,i #aafth ,,congress #ast ,session ,h4 ,r4 #dgdg ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,representatives ,october #ah1 #bjai,mr4 ,cicilline 7for himself1 ,ms4 ,schakowsky1 ,mr4 ,serrano1 and ,ms4 ,jackson ,lee7 introduced the following bill2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,education and ,labor ,a ,,bill ,to carry out an income-contingent repayment program for ,federal ,interest ,free ,education ,loans for undergraduate students1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,making ,college ,more ,affordable ,act4 #b4 ,direct ,federal ,undergraduate ,loans and repayment plan 7a7 ,interest rates ,section #dee7;a7 of the ,higher ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ajhg;e7a77 is amended by adding at the end the following3 7#d7 ,undergraduate loans on or after the date of enactment of the ,making ,college ,more ,affordable ,act 7,a7 ,in general ,notwithstanding any other provision of this ,act1 a new borrower on or after the date of enactment of the ,making ,college ,more ,affordable ,act may only borrow a ,federal ,interest ,free ,education ,loan for the undergraduate course work being pursued by such borrower4 7,b7 ,terms1 conditions1 and benefits ,a ,federal ,interest ,free ,education ,loan shall have the same terms and conditions1 and benefits to borrowers as ,federal ,direct ,stafford ,loans with respect to undergraduate borrowers1 except that-- 7i7 a ,federal ,interest ,free ,education ,loan shall have an applicable rate of interest of #c4gf percent for the term of the loan2 7ii7 the aggregate maximum amount of ,federal ,interest ,free ,education ,loan that may be awarded to a borrower shall be #ij1jjj1 for not more than a #d-year academic period2 7iii7 interest on a ,federal ,interest ,free ,education ,loan shall only accrue during periods when a borrower is not earning taxable income due to professional negligence1 professional incompetence1 or malicious action on the part of the borrower2 7iv7 a borrower may consolidate any loan under section #dbh;,b1 or a ,federal ,direct ,,plus ,loan1 that is made1 insured1 or guaranteed on behalf of such borrower with the ,federal ,interest ,free ,education ,loan of such borrower2 7v7 a ,federal ,interest ,free ,education ,loan may only be repaid under the income-contingent repayment plan under subsection 7r72 and 7vi7 the ,secretary may determine other terms and conditions1 and benefits to borrowers of ,federal ,interest ,free ,education ,loan4 4 7b7 ,income-,contingent repayment plan for undergraduate loans ,section #dee of the ,higher ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ajhg;e7 is further amended by adding at the end the following3 7r7 ,income-,contingent repayment plan for undergraduate loans ,notwithstanding any other provision of this ,act1 the ,secretary shall carry out a program under which-- 7#a7 a borrower of a ,federal ,interest ,free ,education ,loan-- 7,a7 shall have an aggregate monthly payment for the outstanding balance of principal and interest due on all such loans automatically withheld from the pre-tax income of the borrower by the employer of the borrower in a manner which-- 7i7 prohibits employers from using any information about an employee's outstanding balance or principal and interest due on such loans for any purpose of use as an advantage against the employee2 7ii7 is determined by the ,secretary1 in coordination with the heads of other appropriate ,federal agencies 7including the ,secretary of the ,treasury and the ,commissioner of the ,social ,security ,administration72 and 7iii7 is an amount equal to-- 7,i7 if the borrower's gross income is less than #ccg percent of the poverty line applicable to the borrower's family size as determined under section #fgc7b7 of the ,community ,services ,block ,grant ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #iijb7b771 #j2 7,,ii7 if the borrower's gross income is equal to or greater than #ccg percent1 but not more than #hda percent of such poverty line1 #d percent of the borrower's gross income2 7,,iii7 if the borrower's gross income is equal to or greater than #hdb percent1 but not more than #ibe percent of such poverty line1 #e percent of the borrower's gross income2 7,,iv7 if the borrower's gross income is equal to or greater than #ibf percent1 but not more than #a1jaj percent of such poverty line1 #f percent of the borrower's gross income2 7,v7 if the borrower's gross income is equal to or greater than #a1jaa percent1 but not more than #a1jid percent of such poverty line1 #g percent of the borrower's gross income2 7,,vi7 if the borrower's gross income is equal to or greater than #a1jie percent1 but not more than #a1agh percent of such poverty line1 #h percent of the borrower's gross income2 7,,vii7 if the borrower's gross income is equal to or greater than #a1agi percent1 and #a1bfb percent of such poverty line1 #i percent of the borrower's gross income2 and 7,,viii7 if the borrower's gross income is equal to or greater than #a1bfc percent of such poverty line1 #aj percent of the borrower's gross income2 and 7,b7 may elect to have any payments made under subparagraph 7,a7 that exceed the amount owed by the borrower on such loans for a calendar year be refunded to the borrower or applied to the amount owed by the borrower on such loans for the succeeding calendar year2 7#b7 the ,secretary will cancel any outstanding balance of principal or interest due on all ,federal ,interest ,free ,education ,loans made to a borrower who has made #cjj monthly payments under this subsection2 and 7#c7 a borrower will be taxed on the amount cancelled under paragraph 7#b71 which taxes shall be applied to carry out the ,federal ,direct ,loan program under this part4 4