zli12321/Bills huggingface dataset:
University Regulation Streamlining and Harmonization Act of 2016

This bill directs the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to establish a Research Policy Board to review proposed federal regulations, as well as major policies and guidance governing the conduct of scientific and engineering research, at specified research institutions.

The President shall appoint an Associate Administrator for the Academic Research Enterprise from within the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, who shall serve as a liaison between such office and the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP).

OMB shall exempt prime grant-receiving institutions from the monitoring of a subrecipient's single audit of institutional systems and business practices if certain circumstances exist. A single audit is an audit of a non-federal entity that includes its financial statements and federal awards.

The threshold for purchases by research institutions using federal grant funds without requiring competitive quotations shall be at least $10,000.

The OSTP shall establish a working group within the National Science and Technology Council to coordinate federal research funding agency policies in developing a central database of researcher information for research institutions to use when applying for research grants from federal scientific funding agencies.

OMB shall periodically review estimates of the hours spent by research institutions in meeting the burdens imposed by federal research funding agencies under the Paperwork Reduction Act.

The America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010 is amended to require the interagency public access committee to examine the procedures of federal science agencies in furnishing public access to the results of federally funded research and identify methods for reducing the burdens of compliance placed on those affected by agency public access policies.

Date: 2016-06-24
Topic: Education (Higher)
Subject: Science, technology, communications
This bill permits veterans to use Department of Veterans Affairs post-9/11 educational assistance for an accredited independent study program (including open circuit television) at an educational institution that is an area career and technical education school or a postsecondary vocational school providing postsecondary level education.

Date: 2016-06-28
Topic: Education (Higher)
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Underwater Student Borrowers Act

This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to the exclusion from gross income of income attributable to the discharge of student loan indebtedness, to: (1) include indebtedness discharged due to income-contingent and income-based repayment plans, the death or disability of the borrower, or the closing of an educational institution; and (2) revise the definition of "student loan" to mean a loan made by any lender, including a loan for the refinancing of an existing loan.

Date: 2016-07-01
Topic: Education (Higher)
Subject: Taxation
Grace Period Alleviation Act or the GPA Act

This bill amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to allow a borrower of a Federal Direct Stafford Loan (whether subsidized or unsubsidized) to elect a one-year grace period before beginning repayment on the loan.

The Department of Education, through a loan modification process, must pay to each borrower who received a Federal Direct Stafford Loan for which the first disbursement was made between July 1, 2012, and July 1, 2014, an amount equal to the amount of interest that accrued on the loan prior to the beginning of the repayment period.

Date: 2016-07-05
Topic: Education (Higher)
Subject: Education
Coding Technology Improvements Act

This bill amends title VII (Graduate and Postsecondary Improvement Programs) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to modify provisions related to grants under the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE) program.

Specifically, this bill expands the areas of national need for FIPSE program special project grants to include support for innovative technology partnerships between institutions of higher education and nontraditional providers that offer education programs on coding, high-technology software, or computer science.

Date: 2016-07-08
Topic: Education (Higher)
Subject: Education
Promoting Readiness through Early Pell Act of 2016 or the PREP Act of 2016

This bill amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 by allowing a Federal Pell Grant to be awarded to a student who is dually or concurrently enrolled at a public institution of higher education and a secondary school.

Date: 2016-07-08
Topic: Education (Higher)
Subject: Education
Fair Treatment of Scholarships Act of 2016 

This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to modify the provision which excludes from the gross income of a student any amount that is received as a qualified scholarship used for qualified tuition and related expenses.

The bill expands the exclusion to: (1) permit the scholarship to be used for room and board costs for which there is an allowance under the Higher Education Act of 1965; and (2) to specify that "qualified tuition and related expenses" include fees, books, supplies, and equipment required for research at the educational organization.

The amount included in qualified tuition and related expenses for research not required for a course of instruction may not exceed $300 per year, adjusted for inflation after 2016.

Date: 2016-07-12
Topic: Education (Higher)
Subject: Taxation
Letter of Estimated Annual Debt for Students Act of 2016 or the LEADS Act of 2016

This bill amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 by requiring institutions of higher education to provide to each student with education loans for attending the institution an estimate of student loan borrowing costs, including: (1) the cumulative balance of education loans owed by the student, (2) the amount of new education loans expected to be disbursed during the year, (3) the projected cumulative balance of education loans that will be owed by the student after the student graduates, and (4) projected monthly payments to repay the loans. The estimates must be given to students before each academic year succeeding the one for which a loan was first received.

