[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2476 Introduced in House (IH)]
107th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 2476
To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to increase the funds
available for the provision of student financial assistance, and for
other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
July 11, 2001
Mr. Sanders (for himself, Mr. McGovern, Mr. Allen, Mr. Baldacci, Mr.
Bishop, Mr. Blagojevich, Mr. Boucher, Mr. Conyers, Mr. Crowley, Mr.
DeFazio, Mr. Delahunt, Mr. Evans, Mr. Filner, Mr. Ford, Mr. Frank, Mr.
Hinchey, Mr. Lantos, Ms. Lee, Ms. McCarthy of Missouri, Ms. McKinney,
Mr. Meeks of New York, Mrs. Mink of Hawaii, Mrs. Napolitano, Mr. Olver,
Mr. Owens, Mr. Pascrell, Mr. Payne, Ms. Schakowsky, Ms. Slaughter, Mr.
Waxman, and Mr. Weiner) introduced the following bill; which was
referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to increase the funds
available for the provision of student financial assistance, 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; REFERENCES TO HIGHER EDUCATION ACT OF 1965.
(a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Higher Education
Assistance Improvement Act''.
(b) References to Higher Education Act of 1965.--Except as
otherwise expressly provided, whenever in this Act an amendment or
reference is expressed in terms of an amendment to, or reference to, a
section or other provision, the reference shall be considered to be
made to a section or other provision of the Higher Education Act of
1965.
SEC. 2. ADDITIONAL PROGRAM FUNDING AUTHORIZATIONS.
(a) Pell Grants.--Section 401(b)(2)(A) (20 U.S.C. 1070(b)(2)(A)) is
amended by striking clauses (iv) and (v) and inserting the following:
``(iv) $7,500 for academic year 2002-2003; and
``(v) $7,900 for academic year 2003-2004,''.
(b) TRIO.--Section 402A(f) (20 U.S.C. 1070a-11(f)) is amended by
striking ``$700,000,000 for fiscal year 1999, and such sums as may be
necessary for each of the 4 succeeding fiscal years'' and inserting
``$1,460,000,000 for fiscal year 2002 and such sums as may be necessary
for the succeeding fiscal year''.
(c) GEAR UP.--Section 404H (20 U.S.C. 1070a-28) is amended by
striking ``$200,000,000 for fiscal year 1999 and such sums as may be
necessary for each of the 4 succeeding fiscal years'' and inserting
``$590,000,000 for fiscal year 2002 and such sums as may be necessary
for the succeeding fiscal year''.
(d) Supplemental Education Opportunity Grants.--Section 413A(b) (20
U.S.C. 1070b(b)) is amended by striking ``$675,000,000 for fiscal year
1999 and such sums as may be necessary for the 4 succeeding fiscal
years'' and inserting ``$1,300,000,000 for fiscal year 2002 and such
sums as may be necessary for the succeeding fiscal year''.
(e) Graduate Assistance in Areas of National Need.--Section 716 (20
U.S.C. 1135e) is amended by striking ``$35,000,000 for fiscal year 1999
and such sums as may be necessary for each of the 4 succeeding fiscal
years'' and inserting ``$62,000,000 for fiscal year 2002 and such sums
as may be necessary for the succeeding fiscal year''.
(f) Thurgood Marshall.--Section 721(h) (20 U.S.C. 1136(h)) is
amended by striking ``$5,000,000 for fiscal year 1999 and each of the 4
succeeding fiscal years'' and inserting ``$8,000,000 for fiscal year
2002 and such sums as may be necessary for the succeeding fiscal
year''.
SEC. 3. ADDITIONAL APPROPRIATIONS MANDATE.
It is the sense of Congress that the appropriations for the
following higher education programs should be increased as follows:
(1) LEAP.--The appropriations under section 415A(b)(1) (20
U.S.C. 1070c(b)(1)) should be doubled to at least $110,000,000
for fiscal year 2002 and such sums as may be necessary for the
succeeding fiscal year.
(2) CAMPIS.--The appropriations under section 419N(g) (20
U.S.C. 1070e(g)) should be doubled to at least $50,000,000 for
fiscal year 2002 and such sums as may be necessary for the
succeeding fiscal year.
(3) Work-study.--The appropriations under section 441(b)
(42 U.S.C. 2751(b)) should be increased to at least
$1,050,000,000 for fiscal year 2002 and such sums as may be
necessary for the succeeding fiscal year.
