,,ii  #aaeth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #bbjg  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,december #g1  
#bjag ,mr4 ,tester 7for himself1 ,mrs4  
,mc,caskill1 and ,ms4 ,heitkamp7        
introduced the following bill2 which was
 read twice and referred to the         
,committee on ,health1 ,education1      
,labor1 and ,pensions  ,a ,,bill  ,to   
allow qualified volunteer first         
responders to qualify for public service
 loan forgiveness4  #a4 ,short title    
,this ,act may be cited as the          
,volunteer ,first ,responder ,loan      
,forgiveness ,act4  #b4 ,loan           
forgiveness for volunteer first         
responders ,section #dee7m77#c7 of the  
,higher ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj   
,u4,s4,c4 #ajhg;e7m77#c77 is amended--  
7#a7 in subparagraph 7,b7--  7,a7 in    
clause 7i71 by striking or after the    
semicolon2  7,b7 in clause 7ii71 by     
striking the period at the end and      
inserting 2 or2 and  7,c7 by adding at  
the end the following3  7iii7 volunteer 

work as a qualified volunteer first     
responder in accordance with            
subparagraph 7,c74  2 and  7#b7 by      
adding at the end the following3  7,c7  
,qualified volunteer first responder    
7i7 ,in ,general ,the term qualified    
volunteer first responder means an      
individual who--  7,i7 does volunteer   
work for a public safety organization   
7which may include firefighters1 law    
enforcement officers1 emergency medical 
personnel1 or other first responders to 
emergencies72 and  7,,ii7 is certified  
as a firefighter1 law enforcement       
officer1 emergency medical services     
provider1 or other responder in the     
,state1 unit of general local           
government1 or ,indian tribe in which   
the individual serves as a volunteer4   
7ii7 ,public safety organization ,the   
term public safety organization means   
any ,state1 local1 or tribal            
governmental agency or nonprofit        
organization that has the principal     
purpose of protecting the safety of     

life1 health1 or property4  7iii7       
,full-time employment ,the ,secretary   
shall-- 7,i7 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 subsection2   
and  7,,ii7 ensure that such minimum    
volunteer time-- 7aa7 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 organization2 and  7bb7 does not 
exceed the equivalent of #bjj hours per 
year4  4  #c4 ,regulations ,the         
,secretary of ,education shall          
promulgate1 after consultation with     
public safety organizations 7which shall
 include firefighter1 law enforcement   
officer1 and emergency responder        
organizations71 regulations to carry out
 the amendments made by section #b1     
including regulations relating to--     
7#a7 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 section #dee7m7 of the      
,higher ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj   
,u4,s4,c4 #ajhg;e7m772 and  7#b7 the    
process of tracking and verifying that  
volunteer time4  #d4 ,engagement of     
public safety organizations ,the        
,secretary of ,education shall develop a
 plan regarding how the ,department of  
,education will--  7#a7 disseminate     
information and raise awareness about   
eligibility for qualified volunteer     
first responders for public service loan
 forgiveness under section #dee7m7 of   
the ,higher ,education ,act of #aife    
7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ajhg;e7m77 7as amended  
by this ,act72 and  7#b7 engage         
qualified volunteer first responders and
 public safety organizations in the     
process of tracking and verifying       
volunteer hours for purposes of public  
service loan forgiveness under such     
section4