,i  #aagth ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #hiji  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,september #bj1      
#bjbb,ms4 ,foxx 7for herself1 ,mr4      
,wilson of ,south ,carolina1 ,mr4       
,banks1 ,mrs4 ,miller-,meeks1 ,mrs4     
,harshbarger1 ,mrs4 ,spartz1 ,mr4       
,sempolinski1 ,mr4 ,johnson of ,south   
,dakota1 ,mr4 ,cline1 ,mr4 ,bost1 ,mr4  
,murphy of ,north ,carolina1 ,ms4       
,letlow1 ,mr4 ,issa1 ,mr4 ,cole1 ,mr4   
,moolenaar1 ,mrs4 ,flores1 ,mr4 ,carter 
of ,georgia1 ,mr4 ,keller1 ,mr4         
,westerman1 and ,mrs4 ,mc,clain7        
introduced the following bill2 which was
 referred to the ,committee on          
,education and ,labor  ,a ,,bill  ,to   
establish a process for separating joint
 consolidation loans to ensure timely   
relief for borrowers4  #a4 ,short title 
,this ,act may be cited as the          
,simplified ,joint ,consolidation       
,separation ,act4  #b4 ,authorization of
 guidance to separate joint             
consolidation loans ,section #dbh;,c of 

the ,higher ,education ,act of #aife    
7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ajgh-c7 is amended--    
7#a7 in subsection 7a77#c77;,b77i7--    
7,a7 by striking and at the end of      
subclause 7,,iv72  7,b7 by striking the 
period at the end of subclause 7,v7 and 
inserting 2 and2 and  7,c7 by adding at 
the end the following3  7,,vi7          
separation of a joint consolidation loan
 into individual consolidation loans in 
accordance with subsection 7g7 shall not
 be considered receipt of a             
consolidation loan for purposes of this 
clause1 and an individual's status as an
 eligible borrower shall not change     
solely as a result of such a separation4
  2 and  7#b7 by adding at the end the  
following3  7g7 ,secretary guidance on  
joint consolidation loans  7#a7 ,in     
general  7,a7 ,authorization            
,notwithstanding section #dba7;d71 a    
married couple1 or two individuals who  
were previously married and received a  
joint consolidation loan under          
subsection 7a77#c77;,c7 7as such        

subsection was in effect on ,june #cj1  
#bjjf71 may jointly request the         
,secretary or holder1 in accordance with
 paragraph 7#b71 to separate the        
existing joint consolidation loan into  
two individual consolidation loans4     
7,b7 ,eligibility for borrowers in      
default ,a married couple1 or two       
individuals who were previously a       
married couple1 who received a joint    
consolidation loan described in         
subparagraph 7,a7 and are in default on 
such joint consolidation loan may both  
be eligible for separation of such joint
 consolidation loan into two individual 
consolidation loans in accordance with  
this subsection4  7,c7 ,eligibility for 
individual requests  7i7 ,circumstances 
allowing for separate application ,an   
individual who is one of the parties who
 received a joint consolidation loan    
described in subparagraph 7,a7 may1     
separately and without regard to whether
 or when the other individual borrower  
who received such joint consolidation   

loan applies under subparagraph 7,a71   
request separation of such joint        
consolidation loan into two individual  
consolidation loans in accordance with  
this subsection in a case in which the  
requesting individual borrower certifies
 to the ,secretary that such borrower-- 
7,i7 has experienced an act of domestic 
violence from the other individual      
borrower2  7,,ii7 has experienced an act
 of economic abuse from the other       
individual borrower2 or  7,,iii7 is     
subject to a divorce decree1 court      
order1 or settlement agreement requiring
 the separation of joint loans and      
obligations4  7ii7 ,obligation from     
separate application ,in the case of a  
joint consolidation loan that is        
separated upon request of an individual 
borrower due to one or more             
circumstances described in clause 7i71  
the other non-applying individual       
borrower shall be liable for the        
outstanding balance of the individual   
consolidation loan of such borrower in  

the same manner as if both borrowers of 
the joint consolidation loan had applied
 for such separation4  7#b7 ,secretarial
 and holder requirements                
,notwithstanding subsection 7a77#c77;,a7
 or any other provision of law1 the     
,secretary or holder may separate the   
joint consolidation loan for eligible   
borrowers who meet the eligibility      
requirements specified in paragraph     
7#a74 ,the two separate individual      
consolidation loans shall-- 7,a7 be for 
an amount equal to the product of-- 7i7 
the unpaid principal and accrued unpaid 
interest of the joint consolidation loan
 7as of the date that is the day before 
separation of the joint consolidation   
loan7 and any outstanding charges and   
fees with respect to such loan2 and     
7ii7 the percentage of the joint        
consolidation loan attributable to the  
loans of the individual borrower for    
whom such separate consolidation loan is
 being separated1 as determined-- 7,i7  
on the basis of the loan obligations of 

such borrower with respect to such joint
 consolidation loan 7as of the date such
 joint consolidation loan was made72 or 
7,,ii7 in the case in which both        
borrowers request1 on the basis of      
proportions requested by the borrowers1 
outlined in a divorce decree1 court     
order1 or settlement agreement2  7,b7   
have the same rate of interest as the   
joint consolidation loan 7as of the date
 that is the day before separation of   
the joint consolidation loan72 and  7,c7
 not be considered new loans1 shall be  
deemed to have been made on the date    
such joint consolidation loan was made1 
and shall have the same terms and       
conditions as other consolidation loans 
made under this part on such date4  4