POLISCOPE
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HR10477FEDERALIN_COMMITTEE
High Impact

The SERVICE Act: Proposed Changes to Public Service Loan Forgiveness

Original title: SERVICE Act

December 18, 2024

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Where This Stands

Introduced
Committee
Floor Vote
Passed
Signed

Currently IN_COMMITTEE. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Floor Vote.

Version history

Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.

View official text →

The Frame

What this does

This bill would shorten the timeline for public service workers to have their federal student loans cancelled by two years and introduces new protections against interest capitalization during periods of or .

Who is mentioned in the record

Potentially affected actors named in the source documents. Mention is not a position.

Public service employees

Their eligibility requirements, payment timelines, and access to loan cancellation services are modified by this bill.

Independent contractors

They are newly included in the definition of eligible public service employment for loan forgiveness purposes.

Federal student loan borrowers

They gain access to a new online portal and database for tracking loan progress and job eligibility.

What changed

Current stage: IN_COMMITTEE.

What's next

Floor Vote.

Summary

The SERVICE Act proposes reducing the number of required monthly payments for Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) from 120 to 96 and creates a new online portal to track progress. It also expands eligibility to include independent contractors and establishes a formal process for borrowers to buy back missing payment months.

Key Facts

You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does this bill apply to independent contractors?
Yes, the bill explicitly amends the law to include work as an independent contractor in the definition of public service employment.
What happens if my loan cancellation application is denied?
The bill creates a formal 90-day reconsideration process where you can submit additional evidence, and it grants a 90-day period while your request is reviewed.
Will my interest grow while I am in forbearance?
The bill prohibits the on federal loans after a period of concludes.

Why It Matters

This bill would shorten the timeline for public service workers to have their federal student loans cancelled by two years and introduces new protections against interest capitalization during periods of or .

News Coverage

Lobbying Activity

A16Z Capital Management LLC (f/k/a AH Capital Management L.L.C., d/b/a Andreessen Horowitz)

on behalf of A16Z Capital Management LLC (f/k/a AH Capital Management L.L.C.)

$880,000

2026

BANKINGCOMMODITIES (BIG TICKET)HEALTH ISSUESFINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS/INVESTMENTS/SEC

Digital assets and anti-money laundering proposals

1-800 Contacts, Inc.

$250,000

2026

CONSUMER ISSUES/SAFETY/PRODUCTSHEALTH ISSUES

Issues and legislative proposals related to contact lenses Issues related to the Federal Trade Commission Contact Lens Rule H.R.8773: Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Act, 2025 H.R. 9027: Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2025 HR 4282 S. 3354, Curtis QUIET Act.

A STREET STRATEGIES

on behalf of National Association of Convenience Stores

2026

FUEL/GAS/OILBANKINGTOBACCOTAXATION/INTERNAL REVENUE CODE

Issues relating to renewable fuels and energy policy Issues relating to UST regulations Issues relating to renewable fuels standard implementation Issues relating to retailer liability associated with selling alternative and renewable fuels Issues relating to the gasoline and diesel fuel excise tax Issues relating to Biodiesel Blenders' Tax Credit Issues relating to the Alternative Fuel Vehicle Refueling Property tax credit Issues relating to Gas prices and fuel markets, price gouging E15 RVP waiver

ADOBE INC

$450,000

2026

COMPUTER INDUSTRYDEFENSEGOVERNMENT ISSUESCOPYRIGHT/PATENT/TRADEMARK

IT Modernization and Digital Service delivery issues; Digital Service Delivery IT Acquisition, and Content Authenticity and digital provenance issues; Content Authenticity Initiative (CAI); artificial intelligence; content provenance; privacy; technology in and competition issues; AI innovation and the economy; Content provenance and AI Labelling; IT modernization; Support for H.R. 9112 - CREATOR Act

