,i  #aafth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #dfbg  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,october #h1         
#bjai,ms4 ,scanlon 7for herself and ,ms4
 ,omar7 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 establish the ,office of the   
,borrower ,advocate4  #a4 ,short title  
,this ,act may be cited as the ,student 
,borrower ,advocate ,act4  #b4          
,performance-based organization for     
delivery of ,federal student financial  
assistance  7a7 ,,pbo ,section #ada7;f7 
of the ,higher ,education ,act of #aife 
7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ajah7;f77 is amended to 
read as follows3  7f7 ,borrower         
,advocate  7#a7 ,in general ,there is   
established in the ,,pbo an ,office of  
the ,borrower ,advocate 7referred to in 
this subsection as the ,office74 ,the   
function of the ,office shall be to     
provide timely assistance to borrowers  
of loans made1 insured1 or guaranteed   

under title ,,iv by performing the      
duties described in paragraph 7#f74     
7#b7 ,head of ,office ,there shall be an
 official known as the ,borrower        
,advocate who shall serve as the head of
 the ,office4 ,the ,borrower ,advocate  
shall be appointed by the ,secretary    
from among individuals who have worked  
closely with the ,federal student loan  
programs authorized under title ,,iv4   
7#c7 ,removal ,the ,borrower ,advocate  
may be removed only by the ,secretary   
who shall communicate the reasons for   
any such removal to the authorizing     
committees4  7#d7 ,restrictions  7,a7   
,preservice and in-service restrictions 
,an individual may not serve as the     
,borrower ,advocate if such individual--
 7i7 is employed by1 or has a financial 
interest in1 an entity that contracts   
with the ,,pbo2 or  7ii7 was employed   
by1 or had a financial interest in1 any 
such entity in any of the five-years    
preceding the date of the individual's  
appointment as the ,borrower ,advocate4 

7,b7 ,postservice restrictions ,an      
individual who served as the ,borrower  
,advocate may not accept employment with
 an entity that contracts with the ,,pbo
 until a period of five years has       
elapsed following the date on which such
 individual's service as the ,borrower  
,advocate terminated4  7#e7 ,staff ,the 
,office shall be staffed sufficiently to
 carry out the responsibilities of the  
,office under this subsection4  7#f7    
,duties of the ,borrower ,advocate ,the 
,office of the ,borrower ,advocate      
shall-- 7,a7 assist borrowers of loans  
made1 insured1 or guaranteed under title
 ,,iv in resolving problems with the    
,,pbo and its contractors or other      
agents1 including by--  7i7 receiving   
and reviewing complaints of such        
problems from borrowers2  7ii7 working  
to resolve such complaints in a manner  
that is in the best interests of        
borrowers2 and  7iii7 transmitting such 
complaints to ,states and recognized    
accrediting agencies or associations1 as

 appropriate2  7,b7 attempt to resolve  
complaints within the ,department of    
,education and with institutions of     
higher education1 lenders1 guaranty     
agencies1 loan servicers1 and other     
participants in the ,federal student    
loan programs authorized under title    
,,iv in a manner that will improve the  
experience of the borrower2  7,c7       
compile and analyze data on borrower    
complaints and share such data with the 
,director of the ,bureau of ,consumer   
,financial ,protection2  7,d7 publish1  
with any personally identifiable        
information redacted1 such complaints   
and responses of the ,secretary to such 
complaints on the website of the        
,department2 and  7,e7 make appropriate 
recommendations to ,congress1 the ,chief
 ,operating ,officer1 and ,secretary    
with respect to ,federal student loan   
programs authorized under title ,,iv and
 the experiences of borrowers in        
repayment of loans under such programs4 
7#g7 ,public information ,the ,chief    

,operating ,officer shall establish and 
maintain a public page on the website of
 the ,department of ,education          
exclusively to provide members of the   
public with information about the role  
of the ,,pbo with respect to the        
oversight of institutions of higher     
education1 lenders1 guaranty agencies1  
contractors that contract with the      
,,pbo1 subcontractors of such           
contractors1 and third party servicers4 
7#h7 ,report ,on an annual basis1 the   
,borrower ,advocate shall submit to the 
,chief ,operating ,officer a report on  
the activities of the ,office during the
 preceding year that--  7,a7 identifies 
the activities carried out by the       
,borrower ,advocate2  7,b7 summarizes   
the complaints received from borrowers1 
including the number of such complaints1
 and explains the activities undertaken 
by the ,,pbo to address such complaints2
  7,c7 proposes changes in the          
administrative practices of the ,,pbo to
 mitigate problems experienced by       

borrowers2 and  7,d7 identifies         
potential legislative changes which may 
be appropriate to mitigate such         
problems4  4  7b7 ,conforming amendments
  7#a7 ,section #dcc7;b77#ac7 of the    
,higher ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj   
,u4,s4,c4 #ajhc7;b77#ac77 is amended by 
striking ,student ,loan ,ombudsman and  
inserting ,borrower ,advocate4  7#b7    
,section #dcc7;e77#c77;,e7 of the       
,higher ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj   
,u4,s4,c4 #ajhc7;e77#c77;,e77 is amended
 by striking ,student ,loan ,ombudsman  
and inserting ,borrower ,advocate4