(4) National health service corps scholarship and loan
repayment programs.--The appropriations under sections 338A and
338B of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 254l, 254l-1)
should be doubled to at least $175,850,000 for fiscal year 2002
and such sums as may be necessary for the succeeding fiscal
year.
(5) Perkins loans.--The appropriations under section
461(b)(1) (20 U.S.C. 1087aa(b)(1)) should be doubled to at
least $200,000,000 for fiscal year 2002 and such sums as may be
necessary for the succeeding fiscal year, and the amount
available under section 465 for loan cancellation should be
doubled to at least $120,000,000 for fiscal year 2002 and such
sums as may be necessary for the succeeding fiscal year.
(6) Javits fellowships.--The appropriations under section
705 (20 U.S.C. 1134d) should be increased to at least
$20,000,000 for fiscal year 2002 and such sums as may be
necessary for the succeeding fiscal year.
SEC. 4. LOAN FORGIVENESS.
(a) Expansion of Eligibility.--
(1) Elimination of new borrower restrictions.--
(A) FFEL program.--Section 428J(b) (20 U.S.C. 1078-
10(b)) is amended by striking ``for any new borrower on
or after October 1, 1998, who'' and inserting ``for any
borrower who performs the qualifying service on or
after October 1, 1998, and who''.
(B) Federal direct loan program.--Section 460(b)(1)
of such Act (20 U.S.C. 1087j(b)(1)) is amended by
striking ``for any new borrower on or after October 1,
1998, who'' and inserting ``for any borrower who
performs the qualifying service on or after October 1,
1998, and who''.
(2) Expansion of eligible service; eliminating delay in
service benefit.--
(A) FFEL program.--Section 428J(b)(1) is amended to
read as follows:
``(1) has been engaged--
``(A) in any service that qualifies for
cancellation of Federal Perkins Loans under section
465(a)(2);
``(B) in full-time employment in service to
economically disadvantaged individuals or communities,
child and elder care services, social work, public
prosecutors and defenders, and police, fire, and rescue
services, as defined by the Secretary; or
``(C) in full-time employment in any service that
the Secretary recognizes by regulation as providing
public service that is comparable to the services
described in subparagraph (A) or (B); and''.
(B) Federal direct loan program.--Section
460(b)(1)(A) (20 U.S.C. 1087j(b)(1)(A)) is amended to
read as follows:
``(A) has been engaged--
``(i) in any service that qualifies for
cancellation of Federal Perkins Loans under
section 465(a)(2); or
``(ii) in full-time employment in service
to economically disadvantaged individuals or
communities, child and elder care services,
social work, public prosecutors and defenders,
and police, fire, and rescue services, as
defined by the Secretary;
``(iii) in full-time employment in any
service that the Secretary recognizes by
regulation as providing public service that is
comparable to the services described in clause
(i) or (ii); and''.
(C) Perkins loans.--Section 465(a)(2) is amended by
adding after the last sentence thereof the following
new sentence: ``Whenever the Secretary acts pursuant to
section 428J(b)(1)(B) or (C) or 460(b)(1)(A)(ii) or
(iii) to recognize by regulation or define additional
services as comparable qualifying services under such
sections, the Secretary shall, by regulation, recognize
such services as qualifying services for purposes of
this section.''.
(b) Amount and Rate of Repayment.--
(1) FFEL program.--Section 428J(c) (20 U.S.C. 1078-10(c))
is amended by striking paragraph (1) and inserting the
following:
``(1) Amount and rate of repayment.--The Secretary shall
repay the aggregate of the loan obligation on a loan made under
section 428 or 428H that is outstanding after the completion of
the first complete year of qualifying service described in
subsection (b)(1) for which the borrower seeks repayment under
this section. Such amount shall be repaid at the rate of one-
third of such amount for each of the first three years of such
service.''.
(2) Federal direct loan program.--Section 460(c) of such
Act (20 U.S.C. 1087j(c)) is amended by striking paragraph (1)
and inserting the following:
``(1) Amount and rate of repayment.--The Secretary shall
cancel the aggregate of the loan obligation on a loan made
under section 428 or 428H that is outstanding after the
completion of the first complete year of qualifying service
described in subsection (b)(1)(A). Such amount shall be
canceled at the rate of one-third of such amount for each of
the first three years of such service.''.
(3) Perkins loans.--Section 465(a) (20 U.S.C. 1087ee(a)) is
amended by striking paragraph (3)(A) and inserting the
following:
``(3)(A) The percent of a loan which shall be canceled under
paragraph (1) of this subsection is at the rate of 33\1/3\ percent for
each of 3 years of service described in paragraph (2).''.
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