Date: 2016-07-13
Topic: Education (Higher)
Subject: Education
Degrees Not Debt Act

This bill amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to establish a federal-state partnership to promote state investment in public higher education.

It directs the Department of Education to award matching block grants to states to reduce tuition costs and support the enrollment, retention, and degree completion of low-income students at public institutions of higher education. A state that receives a grant must waive any unmet financial need for certain low-income students, maintain or increase per-student operating support, maintain state-based financial aid levels, and limit tuition increases at public institutions of higher education.

The bill prohibits the use of grant funds to increase an institution's endowment or to modernize, renovate, or repair athletic facilities.

Date: 2016-07-13
Topic: Education (Higher)
Subject: Education
Pell Grant Flexibility Act of 2016

 This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to exclude from gross income any amount received as a Federal Pell Grant awarded under the Higher Education Act of 1965.

Date: 2016-07-13
Topic: Education (Higher)
Subject: Taxation
File Once FAFSA Act of 2016

This bill amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to revise the Free Application for Federal Student Aid process for low-income students applying for Federal Pell Grants. Specifically, the bill allows dependent students to apply for aid once. Thus, students who receive Pell Grants need not apply again in subsequent years, unless they become independent of their family.

Date: 2016-07-14
Topic: Education (Higher)
Subject: Education
Standardization of Collegiate Oversight of Revenues and Expenditures Act or the SCORE Act

 This bill amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to require each coeducational institution of higher education (IHE) that is participating in a title IV program and has an intercollegiate athletic program to include in its annual report on its intercollegiate athletic program: (1) the amount of revenue generated by each item on a list of categorized sources, disaggregated by each sports team; and (2) the expenses attributable to each item on a list of categorized activities or obligations, disaggregated by each sports team.

The bill prohibits an IHE from being a member of any intercollegiate athletic association or participating in any national intercollegiate athletics competition organized by any person, unless the association or person annually reports and disaggregates by sport, athletic event, or contract, as applicable: (1) the total generated revenue and amount of revenue generated by each item on a list of categorized sources, (2) the amount of expenses attributable to each item on a list of categorized activities or obligations, and (3) executive compensation schedules.

The Department of Education (ED) must: (1) define the categories of information that must be reported; and (2) biannually review and, as necessary, update each definition in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles or significant changes in the national system of intercollegiate athletics.

ED must: (1) appoint a task force made up of representatives from division I, II, and III schools in the National Collegiate Athletic Association, and (2) consult with the task force when reviewing or updating the definitions.

Date: 2016-07-14
Topic: Education (Higher)
Subject: Education
Match Veterans to Student Loan Protections Act

This bill amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to modify the federal student loan discharge process for a veteran who has a total and permanent disability.

Specifically, it directs the Department of Education (ED) and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to implement a computer matching program for ED to identify the borrowers who have been assigned a service-connected disability rating of 100% by the VA.

ED must notify such borrowers of their eligibility for federal student loan discharge and provide simple instructions for applying.

Date: 2016-07-14
Topic: Education (Higher)
Subject: Education
Transparency in Student Lending Act

This bill amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to expand disclosure requirements for an institution of higher education (IHE) that participates in the Direct Loan program. Specifically, it requires an IHE to disclose, in federal student loan application materials, the annual percentage rate applicable to a Direct Loan.

Date: 2016-07-14
Topic: Education (Higher)
Subject: Education
Gandhi-King Scholarly Exchange Initiative Act of 2016 

This bill authorizes the Department of State to carry out, in cooperation with the government of India, the Gandhi-King Scholarly Exchange Initiative comprised of educational, scholarly, and professional exchange programs, including:

 an annual public diplomacy forum for scholars from the United States and India that focuses on the legacies of Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr.; a professional development training initiative for government employees to develop international conflict solutions based on the principles of nonviolence developed in consultation with the president and chief executive officer of the United States Institute of Peace, the Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs of the Department of State, and U.S. cooperating partners; and an undergraduate, graduate, and post-graduate student exchange for students to study the history and legacies of Martin Luther King, Jr., and Mahatma Gandhi, visit historic sites in India and the United States that were integral to the American civil rights movement and the Indian independence movement, and research and develop papers on the importance of peace, nonviolence, and reconciliation in current conflict regions.

