 2015-07-29 00:00:00

Safe Campus Act of 2015

This bill amends title I (General Provisions) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA) to establish requirements with respect to sexual violence allegations at institutions of higher education (IHEs).

An IHE that receives HEA funds, except a foreign institution, must provide support services to affected students and annual training to relevant personnel.

If an IHE receives a sexual violence allegation and written consent to proceed from the alleged victim, then the IHE must report and refer the allegation to local law enforcement. An IHE may not initiate an institutional disciplinary proceeding during a law enforcement investigation, except to impose certain interim sanctions (e.g., a class schedule adjustment).

The requirement to report and refer a sexual violence allegation does not apply if an alleged victim provides written notification to an IHE declining law enforcement involvement. In such case, an IHE may not initiate a disciplinary proceeding, including to impose interim sanctions.

This bill prohibits an IHE from imposing a sanction on a person, including a student organization (e.g., a fraternity or sorority), with respect to alleged sexual violence, except pursuant to a formal hearing in accordance with institutional disciplinary proceedings. It specifies due process requirements for such proceedings, permits an IHE to select the applicable standard of proof, and directs an IHE to publish applicable procedures in its student handbook.

It also prohibits an IHE from requiring a sorority or fraternity to: (1) admit members who do not meet membership requirements, or (2) waive its coverage exemption under title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972 (title IX prohibits sex discrimination in federally funded education programs and activities) as a disciplinary or punitive measure.
Topic: Education — Higher
Subject: Education
Date: 2015-07-29 00:00:00

Fair Campus Act of 2015

This bill amends title I (General Provisions) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA) to establish requirements with respect to sexual violence allegations at institutions of higher education (IHEs).

An IHE that receives HEA funds, except a foreign institution, must provide support services to affected students and annual training to relevant personnel.

This bill prohibits an IHE from imposing sanctions on a person, including a student organization (e.g., a fraternity or sorority), with respect to alleged sexual violence, except pursuant to a formal hearing in accordance with institutional disciplinary proceedings. It specifies due process requirements for such proceedings, permits an IHE to select the applicable standard of proof, and directs an IHE to publish applicable procedures in its student handbook.

 An IHE may initiate an institutional disciplinary proceeding to impose certain interim sanctions (e.g., a class schedule adjustment).

It also prohibits an IHE from requiring a sorority or fraternity to: (1) admit members who do not meet membership requirements, or (2) waive its coverage exemption under title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972 (title IX prohibits sex discrimination in federally funded education programs and activities) as a disciplinary or punitive measure.
Topic: Education — Higher
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Date: 2015-07-29 00:00:00

Support for Student Veterans with Families Act

This bill authorizes the Department of Veterans Affairs to make up to 50 grants in FY2016 to eligible educational institutions to provide child care services on campus for student veterans.
Topic: Education — Higher
Subject: Education
Date: 2015-07-29 00:00:00

Investing in Student Success Act of 2015

This bill authorizes an individual (i.e., a student) and another person (i.e., an investor) to enter an income-share agreement (ISA) in which the student agrees to pay a percentage of future income, for a specified period of time, in exchange for funds to pay for postsecondary educational expenses.

An ISA that complies with specified terms and conditions and meets certain disclosure requirements is a valid, binding, and enforceable contract and is not subject to state laws that limit interest rates or regulate assignments of future income.

The bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to include an ISA as a qualified education loan (a qualified education loan is not dischargeable in bankruptcy), but it prohibits a tax deduction for interest paid on an ISA (interest paid on a qualified education loan is tax deductible).

Payments to a student under an ISA are not includible as: (1) gross income for tax purposes, or (2) income or assets for federal financial aid eligibility purposes under the Higher Education Act of 1965.

The bill amends the Investment Company Act of 1940 to exclude as an investment company any person whose business substantially consists of making ISAs.
Topic: Education — Higher
Subject: Education
Date: 2015-09-08 00:00:00

Simplifying Financial Aid for Students Act of 2015

 This bill amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to require the Department of Education (ED) to provide for the use of tax information from the second preceding tax year (the "prior, prior year") to determine a student's financial aid eligibility. It requires data sharing between the Internal Revenue Service and ED, pursuant to taxpayer consent.

 The bill also increases from $23,000 to $30,000 the adjusted gross income threshold used to determine whether a student qualifies for an automatic zero expected family contribution (EFC) in the calculation of such student's financial need. A dependent student is eligible for an automatic zero EFC if the student's parents have adjusted gross income up to $30,000. An independent student with non-spouse dependents is eligible for a zero EFC if the student and spouse have adjusted gross income up to $30,000.
Topic: Education — Higher
Subject: Education
Date: 2015-09-08 00:00:00

Student Debt Repayment Fairness Act of 2015

Amends the Truth in Lending Act to prohibit a private educational lender from accelerating the repayment terms of the outstanding obligation of a borrower in good standing with respect to a particular private education loan if a cosigner jointly liable on the loan is unable to fulfill any obligations with respect to it by reason of death or disability.
Topic: Education — Higher
Subject: Finance and financial sector
Date: 2015-09-08 00:00:00

Student Loan Bankruptcy Parity Act of 2015

This bill amends the federal bankruptcy code to eliminate the provision that makes certain education debts non-dischargeable in bankruptcy unless repayment imposes an undue hardship.

