,,ii  #aagth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #dcde  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,may #bf1      
#bjbb,mr4 ,whitehouse 7for himself and  
,mr4 ,merkley7 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 amend the public      
service loan forgiveness program4  #a4  
,short title ,this ,act may be cited as 
the ,simplifying and ,strengthening     
,public ,service ,loan ,forgiveness     
,act4  #b4 ,public service loan         
forgiveness reform  7a7 ,reducing       
payments  7#a7 ,in general ,section     
#dee7m77#a7 of the ,higher ,education   
,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4            
#ajhg;e7m77#a77 is amended-- 7,a7 in    
subparagraph 7,a71 by striking #abj and 
inserting #fj2 and  7,b7 in subparagraph
 7,b77ii71 by striking #abj and         
inserting #fj4  7#b7 ,effective date    
,the amendments made by paragraph 7#a7  

shall apply with respect to any eligible
 ,federal ,direct ,loan which is in     
repayment status on or after the date of
 enactment of this ,act4  7b7 ,making   
waivers permanent ,section #dee7m7 of   
the ,higher ,education ,act of #aife    
7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ajhg;e7m77 is amended by
 adding at the end the following3  7#e7 
,counting prior payments2 simplifying   
program ,notwithstanding paragraph 7#a71
 in carrying out this section1 the      
,secretary shall comply with the        
following3 7,a7 ,the ,secretary shall   
consider as a monthly payment under this
 subsection1 any monthly payment made   
while the borrower was employed in a    
public service job on a loan made1      
insured1 or guaranteed under this title 
before1 on1 or after the date of        
enactment of this paragraph pursuant to 
any repayment plan authorized under this
 ,act4  7,b7 ,the ,secretary shall      
consider as a monthly payment under this
 subsection1 a payment described in     
subparagraph 7,a7 that was late or was  

for less than the full amount of the    
monthly payment4  7,c7 ,the ,secretary  
shall count as a monthly payment under  
this subsection1 a month for which a    
borrower is serving on active duty 7as  
described in section #aja7;d77#a7 of    
title #aj1 ,united ,states ,code7 or    
serving in the ,peace ,corps1 even if   
the borrower's loan was in deferment or 
forbearance and not in active repayment4
  7,d7 ,the ,secretary shall allow a    
borrower of a ,federal ,,plus ,loan1    
made on behalf of a dependent student1  
under section #dbh;,b who is employed in
 a public service job to consolidate    
such loan into a ,federal ,direct       
,consolidation ,loan in order to receive
 loan cancellation pursuant to this     
subsection4  7,e7 ,the ,secretary shall 
allow the borrowers of a ,joint         
,consolidation ,loan or a ,joint ,direct
 ,consolidation ,loan who are employed  
in a public service job to consolidate  
such loan into a ,federal ,direct       
,consolidation ,loan in order to receive

 loan cancellation pursuant to this     
subsection4  4