Date: 2016-07-14
Topic: Education (Higher)
Subject: International affairs
Know Your Repayment Options Act

This bill amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to require the Department of Education (ED) to annually give federal student loan borrowers who have graduated or departed from school detailed information, including monthly amount and lifetime payment amount, for each repayment option available to the borrower. To provide this individualized information to borrowers, ED must establish a process for annual verification of the borrower's annual income and the outstanding balance of principal and interest due on federal loans. Borrowers may opt out of being provided this information.

Date: 2016-07-14
Topic: Education (Higher)
Subject: Education
Strengthening Forgiveness for Public Servants Act

This bill amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to direct the Department of Education (ED) 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 bill's enactment. (Currently, the balance of a borrower's Direct Loan is canceled if the borrower is not in default and has made 120 monthly payments on such loan while employed as a public service employee.)

The bill: (1) 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, and (2) 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 ED.

If a portion of a loan is canceled for any year, the interest on such loan for such year shall be canceled.

Date: 2016-07-14
Topic: Education (Higher)
Subject: Education
Streamlining Income-driven, Manageable Payments on Loans for Education Act or the SIMPLE Act

This bill amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to revise the process for enrolling a borrower in federal student loan repayment plans when the borrower is delinquent on payments for student loans under the Direct Loan program. Specifically, the Department of Education (ED) may use the tax information of certain delinquent borrowers for purposes of calculating their income-driven repayment plan options. ED must notify those borrowers about their delinquency and repayment plan options. ED must also establish and implement procedures for automatically recertifying the income of certain delinquent borrowers for the purpose of determining their repayment obligations.

Date: 2016-09-08
Topic: Education (Higher)
Subject: Education
Campus Gun Policy Transparency 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 certain crime statistics in the following categories: (1) criminal offenses; (2) criminal offenses motivated by bias (i.e., hate crimes); (3) domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking; and (4) arrests and referrals for disciplinary action. This bill expands the categories of reportable crime statistics to also include criminal offenses in which a firearm was present at the scene of the crime.

Additionally, it requires an IHE to include, in its annual security report provided to students and employees, a statement of its current policy on concealed carry or open carry of firearms.

An IHE must also disclose that policy on its website and in promotional materials.

Date: 2016-09-08
Topic: Education (Higher)
Subject: Education
Campus Sexual Assault Whistleblower Protection Act of 2016

 This bill amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to prohibit the suspension of federal student aid eligibility for a student who: (1) admits, in a sexual assault report, unlawful consumption of a controlled substance or alcohol; and (2) is convicted of a drug offense involving controlled substance possession based on conduct described in such admission.

The bill also modifies eligibility requirements for an institution of higher education (IHE) to participate in federal student aid programs. Specifically, it prohibits an IHE from taking a retaliatory action (e.g., suspension or expulsion) against an enrolled student who reports a sexual assault and admits, in such report: (1) sexual activity, or (2) unlawful consumption of a controlled substance or alcohol. An IHE must annually inform enrolled students that such retaliatory action is prohibited.

Date: 2016-09-08
Topic: Education (Higher)
Subject: Education
Protecting Our Veterans From School Closures Act

This bill declares that if, as a result of a permanent school closure, a veteran is forced to discontinue a course or did not receive credit, or lost training time, toward completion of the education program, Department of Veterans Affairs educational assistance payments for such discontinued course or program shall not be: (1) charged against the individual's entitlement to educational assistance, or (2) counted against the aggregate period for which such assistance may be provided.

The bill applies to courses and programs of education discontinued after August 1, 2016.

Certain reporting fees paid to educational institutions furnishing veterans education or training shall be reduced for the 10-year period beginning on January 1, 2017.

Date: 2016-09-13
Topic: Education (Higher)
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Funding for Student Scholarships for the 1890s Land-Grant African-American Colleges and Universities Act 

This bill amends the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 to establish and provide funding for a grant program within the Department of Agriculture (USDA) for scholarships for students at 1890 land-grant colleges and universities (historically black colleges and universities established under the Second Morrill Act of 1890). USDA may award the scholarships to students who: (1) are seeking to attend such a college or university, and (2) intend to pursue a career in the food and agricultural sciences.