Specifically it permits a borrower to discharge in bankruptcy a nonprofit, government, or private student loan, or an obligation to repay an educational benefit, scholarship, or stipend.
Topic: Education — Higher
Subject: Taxation
Date: 2015-09-08 00:00:00

Scholarship Tax Relief for Students Act of 2015

The Internal Revenue Code allows an exclusion from gross income for amounts received as a scholarship if such amounts are used to pay for qualified tuition and related expenses. This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to include in the definition of "qualified tuition and related expenses" the room and board expenses of a full-time student and expenses payable under a Federal Pell Grant.
Topic: Education — Higher
Subject: Education
Date: 2015-09-10 00:00:00

Christopher Bryski Student Loan Protection Act or Christopher's Law

This bill amends the Truth in Lending Act to require a private student loan lender to disclose clearly and conspicuously in writing a cosigner's obligations regarding a private student loan. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) must publish a model form for such disclosure.

 The bill prohibits a private student loan lender from taking an adverse action against a borrower (e.g., placing a loan in default or accelerating a loan balance) upon a cosigner's death, disability, or bankruptcy. It also prohibits adverse actions against a cosigner for a borrower's death, disability, or bankruptcy.

 The CFPB must establish and a private student loan lender must disclose criteria for releasing a cosigner from a private student loan obligation.

A private student loan lender must also:

 provide prompt notice of a cosigner's release; allow a borrower to designate a legal representative to make decisions upon the death or disability of such borrower; and ensure a borrower and cosigner receive comprehensive counseling on the terms, conditions, and responsibilities of a private student loan. Additionally, this bill amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to expand the required elements of entrance counseling for a federal student loan borrower to include:

 conditions for loan discharge upon the death or disability of a borrower, options for loan repayment and forgiveness upon the death or disability of a borrower or cosigner, and obligations of a borrower or cosigner upon the death or disability of a borrower. It requires clear and conspicuous disclosure of a student's option to designate a legal representative to make decisions about a federal student loan upon such student's death or disability.
Topic: Education — Higher
Subject: Education
Date: 2015-09-16 00:00:00

Pell Grant Restoration Act of 2015

 This bill amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to restore a student's Pell Grant eligibility for any period of time during which the student qualified for, or would have qualified for, federal student loan forgiveness due to school closure, assertion of a defense against repayment, or institutional fraud or misconduct.

Specifically, this bill provides that Pell Grants received by a student during that period of time do not count toward the student's lifetime limit on Pell Grant eligibility (currently 12 full-time semesters).
Topic: Education — Higher
Subject: Education
Date: 2015-09-17 00:00:00

Ravi Thackurdeen Safe Students Study Abroad Act This bill amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to modify campus security reporting requirements for an institution of higher education (IHE) that participates in federal student aid programs.

Currently, an IHE must annually report data to the Department of Education on certain criminal offenses that occur in the following geographic categories: on campus, on campus in a residential facility, on noncampus property, and on public property. This bill expands the geographic categories of reportable offenses to also include crimes that occur while a student is participating in an approved study abroad program.

Additionally, it requires an IHE to develop and distribute, as part of its annual security report provided to students and employees, a statement that it has adopted and implemented a program to protect students participating in an approved study abroad program from crime and harm.
Topic: Education — Higher
Subject: Education
Date: 2015-09-24 00:00:00

(This measure has not been amended since it was passed by the Senate on December 16, 2015. The summary of that version is repeated here.)

Federal Perkins Loan Program Extension Act of 2015

(Sec. 2) This bill amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to extend the authority of institutions of higher education (IHEs) to disburse Federal Perkins Loans to new undergraduate borrowers through September 30, 2017. A student must first exhaust Federal Direct Subsidized and Unsubsidized Stafford Loan eligibility.

IHEs may continue to disburse Perkins Loans to current undergraduate borrowers through September 30, 2017. A student must first exhaust all Federal Direct Subsidized Stafford Loan eligibility.

IHEs may continue to disburse Perkins Loans to certain graduate borrowers through September 30, 2016, to enable students to continue or complete an academic program. A student must have received a Perkins loan prior to October 1, 2015.

The bill prohibits Perkins Loan disbursement beyond September 30, 2017.

It also prohibits authorization of additional appropriations for the Federal Perkins Loan program beyond September 30, 2016.

