HR 3146
HEROES Act
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Bill overview
This bill, the Helping Emergency Responders Overcome Student Debt Act (HEROES Act), amends the Higher Education Act to allow volunteer firefighters and volunteer emergency medical technicians to qualify for Public Service Loan Forgiveness. It defines these roles and establishes criteria for individuals to be considered employed full-time for loan forgiveness purposes, based on their volunteer work. The Department of Education will create regulations to clarify the minimum volunteer time requirements and how to track this service.
Key provisions
- Expands Public Service Loan Forgiveness eligibility to include volunteer firefighters.
- Expands Public Service Loan Forgiveness eligibility to include volunteer emergency medical technicians.
- Defines ‘qualified volunteer firefighter’ and ‘qualified volunteer emergency medical technician’ based on specific service requirements.
- Requires the Secretary of Education to determine a minimum volunteer time requirement.
- Mandates the Secretary of Education to develop regulations regarding volunteer time tracking and verification.
- Clarifies that ‘public safety organization’ includes firefighter and emergency responder organizations.
- Amends Section 455(m)(3) of the Higher Education Act.
Who is affected
- Student loan borrowers
- Volunteer firefighters
- Volunteer emergency medical technicians
- Fire departments
- Emergency medical services organizations
Notable changes
Sponsors
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Primary sponsor
Cosponsors
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119th CONGRESS — 1st Session
H. R. 3146
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
A BILL
To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to include service as a volunteer firefighter or volunteer emergency medical technician as a public service job for purposes of eligibility for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program, and for other purposes.
This Act may be cited as the Helping Emergency Responders Overcome Student Debt Act HEROES Act
or the
.
Section 455(m)(3) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1087e(m)(3)) is amended—
in subparagraph (B)—
in clause (i), by striking or
after the semicolon;
in clause (ii), by striking the period at the end and inserting ; or
; and
by adding at the end the following:
by adding at the end the following:
The term qualified volunteer firefighter means an individual who—
provides firefighting services, fire prevention services, emergency medical services, or other related emergency response services on behalf of a legally recognized fire department or public safety organization; and
is not otherwise directly employed on a full-time basis by the same fire department or public safety organization for which they provide such services.
The term qualified volunteer emergency medical technician means an individual who—
is trained and certified, licensed, or otherwise authorized under applicable state or local laws to provide emergency medical care, pre-hospital care, or ambulance services in response to medical emergencies;
performs such care or services on behalf of an ambulance service, fire department, healthcare facility, or public safety organization; and
The Secretary shall—
The term public safety organization means any State, local, or tribal governmental agency or nonprofit organization that has the principal purpose of protecting the safety of life, health, or property.
The Secretary of Education shall promulgate, after consultation with public safety organizations (which shall include firefighter and emergency responder organizations), regulations to carry out the amendments made by section 2, including regulations relating to—