Date: 2016-09-14
Topic: Education (Higher)
Subject: Agriculture and food
HBCU Investment Expansion Act 

This bill amends the Securities Act of 1933 to exempt qualified 501(c)(3) bonds issued after the enactment of this bill on behalf of a historically black college or university from state and local taxes.

The bill also amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a tax credit for jurisdictions that forgo taxes with respect to the interest payments under such a bond. The credit is equal to the total amount of interest paid on such a bond during the taxable year. The Department of the Treasury must pay the credit to the qualifying jurisdiction as soon as practicable after the recipient of the interest payments files a tax return with the jurisdiction.

Date: 2016-09-15
Topic: Education (Higher)
Subject: Taxation
Federal Funding Accountability for Sexual Harassers Act

This bill amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to address sexual discrimination in institutions of higher education.

Institutions must report a finding that an individual who is responsible for the scientific or technical direction of one of the institution's research and development grants awarded by the federal government was engaged in sexual discrimination to each department and agency that has awarded the institution those grants in the past 10 years.

Institutions must also report on formal complaints alleging sexual discrimination that were filed, but are incomplete because the institution has not carried out a grievance procedure.

Agencies must: (1) consider these reports when deciding if they should fund a grant, and (2) keep the reports for 10 years.

The National Academy of Sciences must study, and report on, the prevalence and impact of sexual harassment in higher education in science, engineering, and medical departments and programs.

Date: 2016-09-22
Topic: Education (Higher)
Subject: Education
Inclusive Campuses Act

This bill amends title III (Institutional Aid) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to allow historically black colleges and universities and other minority-serving institutions of higher education to use title III funds to establish resource centers on campus that provide support to and education about lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer students.

Date: 2016-09-26
Topic: Education (Higher)
Subject: Education
Academic Success Centers and Education Networks for Dreamers (ASCEND) Act

This bill directs the Department of Education to award grants to not-for-profit institutions of higher education to develop programs that support Dreamer students in successfully completing postsecondary education.

A "Dreamer student" is an individual who is a beneficiary of, or eligible for, the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.

Date: 2016-09-26
Topic: Education (Higher)
Subject: Education
Campus Fire Safety Education Act of 2016

 This bill directs the Department of Education (ED) to establish a program to award grants, on a competitive basis, to institutions of higher education or consortiums of such institutions, in a collaborative partnership with a nonprofit organization or a public safety department (eligible entity), for: (1) initiating, expanding, or improving fire safety education programs; and (2) increasing fire safety awareness among enrolled students.

ED shall give priority to institutions that plan to use funds to initiate, expand, or improve fire safety education programs that include educational material specifically prepared for students with physical, sensory, or cognitive disabilities. The bill sets forth provisions regarding grant periods and matching and other requirements. An eligible entity may not be awarded more than $250,000 per fiscal year under this bill.

An eligible entity shall use grant funds to initiate, expand, or improve a fire safety education program that:

 reaches all enrolled students (for an institution of higher education); ensures maximum exposure to, increases awareness of, and effectuates change in behavior regarding, fire safety by students through conducting outreach to students a minimum of twice per academic year and through measures that provide fire safety information to any student upon request; includes minimum instruction regarding fire behavior, fire injury and death, ignition scenarios, fire safety systems and equipment, the importance of means of egress, fire prevention techniques, and actions to be taken if a fire occurs to minimize the potential for death, injury, and property damage; and includes a mechanism for carrying out evaluations of program effectiveness. ED shall publish a report of best practices for initiating, expanding, or improving fire safety education programs.

Date: 2016-09-26
Topic: Education (Higher)
Subject: Education
Student Loan Repayment Act of 2016 

This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a work opportunity tax credit for employers who hire a qualified student loan repayer. A "qualified student loan repayer" is any individual who is certified by the designated local agency as: (1) having at least an associate's degree, and (2) having outstanding education loans of at least $10,000.

The bill also allows a business tax credit equal to 50% of the student loan program startup costs paid by employers during the year, subject to a limit of $500 per employee participating in the program. The credit applies to the ordinary and necessary expenses for the establishment or administration of a student loan repayment plan through which the employer provides specified annual matching contributions to each employee. The credit does not apply to payments made to, or on behalf of, any employee pursuant to the plan. An employer may claim the credit for three years if the employer has not established or maintained a plan for substantially the same employees during the three-year period immediately preceding the first year in which the credit is otherwise allowable.

