,,ii  #aafth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #adhi  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,may #ae1      
#bjai,mr4 ,warner 7for himself1 ,mr4    
,rubio1 and ,mr4 ,cornyn7 introduced the
 following bill2 which was read twice   
and referred to the ,committee on       
,health1 ,education1 ,labor1 and        
,pensions  ,a ,,bill  ,to amend the     
,higher ,education ,act of #aife to     
authorize borrowers to separate joint   
consolidation loans4  #a4 ,short title  
,this ,act may be cited as the ,joint   
,consolidation ,loan ,separation ,act4  
#b4 ,separating joint consolidation     
loans  7a7 ,in general ,section #dee7;g7
 of the ,higher ,education ,act of #aife
 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ajhg;e7g77 is amended--
 7#a7 by striking ,a borrower and       
inserting the following3  7#a7 ,in      
general ,a borrower  2 and  7#b7 by     
adding at the end the following3  7#b7  
,separating joint consolidation loans   
7,a7 ,in general ,a married couple1 or  
#b individuals who were previously a    

married couple1 and who received a joint
 consolidation loan as such married     
couple under subparagraph 7,c7 of       
section #dbh;,c7a77#c7 7as such         
subparagraph was in effect on or before 
,june #cj1 #bjjf71 may apply to the     
,secretary for each individual borrower 
in the married couple 7or previously    
married couple7 to receive a separate   
,federal ,direct ,consolidation ,loan   
under this part-- 7i7 that shall be     
equal to the sum of-- 7,i7 the unpaid   
principal and accrued unpaid interest of
 the percentage of the joint            
consolidation loan that1 as of the day  
before such joint consolidation loan was
 made1 was attributable to the loans of 
the individual borrower for whom such   
separate consolidation loan is being    
made2 and  7,,ii7 any other loans       
described in section #dbh;,c7a77#d7 that
 such individual borrower selects for   
consolidation under this part2  7ii7 the
 proceeds of which shall be paid by the 
,secretary to the holder or holders--   

7,i7 of the joint consolidation loan for
 the purpose of discharging the         
liability on the percentage of such     
joint consolidation loan described in   
clause 7i77,i72 and  7,,ii7 of the loans
 selected for consolidation under clause
 7i77,,ii7 for the purpose of           
discharging the liability on such loans2
  7iii7 that has the same rate of       
interest as the joint consolidation     
loan2  7iv7 for which any payment made  
under section #dee7m77#a77;,a7 on the   
joint consolidation loan during a period
 in which the individual borrower for   
whom such separate consolidation loan is
 being made was employed in a public    
service job described in section        
#dee7m77#a77;,b7 shall be treated as if 
such payment were made on such separate 
consolidation loan2 and  7v7 for which  
any payment made under an income        
contingent repayment plan or an         
income-based repayment plan described in
 subparagraph 7,d7 or 7,e7 of section   
#dee7;d77#a71 respectively1 on the joint

 consolidation loan shall be treated as 
if such payment were made on such       
separate consolidation loan4  7,b7      
,application for separate direct        
consolidation loan  7i7 ,joint          
application ,except as provided in      
clause 7ii71 to receive separate        
consolidation loans under subparagraph  
7,a71 both individual borrowers in a    
married couple 7or previously married   
couple7 shall jointly apply under       
subparagraph 7,a74  7ii7 ,separate      
application ,an individual borrower in a
 married couple 7or previously married  
couple7 may apply for a separate        
consolidation loan under subparagraph   
7,a7 separately and without regard to   
whether or when the other individual    
borrower in the married couple 7or      
previously married couple7 applies under
 subparagraph 7,a71 in a case in which--
 7,i7 the individual borrower has       
experienced from the other individual   
borrower-- 7aa7 domestic violence 7as   
defined in section #djjjb7;a7 of the    

,violence ,against ,women ,act of #aiid 
7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #acibe7;a7772 or  7bb7   
economic abuse 7including behaviors that
 control such borrower's ability to     
acquire1 use1 and maintain access to    
money1 credit1 or the joint financial   
obligations of both borrowers72  7,,ii7 
the individual borrower certifies1 on a 
form approved by the ,secretary1 that   
such borrower is unable to reasonably   
reach or access the loan information of 
the other individual borrower2 or       
7,,iii7 the ,secretary determines that  
authorizing each individual borrower to 
apply separately under subparagraph 7,a7
 would be in the best fiscal interests  
of the ,federal ,government4  7,c7      
,borrower eligibility ,notwithstanding  
section #dbh;,c7a77#c77;,a71 the        
,secretary shall award a consolidation  
loan under this part to each borrower   
who-- 7i7 applies for such loan under   
subparagraph 7,a72 and  7ii7 meets the  
requirements of subparagraphs 7,a7 and  
7,b74  4  7b7 ,conforming amendment     

,section #dbh;,c7a77#c77;,b77i77,v7 of  
the ,higher ,education ,act of #aife    
7#bj ,u4,s4,c4                          
#ajgh-c7;a77#c77;,b77i77,v77 is         
amended-- 7#a7 in item 7bb71 by striking
 or after the semicolon2  7#b7 in item  
7cc71 by striking the period and        
inserting 2 or2 and  7#c7 by adding at  
the end the following3  7dd7 for the    
purpose of separating a joint           
consolidation loan into #b separate     
,federal ,direct ,consolidation ,loans  
under section #dee7;g77#b74  4