S.Amdt. 4644

SA 4644. Ms. WARREN submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by
her to the bill S. 2943, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year
2017 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military
construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy,
to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for
other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

At the end of subtitle E of title V, add the following:

SEC. 565. INFORMATION REGARDING EDUCATIONAL BENEFITS FOR
MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES.

(a) In General.--Chapter 101 of title 10, United States
Code, as amended by section 563 of this Act, is further
amended by inserting after section 2012a the following new
section:

``Sec. 2012b. Information regarding educational benefits for
members of the armed forces

``(a) Website Regarding Educational Benefits for Members of
the Armed Forces.--
``(1) In general.--The Secretary of Defense, in
coordination with the Secretary of Education, the Secretary
of Veterans Affairs, and the Secretary of Homeland Security,
shall create a revised and updated searchable Internet
website that--
``(A) contains information, in simple and understandable
terms, about all Federal and State student financial
assistance, readmission requirements under section 484C of
the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1091c), and other
student services, for which members of the armed forces
(including members of the National Guard and Reserves),
veterans, and the dependents of such members or veterans may
be eligible; and
``(B) is easily accessible through the Internet website
described in section 131(e)(3) of the Higher Education Act of
1965 (20 U.S.C. 1015(e)(3)).
``(2) Implementation.--Not later than 1 year after the date
of enactment of the National Defense Authorization Act for
Fiscal Year 2017, the Secretary of Defense shall make
publicly available the revised and updated Internet website
described in paragraph (1).
``(3) Dissemination.--The Secretary of Defense, in
coordination with the Secretary of Education and the
Secretary of Veterans Affairs, shall make the availability of
the Internet website described in paragraph (1) widely known
to members of the armed forces (including members of the
National Guard and Reserves), veterans, the dependents of
such members or veterans, States, institutions of higher
education, and the general public.
``(4) Definition.--In this subsection, the term `Federal
and State student financial assistance' means any grant,
loan, work assistance, tuition assistance, scholarship,
fellowship, or other form of financial aid for pursuing a
postsecondary education that is--
``(A) administered, sponsored, or supported by the
Department of Defense, the Department of Education, the
Department of Veterans Affairs, or a State; and
``(B) available to members of the armed forces (including
members of the National Guard and Reserves), veterans, or the
dependents of such members or veterans.
``(b) Enrollment Form for Benefits for Members of the Armed
Forces.--
``(1) In general.--The Secretary of Defense, in
consultation with the Director of the Bureau of Consumer
Financial Protection, the Secretary of Education, and the
heads of any other relevant Federal agencies, shall create a
simplified disclosure and enrollment form for borrowers who
are performing military service.
``(2) Contents.--The disclosure and enrollment form
described in paragraph (1) shall include--
``(A) information about the benefits and protections under
title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1070
et seq.) and under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (50
U.S.C. 3901 et seq.) that are available to such borrower
because the borrower is performing military service; and
``(B) an opportunity for the borrower, by completing the
enrollment form, to invoke certain protections, activate
certain benefits, and enroll in certain programs that may be
available to that borrower, which shall include the
opportunity--
``(i) to invoke applicable protections that are available
under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (50 U.S.C. 3901 et
seq.), as such protections relate to Federal student loans
under parts B, D, or E of title IV of the Higher Education
Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1071 et seq.; 1087a et seq.; 1087aa et
seq.); and
``(ii) to activate or enroll in any other applicable
benefits that are available to such borrower under the Higher
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001 et seq.) because the
borrower is performing military service, such as eligibility
for a deferment or eligibility for a period during which
interest shall not accrue.
``(3) Implementation.--Not later than 1 year after the date
of enactment of the National Defense Authorization Act for
Fiscal Year 2017, the Secretary of Defense, in consultation
with the Secretary of Education, shall make the disclosure
and enrollment form described in paragraph (1) available to--
``(A) lenders of loans made, insured, or guaranteed under
part B of title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20
U.S.C. 1071 et seq.);
``(B) institutions of higher education eligible to
participate in any program under title IV of such Act (20
U.S.C. 1070 et seq.); and
``(C) personnel at the Department of Education, the Bureau
of Consumer Financial Protection, and other Federal agencies
that provide services to borrowers who are members of the
armed forces or the dependents of such members.
``(4) Notice requirements.--
``(A) SCRA interest rate limitation.--The completion of the
disclosure and enrollment form created pursuant to paragraph
(1) by the borrower of a loan made, insured, or guaranteed
under part B or part D of title IV of Higher Education Act of
1965 who is otherwise subject to the interest rate limitation
in subsection (a) of section 207 of the Servicemembers Civil
Relief Act (50 U.S.C. 3937(a)) and submittal of such form to
the Secretary of Defense shall be considered, for purposes of
such section, provision to the creditor of written notice as
described in subsection (b)(1) of such section.
``(B) FFEL lenders.--The Secretary of Defense, in
consultation with the Secretary of Education, shall provide
each such disclosure and enrollment form completed and
submitted by a borrower of a loan made, insured, or
guaranteed under part B of title IV of the Higher Education
Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.

[[Page S3744]]

1071 et seq.) who is otherwise subject to the interest rate
limitation in subsection (a) of section 207 of the
Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (50 U.S.C. 3937(a)) to any
applicable eligible lender under such part B so as to satisfy
the provision to the lender of written notice as described in
subsection (b)(1) of such section 207.''.
(b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the
beginning of chapter 101 of such title, as amended by section
563 of this Act, is further amended by inserting after the
item relating to section 2012a the following new item:

``2012a. Information regarding educational benefits for members of the
armed forces.''.
______