Date: 2016-09-27
Topic: Education (Higher)
Subject: Taxation
Supporting America's Young Entrepreneurs Act of 2016

This bill amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to make eligible for deferment and cancellation under the Federal Direct Loan program a borrower who is an employee or founder of a small business start-up in a distressed area.

It also amends the Internal Revenue Code to exclude from an individual's gross income the amount of such canceled student loan debt.

The bill establishes a Federal Direct Refinanced Private Loan program to refinance private education loans.

Finally, it establishes a young entrepreneurs business center within the Small Business Administration to certify small business start-ups, identify distressed areas, and approve loan cancelation for founders of small business start-ups.

Date: 2016-09-28
Topic: Education (Higher)
Subject: Education
No Cost Educational Resources Act

This bill amends the Museum and Library Services Act of 1996 to modify the National Leadership Grants for Libraries Program.

Specifically, it expands the purposes of the grant program to include providing funds for open educational reading material courses. Additionally, the bill authorizes the Institute of Museum and Library Service to award grants to institutions of higher education to facilitate the adoption, adaption, and creation of open educational reading materials, and to establish more open educational reading material courses.

Date: 2016-09-28
Topic: Education (Higher)
Subject: Education
Public Service Loan Forgiveness Inclusion Act of 2016

This bill amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to broaden the types of repayment plans under which an eligible public service employee may make qualifying payments for purposes of the public service loan forgiveness program.

Date: 2016-09-28
Topic: Education (Higher)
Subject: Education
Second Chance for Students Act

This bill amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to modify federal student aid eligibility for a student who is convicted of a drug offense involving marijuana possession.

Under current law, a drug offense conviction involving the sale or possession of a controlled substance triggers a suspension of federal student aid eligibility for a specified period of time. This bill allows a student who is convicted of a drug offense involving marijuana possession, without the intent to distribute, to resume or retain federal student aid eligibility while completing a drug rehabilitation program.

Date: 2016-09-28
Topic: Education (Higher)
Subject: Education
Making College More Affordable Act

This bill amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 by creating federal interest-free education loans for undergraduate students. The loans must have the same terms and conditions and benefits to borrowers as federal direct Stafford Loans. Interest on these loans may only accrue during periods when a borrower is not earning taxable income due to professional negligence, professional incompetence, or malicious action on the part of the borrower.

The Department of Education (ED) must carry out a repayment plan program for the interest-free loans under which loans payments are automatically withheld from the pre-tax income of the borrower.

ED must cancel any outstanding balance of principal or interest due on those interest-free loans made to a borrower who has made 300 monthly payments. The borrower must be taxed on the amount canceled. Those taxes must be applied to carry out the federal direct loan program.

Date: 2016-09-28
Topic: Education (Higher)
Subject: Education
American Opportunity Tax Credit Reform Act

This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to the American Opportunity Tax Credit, to provide that any credit amount which is attributable to a federal Pell Grant under the Higher Education Act of 1965 shall be reduced by the amount of expenses (other than qualified tuition and related expenses) which are taken into account in determining the cost of attendance at an institution of higher education for the academic period for which the credit amount is being determined. 

The bill also modifies the definition of "qualified scholarship," for purposes of the tax exclusion for such scholarships, to include a federal Pell Grant as a qualified scholarship.

Date: 2016-09-28
Topic: Education (Higher)
Subject: Taxation
Helping Improve Grants for Higher Education & Repayment of Expensive Debt Act or the HIGHER ED Act

This bill amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to:

 modify the Federal Pell Grant program to increase the maximum award and restore year-round grants, make graduate and professional students eligible to receive subsidized Stafford Loans under the Federal Direct Loan program, direct the Department of Education to refinance outstanding federal student loans for Direct Loan and Federal Family Education Loan program borrowers, include a part-time job as a faculty member within the definition of "public service job" for purposes of the public service loan forgiveness program, and establish additional terms and conditions applicable to the income-based and income-contingent repayment plans. Additionally, the 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.

