[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6031 Introduced in House (IH)]








109th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 6031

To provide student loan forgiveness to the survivors of victims of the 
                terrorist attack on September 11, 2001.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 6, 2006

Mrs. McCarthy introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                Committee on Education and the Workforce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To provide student loan forgiveness to the survivors of victims of the 
                terrorist attack on September 11, 2001.

    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 ``September 11 Survivors Student Loan 
Relief Act''.

SEC. 2. CANCELLATION OF STUDENT LOAN INDEBTEDNESS FOR SURVIVORS OF 
              VICTIMS OF THE SEPTEMBER 11, 2001, ATTACKS.

    (a) Definitions.--For purposes of this section:
            (1) Eligible public servant.--The term ``eligible public 
        servant'' means an individual who, as determined in accordance 
        with regulations of the Secretary--
                    (A) served as a police officer, firefighter, other 
                safety or rescue personnel, or as a member of the Armed 
                Forces; and
                    (B) died (or dies) or became (or becomes) 
                permanently and totally disabled due to injuries 
                suffered in the terrorist attack on September 11, 2001.
            (2) Eligible victim.--The term ``eligible victim'' means an 
        individual who, as determined in accordance with regulations of 
        the Secretary, died (or dies) or became (or becomes) 
        permanently and totally disabled due to injuries suffered in 
        the terrorist attack on September 11, 2001.
            (3) Eligible parent.--The term ``eligible parent'' means 
        the parent of an eligible victim if--
                    (A) the parent owes a Federal student loan that is 
                a consolidation loan that was used to repay a PLUS loan 
                incurred on behalf of such eligible victim; or
                    (B) the parent owes a Federal student loan that is 
                a PLUS loan incurred on behalf of an eligible victim.
            (4) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Education.
            (5) Federal student loan.--The term ``Federal student 
        loan'' means any loan made, insured, or guaranteed under part 
        B, D, or E of title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965.
    (b) Relief From Indebtedness.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary shall provide for the 
        discharge or cancellation of--
                    (A) the Federal student loan indebtedness of the 
                spouse of an eligible public servant, as determined in 
                accordance with regulations of the Secretary, including 
                any consolidation loan that was used jointly by the 
                eligible public servant and his or her spouse to repay 
                the Federal student loans of the spouse and the 
                eligible public servant;
                    (B) the portion incurred on behalf of the eligible 
                victim (other than an eligible public servant), of a 
                Federal student loan that is a consolidation loan that 
                was used jointly by the eligible victim and his or her 
                spouse, as determined in accordance with regulations of 
                the Secretary, to repay the Federal student loans of 
                the eligible victim and his or her spouse;
                    (C) the portion of the consolidation loan 
                indebtedness of an eligible parent that was incurred on 
                behalf of an eligible victim; and
                    (D) the PLUS loan indebtedness of an eligible 
                parent that was incurred on behalf of an eligible 
                victim.
            (2) Method of discharge or cancellation.--A loan required 
        to be discharged or canceled under paragraph (1) shall be 
        discharged or canceled by the method used under section 437(a), 
        455(a)(1), or 464(c)(1)(F) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 
        (20 U.S.C. 1087(a), 1087e(a)(1), 1087dd(c)(1)(F)), whichever is 
        applicable to such loan.
    (c) Facilitation of Claims.--The Secretary shall--
            (1) establish procedures for the filing of applications for 
        discharge or cancellation under this section by regulations 
        that shall be prescribed and published within 90 days after the 
        date of enactment of this Act and without regard to the 
        requirements of section 553 of title 5, United States Code; and
            (2) take such actions as may be necessary to publicize the 
        availability of discharge or cancellation of Federal student 
        loan indebtedness under this section.
    (d) Availability of Funds for Payments.--Funds available for the 
purposes of making payments to lenders in accordance with section 
437(a) for the discharge of indebtedness of deceased or disabled 
individuals shall be available for making payments under section 437(a) 
to lenders of loans as required by this section.
    (e) Applicable to Outstanding Debt.--The provisions of this section 
shall be applied to discharge or cancel only Federal student loans 
(including consolidation loans) on which amounts were owed on September 
11, 2001. Nothing in this section shall be construed to authorize any 
refunding of any repayment of a loan.
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