H.R. 3146: Helping Emergency Responders Overcome Student Debt Act

This bill, titled the Helping Emergency Responders Overcome Student Debt Act, aims to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to include volunteer firefighters and volunteer emergency medical technicians (EMTs) as eligible professionals for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program.

Key Provisions

• The bill broadens the definition of public service jobs to encompass volunteer work performed as a qualified volunteer firefighter or a qualified volunteer EMT.
• It outlines specific criteria for what constitutes a "qualified volunteer firefighter" and a "qualified volunteer emergency medical technician."
  • A qualified volunteer firefighter is an individual who provides firefighting or related emergency response services for a legally recognized organization but is not employed full-time by that organization.
  • A qualified volunteer EMT is one who is trained and certified to provide emergency medical services and performs these duties for an appropriate organization while not being a full-time employee of that organization.
• The bill mandates that the Secretary of Education establish the minimum amount of volunteer time required for these roles to be considered equivalent to full-time employment for the purpose of securing loan forgiveness.
• The Secretary is also responsible for developing regulations regarding the tracking and verification of volunteer service required for eligibility.

Regulatory Oversight

The Secretary of Education will consult with public safety organizations, including those representing firefighters and emergency responders, to formulate regulations necessary for the implementation of this bill. This includes setting the minimum volunteer time requirement and the processes for ensuring accurate tracking of service hours.

Impact on Loan Forgiveness

If the bill is enacted, it would allow qualified volunteer firefighters and EMTs to have their federal student loans forgiven after completing a requisite amount of volunteer service, similar to the benefits currently available under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program for other public service employees.

Summary

In essence, this bill is designed to recognize and support the contributions of volunteer emergency responders by facilitating their access to student loan forgiveness programs, thereby easing the financial burden associated with their education.

Relevant Companies

• None found