Date: 2016-09-28
Topic: Education (Higher)
Subject: Education
Relief and Investment for Student Entrepreneurs Act or the RISE Act

This bill amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 by allowing a qualified entrepreneur with a loan under the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan program to defer loan payments for up to 3 years. A "qualified entrepreneur" is a borrower who: (1) has received a degree during the 10-year period before the date of the deferment, (2) has at least one registered business entity, (3) has raised capital of not less than $30,000 for such business entity, and (4) has an outstanding loan balance of not less than $5,000.

The Department of Education may cancel up to $17,500 of federal direct and unsubsidized Stafford loans for a borrower who: (1) has operated a small business located in a historically underutilized business zone for at least three years, and (2) is not currently in default on the loan.

Date: 2016-09-28
Topic: Education (Higher)
Subject: Education
VA Health Care Provider Education Debt Relief Act of 2016

This bill increases the annual and five-year caps on the amount of education debt reduction available to Veterans Health Administration health care professionals under the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) education debt reduction program.

The VA may waive such caps for a participant working in a geographical area designated by the Department of Health and Human Services as a health professional shortage area with respect to such participant's specialty or assignment.

Date: 2016-09-28
Topic: Education (Higher)
Subject: Armed forces and national security
This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend through December 31, 2017, the tax deduction for qualified tuition and related expenses.

Date: 2016-11-17
Topic: Education (Higher)
Subject: Taxation
This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend through December 31, 2018, the tax deduction for qualified tuition and related expenses.

Date: 2016-11-17
Topic: Education (Higher)
Subject: Taxation
Protect the Flag Act

This bill makes an institution of higher education ineligible for federal funds if it has an official policy that prohibits or limits the display of the U.S. flag.

Date: 2016-12-02
Topic: Education (Higher)
Subject: Education
Perkins Loan Program Inflation Adjustment Act of 2016

This bill amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to adjust the maximum annual and aggregate amount that a student may borrow under the Federal Perkins Loan program to account for inflation.

Date: 2016-12-06
Topic: Education (Higher)
Subject: Education
Students and Families Empowerment Act 

This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to the deduction for interest on education loans, to replace the dollar limitation and the limitation based on modified adjusted gross income with a $1 million limit ($2 million in the case of a joint return) on the aggregate amount of qualified education loans that may be taken into account for the deduction.

The bill excludes from gross income the discharge of any student loan debt pursuant to income contingent and income-based repayment plans under the Higher Education Act of 1965.

The bill also amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to extend from 6 months to 12 months: (1) the grace period before payment must begin on Federal Direct Stafford Loans and Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loans after the student ceases to carry at least one-half of the normal full-time academic workload, and (2) the deferment periods for parent borrowers and graduate or professional student borrowers with Federal Direct PLUS Loans.

The bill prohibits interest from accruing on a Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loan or a Federal Direct PLUS Loan during the 12-month extension or deferral period.

Date: 2016-12-08
Topic: Education (Higher)
Subject: Taxation
Safe Transfer Act

This bill amends the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 by prohibiting federal funds for any institution of postsecondary education that fails to disclose to other institutions information related to campus sexual assault on the transcript of: (1) a student who violated the institution's rules or polices with respect to sex offenses, or (2) a student who is accused of sex offenses in a pending disciplinary proceeding.

The disclosure requirement terminates five years after a disciplinary proceeding is completed, or one year after the initiation of a proceeding if it is still pending.

The student who is subject to the disciplinary proceeding must be notified of the disclosure and be allowed to inspect and copy the disciplinary proceeding, which does not include the name of any other student, such as a victim or witness. The student must also be given the opportunity to write a statement to accompany the disclosure.

Date: 2016-12-08
Topic: Education (Higher)
Subject: Education
No Funding for Sanctuary Campuses Act

This bill amends title IV (Student Aid) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to make an institution of higher education (IHE) that is a sanctuary campus ineligible for funds under title IV.

It defines the term "sanctuary campus."

The Department of Homeland Security must transmit to the Department of Education and publish in the Federal Register notice of a determination that an IHE is a sanctuary campus.

The bill expresses the sense of Congress that providing in-state tuition to an alien who lacks lawful immigration status in the United States creates an incentive for illegal immigration and encourages and induces aliens to come to, enter, or reside in the United States.