Beginning October 1, 2017, each participating IHE must pay to the Department of Education: (1) a portion of the federal share of the balance of its Perkins Loan funds; (2) a portion of the Perkins student loan payments, including principal and interest, received by the institution; and (3) a capital distribution from its Perkins Loan fund.

(Sec. 3) The bill also expands disclosure requirements for IHEs that participate in the Federal Perkins Loan program.

Specifically, prior to Perkins Loan disbursement, an IHE must provide notice and explanation to all borrowers regarding unavailability of future Perkins loans, limited Perkins loan repayment and forgiveness options, and Direct Loan consolidation options. Also, an IHE must provide notice and explanation to new and current undergraduate borrowers regarding a comparison of Perkins and Direct loan interest rates.
Topic: Education — Higher
Subject: Taxation
Date: 2015-09-28 00:00:00

Fairness and Opportunities for Married Households With Student Loans Act

This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to increase to $5,000 the tax deduction for interest on education loans for married couples filing a joint tax return.
Topic: Education — Higher
Subject: Education
Date: 2015-09-28 00:00:00

Student Loan Debt Protection Act of 2015

This bill amends the federal bankruptcy code to permit a borrower to discharge in bankruptcy a nonprofit, government, or private student loan, or an obligation to repay an educational benefit, scholarship, or stipend.

It amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to reinstate the six-year statute of limitations on actions to recover on defaulted student loans.

The bill prohibits collecting the amount owed on a defaulted federal student loan through: (1) offsets of social security, railroad retirement, or black lung benefits; (2) offsets of tax refunds; or (3) wage garnishment. It amends the Internal Revenue Code to exclude from an individual's gross income: (1) discharged student loan debt, and (2) income distributions from qualified tuition plans that are used to pay the interest or principal on student loans.

The bill makes parent PLUS loans eligible for income-contingent repayment plans, including the Pay As You Earn repayment plan. Additionally, it makes parent PLUS loans and consolidation loans that repay parent PLUS loans eligible for income-based repayment plans and loan forgiveness for service in areas of national need.

It prohibits: (1) evidence of an individual's default on a federal student loan from being used in a federal or state proceeding involving the individual's professional or vocational license, and (2) an institution of higher education from blocking access to a student's records due to federal student loan default.

Finally, the bill modifies the public service loan forgiveness program to require the Department of Education to forgive 50% of the Direct loan balance for an eligible borrower who is employed in a public service job and makes 60 monthly payments after October 1, 2015.
Topic: Education — Higher
Subject: Taxation
Date: 2015-10-01 00:00:00

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.
Topic: Education — Higher
Subject: Education
Date: 2015-10-06 00:00:00

Preserving Teacher Loan Forgiveness for Military Spouses Act of 2015

This bill amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to modify the qualifying service requirement of the teacher loan forgiveness program for certain military spouses.

Under current law, an otherwise qualified full-time teacher must complete five consecutive years of service to be eligible for the teacher loan forgiveness program. This bill permits a teacher who completes five full-time years of non-consecutive service to be eligible for loan forgiveness if the teacher was a qualified military spouse during any break in teaching service.

A qualified military spouse is an individual who: (1) is a highly-qualified teacher at a high-need school, (2) is the spouse of a servicemember, (3) experienced a break in teaching service to relocate with servicemember spouse pursuant to military orders, and (4) resumed teaching the next academic year.

The Department of Education must report to Congress on the number of individuals impacted by this modification.
Topic: Education — Higher
Subject: Education
Date: 2015-10-06 00:00:00

Earnings Contingent Education Loans Act of 2015 or the ExCEL Act of 2015 

This bill amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to replace several existing federal student loan programs with a single repayment plan that caps annual debt repayments based on the borrower's income.

The bill terminates the authority of the Department of Education (ED) to make federal Direct Stafford Loans, Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loans, and Direct PLUS loans, subject to exceptions for existing student borrowers, PLUS loans made to parents of undergraduates, and Direct Consolidation Loans.

To replace the programs, the bill establishes the Income Dependent Education Assistance (IDEA) Loan Program and the IDEA Loan Repayment Program, which limit annual repayments based on the borrower's income and prohibit the accrual of interest on loans for active duty service members. Loans under the program are not eligible for the federal public service loan forgiveness program.

ED must provide through the Internet a tool to enable borrowers to make payments and access specified details regarding loans.

The bill amends the Social Security Act (SSAct) to provide ED with access to information in the National Directory of New Hires to determine when borrowers are hired and remind them of their repayment status and obligation to provide accurate employment information.

The bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to require: (1) reporting on W-2 forms the total amount deducted and withheld under the IDEA Loan Repayment Program, and (2) the Department of the Treasury to disclose to ED tax return information necessary to carry out the IDEA Loan Repayment Program.