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[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3277 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 3277
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.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
November 20, 2025
Mr. Blumenthal (for himself, Mr. Welch, Mr. Lujan, Ms. Hirono, Ms.
Smith, 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.
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 ``Strengthening Loan Forgiveness for
Public Service Workers Act''.
SEC. 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)--
(A) 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
(B) by striking subparagraph (B) and inserting the
following:
``(B) has been employed in a public service job
during the period in which the borrower makes each of
the 120 payments described in subparagraph (A).''; 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 Loan Forgiveness for
Public Service Workers Act, the Secretary shall cancel
the percent specified in subparagraph (B) of the total
amount due on any eligible Federal Direct Loan made
after the date of enactment of the Strengthening Loan
Forgiveness for Public Service Workers Act for a
borrower who is employed in a public service job and
for whom employment is certified pursuant to
subparagraph (D).
``(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 has
made 24 monthly payments on any eligible
Federal Direct Loan made after the date of
enactment of the Strengthening Loan Forgiveness
for Public Service Workers Act and was employed
in a public service job during the period in
which the borrower made each of the 24 monthly
payments, 15 percent of the total amount due on
the eligible Federal Direct Loan on the date
the borrower entered repayment on such eligible
Federal Direct Loan.
``(ii) In the case of a borrower who has
made 48 monthly payments on any eligible
Federal Direct Loan made after the date of
enactment of the Strengthening Loan Forgiveness
for Public Service Workers Act and was employed
in a public service job during the period in
which the borrower made each of the 48 monthly
payments, an additional 15 percent of the total
amount due on the eligible Federal Direct Loan
on the date the borrower entered repayment on
such eligible Federal Direct Loan.
``(iii) In the case of a borrower who has
made 72 monthly payments on any eligible
Federal Direct Loan made after the date of
enactment of the Strengthening Loan Forgiveness
for Public Service Workers Act and was employed
in a public service job during the period in
which the borrower made each of the 72 monthly
payments, an additional 15 percent of the total
amount due on the eligible Federal Direct Loan
on the date the borrower entered repayment on
such eligible Federal Direct Loan.
``(iv) In the case of a borrower who has
made 96 monthly payments on any eligible
Federal Direct Loan made after the date of
enactment of the Strengthening Loan Forgiveness
for Public Service Workers Act and was employed
in a public service job during the period in
which the borrower made each of the 96 monthly
payments, an additional 15 percent of the total
amount due on the eligible Federal Direct Loan
on the date the borrower entered repayment on
such eligible Federal Direct Loan.
``(C) Cancellation of remaining balance.--
``(i) In general.--In the case of a
borrower who has made 120 monthly payments on
any eligible Federal Direct Loan made after the
date of enactment of the Strengthening Loan
Forgiveness for Public Service Workers Act and
was employed in a public service job during the
period in which the borrower made each of the
120 monthly payments, the Secretary shall
cancel the obligation to repay the balance of
principal and interest due as of the time of
such cancellation on the eligible Federal
Direct Loan made to the borrower if employment
is certified pursuant to subparagraph (D).
``(ii) Deferment.--The Secretary shall
automatically place an eligible Federal Direct
Loan of a borrower described in clause (i) in
deferment for the period during which the
Secretary processes the loan cancellation
described in clause (i).
``(D) Employment certification.--The Secretary
shall certify a borrower's employment for purposes of
loan cancellation under this paragraph--
``(i) without requiring the borrower to
submit information, if the Secretary is able to
confirm that the borrower meets the employment
requirements under this paragraph without such
information; or
``(ii) in the case in which the Secretary
is not able to confirm that the borrower meets
the employment requirements under this
paragraph without information from the
borrower, if the borrower submits 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 for purposes of loan
cancellation under this paragraph.
``(E) Interest canceled.--
``(i) In general.--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.
``(ii) Interest canceled during review.--
The Secretary shall cancel any interest that
accrues that is not otherwise canceled pursuant
to this paragraph for a borrower who receives
loan cancellation under this paragraph during
the period beginning on the date the borrower
submits an application for loan cancellation
under this paragraph until the date the
borrower receives loan cancellation pursuant to
such application that is approved.''.
<all>
Introduced in Senate
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
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