Date: 2016-12-16
Topic: Education (Higher)
Subject: Education
Education Tax Fraud Prevention Act

 Amends the Internal Revenue Code to require: (1) individuals who claim a tax credit for qualified tuition and related expenses under the Hope Scholarship or the Lifetime Learning tax credit to include their social security numbers on their tax returns, and (2) the educational institutions of such individuals to provide their employer identification numbers.

Date: 2015-01-07
Topic: Education (Higher)
Subject: Taxation
Repay Act of 2015

Amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to direct the Secretary of Education to carry out a simplified income-driven repayment program for students who become new borrowers of William D. Ford Federal Direct Loans (DLs) on or after July 1, 2015.

Sets a student's annual repayment obligation under the program at:

 10% of the borrower's discretionary income (gross income that exceeds 150% of the federal poverty level) that is less than $25,000, adjusted for inflation; plus 15% of the borrower's discretionary income that is equal to or greater than $25,000, adjusted for inflation. Directs the Secretary to cancel the outstanding balance on a DL under the repayment program if the borrower:

 for 20 years made monthly payments under the program or was in deferment due to economic hardship and had a DL principal balance at the outset of the repayment period that did not exceed a specified amount; or for 25 years made monthly payments under the program or was in deferment due to economic hardship and had a DL principal balance at the outset of the repayment period that exceeded a specified amount. Requires the Secretary to offer borrowers of DLs made on or after July 1, 2015, the following repayment plans: (1) a fixed repayment plan (currently referred to as a standard repayment plan), or (2) a simplified income-driven repayment plan, but this plan is only available to student borrowers. Authorizes the Secretary to provide an alternative repayment plan to a borrower of a DL made on or after July 1, 2015, if the borrower demonstrates that these repayment options do not accommodate the borrower's exceptional circumstances.

Continues to allow borrowers of DLs to accelerate, without penalty, their repayment of such loans.

Makes public service employees who make 120 monthly payments on their DL under a simplified income-driven repayment plan eligible for the public service employee loan forgiveness program.

Amends the Internal Revenue Code to exclude from gross income debt the Secretary discharges on a borrower's subsidized Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) or DL due to the borrower's death or disability.

Directs the Secretary to require servicers of FFELs and DLs to: (1) provide borrowers with information regarding their loan repayment options, and (2) offer to enroll borrowers in alternative plans for which they are eligible.

Requires the Comptroller General (GAO) to: (1) study the feasibility of simplifying the process for enrolling in, and verifying annual eligibility for, this Act's simplified income-driven repayment program; and (2) provide recommendations for the efficient administration of income-based repayment programs.

Date: 2015-01-07
Topic: Education (Higher)
Subject: Education
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow: (1) payment of home school expenses from Coverdell education savings accounts, and (2) an annual inflation adjustment after 2014 to the contribution limit amount for such accounts.

Date: 2015-01-07
Topic: Education (Higher)
Subject: Taxation
Educating Tomorrow's Workforce Act of 2015

 Amends the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 to revise the requirements for the plan of a state seeking federal assistance for career and technical education programs. Requires the state plan to describe how the eligible state agency will ensure the quality of any program of study culminating in an industry-recognized certificate, credential, or license.

Requires state agency leadership activities to support career academies which:

 implement a college and career ready curriculum at the secondary education level integrating rigorous academic, technical, and employability contents; include experiential or work-based learning for secondary school students, in collaboration with local and regional employers; include opportunities for secondary school students to earn postsecondary credit while in secondary school; and establish and maintain ongoing partnerships between the local educational agency, business and industry, and institutions of higher education, or postsecondary vocational institutions, including local government. Requires the local plan for career and technical education programs to describe: (1) how the eligible recipient of assistance will assess local needs related to career and technical education as part of the local plan development process, and (2) how this needs assessment will be updated annually, especially on progress toward specific elements leading to high-quality implementation of career and technical education programs of study.

Authorizes the local use of funds for improving such programs to support career academies.

Date: 2015-01-20
Topic: Education (Higher)
Subject: Education
401(Kids) Education Savings Account Act of 2015

 Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) eliminate after 2015 the income-based reduction of contributions to Coverdell education savings accounts, (2) increase the annual contribution limit for such accounts, (3) allow the use of such an account to pay home school expenses and the acquisition costs of a first-time homebuyer, and (4) allow tax-free rollovers of amounts in a Coverdell education savings account to a Roth individual retirement account.

