,i #aafth ,,congress #ast ,session ,h4 ,r4 #dcia ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,representatives ,september #ah1 #bjai,mr4 ,panetta 7for himself1 ,ms4 ,fudge1 ,mr4 ,cuellar1 ,mr4 ,cisneros1 ,mrs4 ,mc,bath1 and ,mr4 ,cox of ,california7 introduced the following bill2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,education and ,labor ,a ,,bill ,to amend the ,higher ,education ,act of #aife to modernize and improve the public service loan forgiveness program1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,public ,service ,loan ,forgiveness ,modernization ,act or the ,,pslf ,modernization ,act4 #b4 ,repayment plan for public service employees ,section #dee7m7 of the ,higher ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ajhg;e7m77 is amended-- 7#a7 by redesignating paragraph 7#c7 as paragraph 7#d72 and 7#b7 by inserting after paragraph 7#b71 the following3 7#c7 ,program modernization 7,a7 ,database of public service employers 7i7 ,establishment ,the ,secretary1 in consultation with the ,commissioner of the ,internal ,revenue ,service1 shall establish and regularly update a comprehensive database that identifies-- 7,i7 each qualified public service employer2 and 7,,ii7 each position offered by such employer that is a public service job4 7ii7 ,accessibility ,the database established under clause 7i7 shall be made available in an easily searchable format on a publicly accessible website of the ,department of ,education and via a free and secure mobile software application4 7,b7 ,employer self-certification 7i7 ,in general ,the ,secretary shall establish a process through which an employer may electronically submit to the ,secretary a certification that the employer is a qualified public service employer4 7ii7 ,secretarial review and verification ,the ,secretary shall review each self-certification submitted under clause 7i7 to verify whether the employer concerned is a qualified public service employer4 7iii7 ,,pslf certification seal ,an employer verified by the ,secretary under clause 7ii7 shall receive permission to use1 for informational and marketing purposes1 a graphic seal-of-approval developed by the ,secretary to indicate the employer's status as a qualified public service employer4 7,c7 ,certification of employment 7i7 ,forms and signatures ,the ,secretary shall ensure that any forms required to certify a borrower's employment in a public service job are available to borrowers and employers-- 7,i7 on a publicly accessible website of the ,department of ,education2 7,,ii7 via a free and secure mobile software application2 and 7,,iii7 in traditional hard copy format4 7ii7 ,electronic signature and submission ,the ,secretary shall establish a process that enables borrowers and employers-- 7,i7 to electronically sign any forms required to certify a borrower's employment in a public service job2 and 7,,ii7 to submit such forms to the ,department of ,education through an online portal or via a free and secure mobile software application4 7iii7 ,notice of recertification ,in the case of a borrower who has previously submitted an annual certification of employment under this section1 the ,secretary shall provide notice to the borrower of the option to recertify such employment not later than #fj days before the expiration of the one year period following the date of the borrower's most recently submitted employment certification4 ,the ,secretary shall provide such notice to a borrower via email and regular mail4 7,d7 ,statement of qualifying payments ,on an annual basis1 the ,secretary shall provide to each borrower of an eligible ,federal ,direct ,loan who has submitted an annual certification of employment under this section the following information3 7i7 ,the number of monthly payments made by the borrower on each eligible ,federal ,direct ,loan of the borrower4 7ii7 ,the number of such payments that qualify as monthly payments under paragraph 7#a77;,a74 7iii7 ,the number of monthly payments under paragraph 7#a77;,a7 remaining on such loan before the borrower is eligible for loan cancellation under paragraph 7#b74 7,e7 ,definitions ,in this paragraph3 7i7 ,the term ,secretary means the ,secretary of ,education acting through the ,chief ,operating ,officer of the ,office of ,federal ,student ,aid4 7ii7 ,the term qualified public service employer means an employer that offers employment in a position that is a public service job4 4 #c4 ,application process for ,temporary ,expanded ,public ,service ,loan ,forgiveness 7a7 ,in general ,notwithstanding any other provision of law1 the ,secretary of ,education shall not require a borrower to apply for and be denied loan cancellation under section #dee7m7 of the ,higher ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ajhg;e7m77 as a condition of eligibility for loan forgiveness under the programs specified in subsection 7b74 7b7 ,programs specified ,the programs specified in this subsection are the programs of student loan forgiveness commonly known as ,temporary ,expanded ,public ,service ,loan ,forgiveness established under the following provisions of law3 7#a7 ,section #cac of the ,department of ,defense and ,labor1 ,health and ,human ,services1 and ,education ,appropriations ,act1 #bjai and ,continuing ,appropriations ,act1 #bjai 7,public ,law #aae-bde74 7#b7 ,section #cae of the ,consolidated ,appropriations ,act1 #bjah 7,public ,law #aae-ada74 7c7 ,online help tool ,not later than #ahj days after the date of the enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary of ,education shall develop1 and make available on a publicly accessible website1 an online tool designed to help borrowers-- 7#a7 learn more about the ,temporary ,expanded ,public ,service ,loan ,forgiveness ,program2 7#b7 determine their eligibility for forgiveness under the program2 and 7#c7 identify any requirements for participation in the program1 including any application requirements4