2 U.S.C. § 4579 Student Loan Repayment Program For Senate Employees

• Library: United States Statutes
• Edition: 2023 Edition
• Currency: Current through P.L. 118-19 (published on www.congress.gov on 10/06/2023)

(a) Definitions

In this section:

(1) Departure date

The term "departure date" means the earlier of-

(A) the date on which the term of a departing Senator or Vice President ends; or

(B) the date on which the departing Senator or Vice President will retire or resign.

(2) Departing Senator or Vice President

The term "departing Senator or Vice President" means a Senator or Vice President who will not serve in the next term due to retirement, resignation, a decision to not seek reelection, or a failure to secure reelection.

(3) Eligible employee

The term "eligible employee" means an individual, except as provided under subsection (b)(3)-

(A) who is an employee of the Senate; and

(B) whose rate of pay as an employee of the Senate, on the date on which such eligibility is determined, does not exceed the rate of basic pay payable for a position at level IV of the Executive Schedule under section 5315 of title 5.

(4) Employee of the Senate

The term "employee of the Senate"-

(A) has the meaning given the term under section 1301 of this title; and

(B) includes any employee of the Office of Congressional Accessibility Services whose pay is disbursed by the Secretary of the Senate.

(5) Employing office

The term "employing office"-

(A) means the employing office, as defined under section 1301 of this title, of an employee of the Senate; and

(B) includes the Office of Congressional Accessibility Services with respect to employees of that office whose pay is disbursed by the Secretary of the Senate.

(6) Secretary

The term "Secretary" means the Secretary of the Senate.

(7) Student loan

The term "student loan" means-

(A) a loan made, insured, or guaranteed under part B, D, or E of title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 ( 20 U.S.C. 1071 et seq., 1087a et seq., or 1087aa et seq.); and

(B) a health education assistance loan made or insured under part A of title VII of the Public Health Service Act ( 42 U.S.C. 292 et seq.), or under part E of title VIII of such Act ( 42 U.S.C. 297a et seq.).

(b) Senate student loan repayment program

(1) Service agreements

(A) In general

The head of an employing office and an eligible employee may enter into a written service agreement under which-

(i) the employing office shall agree to repay, by direct payments on behalf of the eligible employee, any student loan indebtedness of the eligible employee that is outstanding at the time the eligible employee and the employing office enter into the agreement, subject to this section; and

(ii) the eligible employee shall agree to complete the required period of employment described in subsection (c)(1) with the employing office in exchange for the student loan payments.

(B) Contents of service agreements

(i) Contents

A service agreement under this paragraph shall contain-

(I) the start and end dates of the required period of employment covered by the agreement;

(II) the monthly amount of the student loan payments to be provided by the employing office;

(III) the employee's agreement to reimburse the Senate under the conditions set forth in subsection (d)(1);

(IV) disclosure of the program limitations provided for in subsection (d)(4) and paragraphs (2), (3), (6), and (7) of subsection (f);

(V) other terms to which the employing office and employee agree (such as terms relating to job responsibilities or job performance expectations); and

(VI) any other terms prescribed by the Secretary.

(ii) Standard service agreements

The Secretary shall establish standard service agreements for employing offices to use in carrying out this section.

(2) Submission of agreements

On entering into a service agreement under this section, the employing office shall submit a copy of the service agreement to the Secretary.

(3) Exclusion from participation in dual programs

Notwithstanding section 5379 of title 5, an employee of the Office of Congressional Accessibility Services may not participate in the student loan repayment program through an agreement under that section and participate in the student loan repayment program through a service agreement under this section at the same time.

(c) Program conditions

(1) Period of employment

(A) In general

Except as provided in subparagraph (B), the term of the required period of employment under a service agreement under this section shall be 1 year. On completion of the required period of employment under such a service agreement, the eligible employee and the employing office may enter into additional service agreements for successive 1-year periods of employment.

(B) Departing Senators and Vice Presidents

After the date that is 1 year before the departure date of a departing Senator or Vice President, the departing Senator or Vice President may enter into a service agreement under this section with an eligible employee of the office of the Senator or Vice President (including an eligible employee who has completed a required period of employment under a previous service agreement) that includes a required period of employment that-