Date: 2015-01-20
Topic: Education (Higher)
Subject: Taxation
Allocating for Children's Education Act or the ACE Act

Amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to Coverdale education savings accounts, to: (1) increase from $2,000 to $5,000 the maximum allowable contribution to such accounts in a taxable year, and (2) allow distributions from such accounts for the purchase of athletic equipment at elementary and secondary schools. 

Date: 2015-01-22
Topic: Education (Higher)
Subject: Taxation
Enhancing Educational Opportunities for all Students Act

Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to allow a state educational agency to allocate grant funds among local educational agencies based on the number of eligible children (children age 5 to 17 from a family with an income below the poverty level) enrolled in the public schools and the state-accredited private schools within each local agency's geographic jurisdiction.

Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) allow payment of home school expenses from Coverdell education savings accounts; (2) remove the dollar limitation on contributions to Coverdell education savings accounts and require such accounts to provide adequate safeguards to prevent contributions from exceeding the amount necessary to provide for the qualified education expenses of the account beneficiary; and (3) allow tax-exempt qualified tuition programs (529 tuition programs) to pay qualified pre-kindergarten, elementary, and secondary education expenses.

Date: 2015-01-29
Topic: Education (Higher)
Subject: Education
(Sec. 2) This section amends the Internal Revenue Code to modify the types of higher education expenses that may be paid from a qualified tuition program (known as a 529 plan) to include expenses for the purchase of computer or peripheral equipment and computer software. This amendment applies to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2014.

(Sec. 3) This section repeals, after 2014, the provision of the Internal Revenue Code that requires 529 plan accounts to be aggregated for purposes of calculating the amount of distributions that are includible in taxpayer income.

(Sec. 4) This section amends the Internal Revenue Code to provide that a 529 plan beneficiary who receives a refund of higher education expenses after 2014 will not be required to include the amount of such refund in income for tax purposes if such beneficiary recontributes the refunded amount to the 529 plan within 60 days of receiving the refund and the recontribution does not exceed the refunded amount.

Date: 2015-02-02
Topic: Education (Higher)
Subject: Taxation
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to exclude from gross income payments received by a student under a comprehensive student work-learning-service program operated by a work college.

Date: 2015-02-04
Topic: Education (Higher)
Subject: Taxation
Proprietary Education Oversight Coordination Improvement Act

Establishes the Proprietary Education Oversight Coordination Committee to:

 coordinate federal oversight of proprietary institutions of higher education (IHEs); coordinate federal activities to protect students from unfair, deceptive, abusive, unethical, fraudulent, or predatory practices, policies, or procedures of proprietary IHEs; encourage information sharing among federal agencies regarding federal investigations, audits, or inquiries of such IHEs; increase coordination and cooperation between federal and state agencies to improve oversight and accountability of proprietary IHEs; and develop best practices and consistency among federal and state agencies in the dissemination of consumer information regarding such IHEs. Requires the Committee to: (1) meet at least once each quarter of each fiscal year; and (2) meet at least once each fiscal year, and otherwise interact regularly, with state attorneys general, state approval agencies, veterans service organizations, and consumer advocates.

Directs the Committee to submit, and make publicly available, an annual report to Congress that includes: (1) recommendations for legislative and administrative actions the Committees deems necessary to improve the enforcement of applicable federal laws, increase the accountability of proprietary IHEs to students and taxpayers, and ensure the promotion of quality education programs; and (2) specified financial and consumer information regarding such IHEs.

Requires the Committee, each academic year, to publish the For-Profit College Warning List for Parents and Students, which is to be comprised of proprietary IHEs:

 that have engaged in illegal activity during the previous academic year as determined by a federal or state court; that have entered into a settlement resulting in a monetary payment; that have had any higher education program withdrawn or suspended; or for which the Committee has sufficient evidence of widespread or systemic unfair, deceptive, abusive, unethical, fraudulent, or predatory practices, policies, or procedures that threaten the academic success, financial security, or general best interest of students.

Date: 2015-02-05
Topic: Education (Higher)
Subject: Education
Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program Enhancement Act

 Amends the Internal Revenue Code to exclude from gross income payments under the federal veterinary medicine loan repayment program or any other state loan repayment or forgiveness program that is intended to provide for increased access to veterinary services in such state.

Date: 2015-02-10
Topic: Education (Higher)
Subject: Taxation