Help Encourage a Lifetime of Public Service Act
This bill makes first responders and certain farmers or ranchers eligible for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program and eliminates interest on federal student loans of certain borrowers employed in the public service sector.
[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3124 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
<DOC>
115th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 3124
To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to provide for no accrual of
interest on Federal Direct Loans for individuals employed in public
service.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
June 25, 2018
Ms. Heitkamp (for herself and Mr. Tester) 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 no accrual of
interest on Federal Direct Loans for individuals employed in public
service.
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 ``Help Encourage a Lifetime of Public
Service Act''.
SEC. 2. INTEREST WAIVER FOR INDIVIDUALS EMPLOYED IN PUBLIC SERVICE.
(a) In General.--Section 455 of the Higher Education Act of 1965
(20 U.S.C. 1087e) is amended--
(1) by redesignating subsections (n), (o), (p), and (q), as
subsections (o), (p), (q), and (r), respectively;
(2) in subsection (m)(3)--
(A) in subparagraph (B)--
(i) in clause (i), by striking ``or'' after
the semicolon;
(ii) in clause (ii), by striking the period
at the end and inserting a semicolon; and
(iii) by adding at the end the following:
``(iii) volunteer work as a qualified
volunteer first responder (as defined in
subsection (n)(7)); or
``(iv) a full-time job as an employee or
manager of a qualified farm or ranch.''; and
(B) by adding at the end the following:
``(C) Qualified farm or ranch.--The term `qualified
farm or ranch' means, with respect to a year, a farm or
ranch whose earnings of gross revenue during the year
from the sale of agricultural products are equal to or
greater than--
``(i) in the case of 2019, $35,000; or
``(ii) in the case of any succeeding year,
the amount applicable under this subparagraph
for the previous year increased by the
estimated percentage change in the Consumer
Price Index (as determined by the Secretary,
using the definition in section 478(f)) for the
most recent year preceding such year.''; and
(3) by inserting after subsection (m) the following:
``(n) Interest Waiver for Individuals Employed in Public Service.--
``(1) In general.--Notwithstanding any other provision of
this part, interest shall not accrue for an eligible public
servant on a loan made under this part for which the first
disbursement is made on or after the date of enactment of the
Help Encourage a Lifetime of Public Service Act.
``(2) Consolidation loans.--In the case of any
consolidation loan made under this part that is disbursed on or
after the date of enactment of the Help Encourage a Lifetime of
Public Service Act, interest shall not accrue pursuant to this
subsection only on such portion of such loan as was used to
repay a loan made under this part for which the first
disbursement is made on or after the date of enactment of the
Help Encourage a Lifetime of Public Service Act.
``(3) Annual certification.--Not later than 120 days after
the date of enactment of the Help Encourage a Lifetime of
Public Service Act, the Secretary shall--
``(A) prescribe regulations that require an
eligible public servant to annually certify through an
employment certification form the individual's
employment in a public service job in order to receive
the interest waiver described in paragraph (1); and
``(B) to the maximum extent practicable, streamline
the process described in subparagraph (A) with the
process borrowers use to certify employment to qualify
for loan cancellation under subsection (m).
``(4) Alignment of deadlines.--In carrying out this
subsection, the Secretary shall, to the maximum extent
practicable, align the borrower's deadline for annual
employment certification under this subsection with the
deadline for participation under the income contingent
repayment plans or income-based repayment plans to reduce the
burden on the borrower.
``(5) Regulations.--The Secretary shall promulgate, after
consultation with public safety organizations, regulations to
carry out this subsection, including regulations relating to--
``(A) the minimum volunteer time required for a
qualified volunteer first responder to be treated as an
individual employed in a full-time job for purposes of
this subsection; and
``(B) the process of tracking and verifying that
volunteer time.
``(6) Engagement of public safety organizations.--The
Secretary shall develop a plan regarding how the Department
will--
``(A) disseminate information and raise awareness
about eligibility for qualified volunteer first
responders for the interest waiver under this
subsection; and
``(B) engage qualified volunteer first responders
and public safety organizations in the process of
tracking and verifying volunteer hours for purposes of
this subsection.
``(7) Definitions.--In this subsection:
``(A) Eligible public servant.--The term `eligible
public servant' means an individual who--
``(i) is employed in a public service job;
``(ii) is a qualified volunteer first
responder; or
``(iii) has a full-time job as an employee
or manager of a qualified farm or ranch (as
defined in subsection (m)(3)(C)).
``(B) Public safety organization.--The term `public
safety organization' means any State, local, or tribal
governmental agency or nonprofit organization that has
the principal purpose of protecting the safety of life,
health, or property.
``(C) Public service job.--The term `public service
job' has the meaning given the term in subsection
(m)(3)(B).
``(D) Qualified volunteer first responder.--
``(i) In general.--The term `qualified
volunteer first responder' means an individual
who volunteers to perform services on not less
than the basis determined by the Secretary
under clause (ii) for a public safety
organization (which may include firefighters,
law enforcement officers, emergency medical
personnel, or other first responders to
emergencies) and is certified as a firefighter,
law enforcement officer, emergency medical
services provider, or other responder in the
State, unit of general local government, Indian
tribe, or nonprofit organization in which the
individual serves and receives no compensation
for such service or is paid expenses,
reasonable benefits, or a nominal fee to
perform the services.
``(ii) Full-time employment for volunteer
first responders.--The Secretary shall--
``(I) determine the minimum
volunteer time required for a qualified
volunteer first responder to be treated
as an individual employed in a full-
time job for purposes of this
subsection and subsection (m); and
``(II) ensure that such minimum
volunteer time is not less than the
amount of volunteer time that is
required for the qualified volunteer
first responder to be considered an
active member of the relevant public
safety organization.''.
(b) Conforming Amendments.--Section 428C of the Higher Education
Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1078-3) is amended--
(1) in subsection (a)(3)(B)(i)(V)(cc), by striking
``section 455(o)'' and inserting ``section 455(p)''; and
(2) in subsection (b)(5), by striking ``section 455(o)''
and inserting ``section 455(p)''.
<all>
Introduced in Senate
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
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