Washington, D.C. – Today, Representative Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA) hosted a roundtable discussion with local law enforcement officers and first responders focused on recruitment, retention, and public service. At the event, Rep. Houlahan announced the reintroduction of her Public Service Student Loan Payment Completion Fairness Act to make a long-overdue modernization to the PSLF Program and simplify the loan forgiveness process for public servants. This legislation, co-led by Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), was endorsed by the Fraternal Order of Police.  

At present, the law requires applicants to be employed in a public service job at the time of student loan forgiveness. That means public servants who have dutifully completed their 120 payments and spent 10 years in public service may become ineligible for forgiveness if they change employers. Houlahan and Fitzpatrick’s legislation would simplify the process, improve applicant success rate, and incent more Americans to become public servants by removing the provision requiring individuals to be employed in public service at the time of forgiveness.  

“When Pennsylvanians and Americans dedicate a decade or more of their lives to serving our communities, they deserve our support to cut through bureaucratic delays and receive the student loan forgiveness we have promised,” said Representative Houlahan. “Our community, Commonwealth, and country are made stronger because of dedicated public servants, and as a former AmeriCorps teacher, I’m proud to introduce this commonsense reform to help our nation’s teachers, law enforcement officers, first responders, nurses, and others.”  

"Those who choose public service—whether in a classroom, a squad car, or a hospital ward—do so out of a sense of duty, not personal gain. They sacrifice, they serve, and many take on student debt to do it. Our bill ensures they’re not denied loan forgiveness because of a technicality. If we want to recruit and retain the best in public service, we must show service is respected, and commitments made will be commitments kept,” said Representative Fitzpatrick. 

In a letter written to Representatives Houlahan and Fitzpatrick, National President of the Fraternal Order of Police Patrick Yoes endorsed the bill, adding, “An officer’s route for advancement is highly dependent on education, which can be a large hurdle for entry level officers who may not be able to afford higher education. Correcting the statute in this way would enable our nation’s public servants, who serve and protect their communities, to receive a better education and, in turn, will help them to be better law enforcement officers, first responders, and teachers.” 

Reps. Houlahan and Fitzpatrick hope their bipartisan, commonsense legislation will improve applicant success. Data from the Department of Education demonstrates how the many ancillary requirements of the PSLF program significantly impede the applicant success rate. Out of the 442,277 individuals who met employment certification and Direct Loan requirements and submitted program forms through September 2021, 98% did not immediately qualify because they did not meet other PSLF requirements, such as the onerous provision addressed in this legislation.  

Read bill text here. 

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Houlahan is an Air Force veteran, engineer, entrepreneur, educator, and nonprofit leader. She is serving her fourth consecutive term representing the people of Pennsylvania’s 6th Congressional District, which encompasses Chester County and southern Berks County. Houlahan is the first female veteran to be named as Ranking Member of the House Armed Services Committee’s Military Personnel Subcommittee and a member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. Houlahan is also chair of the Economic Growth and Cost of Living Task Force on the New Democrat Coalition.