[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 516 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







107th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 516

To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide a credit against 
        income tax for higher education loan interest payments.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 12, 2001

   Ms. Snowe introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
                  referred to the Committee on Finance

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide a credit against 
        income tax for higher education loan interest payments.

    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 ``Student Debt Relief Act''.

SEC. 2. CREDIT FOR INTEREST ON HIGHER EDUCATION LOANS.

    (a) In General.--Subpart A of part IV of subchapter A of chapter 1 
of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (relating to nonrefundable 
personal credits) is amended by inserting after section 25A the 
following new section:

``SEC. 25B. INTEREST ON HIGHER EDUCATION LOANS.

    ``(a) Allowance of Credit.--In the case of an individual, there 
shall be allowed as a credit against the tax imposed by this chapter 
for the taxable year an amount equal to the interest paid by the 
taxpayer during the taxable year on any qualified education loan.
    ``(b) Maximum Credit.--
            ``(1) In general.--Except as provided in paragraph (2), the 
        credit allowed by subsection (a) for the taxable year shall not 
        exceed $1,500.
            ``(2) Limitation based on modified adjusted gross income.--
                    ``(A) In general.--If the modified adjusted gross 
                income of the taxpayer for the taxable year exceeds 
                $50,000 ($100,000 in the case of a joint return), the 
                amount which would (but for this paragraph) be 
                allowable as a credit under this section shall be 
                reduced (but not below zero) by the amount which bears 
                the same ratio to the amount which would be so 
                allowable as such excess bears to $10,000 ($20,000 in 
                the case of a joint return).
                    ``(B) Modified adjusted gross income.--The term 
                `modified adjusted gross income' means adjusted gross 
                income determined without regard to sections 911, 931, 
                and 933.
                    ``(C) Inflation adjustment.--In the case of any 
                taxable year beginning after 2003, the $50,000 and 
                $100,000 amounts referred to in subparagraph (A) shall 
                be increased by an amount equal to--
                            ``(i) such dollar amount, multiplied by
                            ``(ii) the cost-of-living adjustment 
                        determined under section (1)(f)(3) for the 
                        calendar year in which the taxable year begins, 
                        by substituting `2002' for `1992'.
                    ``(D) Rounding.--If any amount as adjusted under 
                subparagraph (C) is not a multiple of $50, such amount 
                shall be rounded to the nearest multiple of $50.
    ``(c) Dependents Not Eligible for Credit.--No credit shall be 
allowed by this section to an individual for the taxable year if a 
deduction under section 151 with respect to such individual is allowed 
to another taxpayer for the taxable year beginning in the calendar year 
in which such individual's taxable year begins.
    ``(d) Limit on Period Credit Allowed.--A credit shall be allowed 
under this section only with respect to interest paid on any qualified 
education loan during the first 60 months (whether or not consecutive) 
in which interest payments are required. For purposes of this 
paragraph, any loan and all refinancings of such loan shall be treated 
as 1 loan.
    ``(e) Definitions.--For purposes of this section--
            ``(1) Qualified education loan.--The term `qualified 
        education loan' has the meaning given such term by section 
        221(e)(1).
            ``(2) Dependent.--The term `dependent' has the meaning 
        given such term by section 152.
    ``(f) Special Rules.--
            ``(1) Denial of double benefit.--No credit shall be allowed 
        under this section for any amount taken into account for any 
        deduction under any other provision of this chapter.
            ``(2) Married couples must file joint return.--If the 
        taxpayer is married at the close of the taxable year, the 
        credit shall be allowed under subsection (a) only if the 
        taxpayer and the taxpayer's spouse file a joint return for the 
        taxable year.
            ``(3) Marital status.--Marital status shall be determined 
        in accordance with section 7703.''.
    (b) Conforming Amendment.--The table of sections for subpart A of 
part IV of subchapter A of chapter 1 of the Internal Revenue Code of 
1986 is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 25A the 
following new item:

                              ``Sec. 25B. Interest on higher education 
                                        loans.''.
    (c) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall 
apply to any qualified education loan (as defined in section 25B(e)(1) 
of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as added by this section) 
incurred on, before, or after the date of the enactment of this Act, 
but only with respect to any loan interest payment due after December 
31, 2001.
                                 <all>