AARP

$4,110,000

2026

HEALTH ISSUESMEDICARE/MEDICAIDLAW ENFORCEMENT/CRIME/CRIMINAL JUSTICEPHARMACY

P.L. 119-21, One Big Beautiful Bill Act H.R. 8867, Planning for Long-term Aging Needs (PLAN) Act H.R. 5861, Legacy Act of 2025 H.R. 9393, the Lower Costs, More Transparency Act. H.R. 9396, the Prior Authorization Accountability Act. S. 4916, the Aging with Artificial Intelligence Act. H.R. 8100, Safe Staffing Saves Lives Act. S. 3886, Nurses Belong in Nursing Homes Act. H.R. 6766/S. 3492, the Essential Caregivers Act of 2025. H.R. 7966/S. 4118, Hospice Care Accountability, Reform, and Enforcement (Hospice CARE) Act. S. 2120, the Older Americans Act Reauthorization Act of 2025 H.R. 5575, the Firefighters Assisting Seniors to Emergency Response (FASTER) Act of 2025. H.R. 3954/S. 4641, Improving Access to Medicare Coverage Act. H.R.5554/S.2831, Stand Strong for Medicare Act. S. 3439/H.R. 6735, Connecting Caregivers to Medicare Act and efforts related to the bill S. 1227/H.R. 2491, Alleviating Barriers for Caregivers Act S. 668/H.R. 3183, Supporting Access to Falls Education and Prevention and Strengthening Training Efforts and Promoting Safety Initiatives (SAFE STEPS) for Veterans Act of 2025 CMS-1851-P, Hospice Proposed rule. CMS-1843-P, Skilled Nursing Facility Proposed rule. CMS-1844-P, Home Health Proposed rule. No bill number. Health care transparency. No bill number. Discussed use of artificial intelligence and health data technology. No bill number. Discussed health-related policies and activities around the fall respiratory virus season. No bill number. Discussed health insurance affordability proposals. No bill number. Discussed Nursing Home staffing standards, safety, and quality. No bill number. Discussed Nursing home transparency and ownership requirements. No bill number. Discussed home health, hospice, and long-term care. No bill number. Discussed falls prevention. No bill number. Discussed social isolation. No bill number. Discussed HUD Assisted Living Requirements No bill number. Discussed family caregiving. No bill number. Discussed AARP paper on Medicare Caregiver Training Services. No bill number. Discussed Medicaid community engagement interim final rule, including the family caregiver exemption. No bill number. Discussed the paid direct care workforce in long-term care. No bill number. Discussed the unaffordability of long-term care. No bill number. Discussed Money Follows the Person Rebalancing Demonstration Program and Medicaid HCBS spousal impoverishment protections. No bill number. Discussed Medicaid fraud and family caregivers, Medicaid self-direction programs. No bill number. Discussed sandwich generation family caregiver hearing and submitted a statement for the record discussing family caregivers and sandwich generation caregivers, programs that support them, AARP caregiving resources, and federal policies to support sandwich generation caregivers and caregivers more broadly. No bill number. Discussed long-term care. No bill number. CMS-2453-NC; Medicaid Program; 2028 Medicaid Home and Community-Based Services Quality Measure Set Submitted comments No bill number. Discussed expanding access to home care. No bill number. Discussed the increasing cost of home care No bill number. Discussed HSA use for telehealth chronic care management services/subscriptions. No bill number. Discussed artificial intelligence and technology

1607 STRATEGIES, LLC

on behalf of Assurant, Inc.

2026

INSURANCECONSUMER ISSUES/SAFETY/PRODUCTS

Issues relating to the reauthorization of the National Flood Insurance Program, other issues related to flood insurance products and government-sponsored enterprise reform.

1607 STRATEGIES, LLC

on behalf of American Fintech Council

2026

FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS/INVESTMENTS/SEC

Issues related to fintech and banks-as-a-service, earned wage access, fintech legislation, and online lending. Issues related to earned wage access. H.R.940, FAIR Exams Act, all provisions. H.R. 4437, Supervisory Modifications for Appropriate Risk-based Testing Act of 2025 (SMART Act of 2025), all provisions. H.R. 4478, Tailored Regulatory Updates for Supervisory Testing Act of 2025 (TRUST Act of 2025), all provisions.

60 Plus Association

2026

TAXATION/INTERNAL REVENUE CODEENVIRONMENT/SUPERFUNDCOPYRIGHT/PATENT/TRADEMARKHEALTH ISSUES

Signed a coalition letter opposing any efforts to raise the corporate tax rate above the 21% level set in the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA). Signed a coalition in support of the Family Business Legacy Act, H.R. 6329. This legislation creates parity in the tax code between the estate and gift taxes by allowing an estate tax deduction for contributions to 501(c)(4), (c)(5), and (c)(6) organizations. Signed a coalition letter urging opposition to proposals that would raise taxes on carried interest investment income.The letter is urging Congress to reject the misnamed Carried Interest Fairness Act, legislation recently reintroduced by Senators Tammy Baldwin, Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, and other progressive members of Congress. This legislation that would increase the tax rate on carried interest investment by 70%, from 23.8% to 40.8%. Signed a coalition letter in support of H.R.574 - ALIGN Act and highlight the 100% bonus depreciation provision's importance as the tax cut reauthorization efforts continue. Signed a coalition to support of repealing IRA's green new deal subsidies in reconciliation to pay for tax cuts. Signed a coalition letter regarding digital services taxes (DST) in an effort to stop Canadas imposition of a discriminatory digital services tax (DST) on U.S. firms and your efforts to include restrictions on the imposition of DSTs and other unfair digital policies in recently announced trade agreements-providing a model for future trade negotiations. Signed a coalition letter urging the President to index capital gains for inflation.

162 STRATEGIES

on behalf of National Organization of Social Security Claimants' Representatives

2026

GOVERNMENT ISSUES

Issues related to Social Security Administration disability claims due process (generally, no specific legislation); Issues related to Social Security Administration customer service (generally, no specific legislation); Issues related to Social Security Administration engagement with appointed representatives on disability claims (generally, no specific legislation); Issues related to Health and Human Services interpretation of standards for digital health information exchange (generally, no specific legislation); SSI Savings Penalty Elimination Act (S 1234 and HR 2540); SSI Restoration Act (S 4001 and HR 7828); Ticket to Work Advertisement Act (HR 7253); Phased-in SSDI during waiting period for terminally ill claimants (S 4255); Stop the Wait Act (HR 930); We Can't Wait Act (S 3924); Immediate Access for the Terminally Ill Act (S 3648 and HR 7104); Social Security Enhancement and Protection Act (HR 3517); Social Security Overpayment Relief Act (HR 2142); Social Security Expansion Act (S 770 and HR 1700)

SCHOOL SERVICES OF CALIFORNIA INC.

on behalf of PERALTA COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT

Senate LDAView filing →

Sponsors

Discoveries

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift100% confidence

Expansion of PSLF Eligibility

The bill marks a significant shift by explicitly including independent contractors in the PSLF program, a group previously excluded from the definition of public service employment.

Connected Entities

organizationCongressThe legislative body introducing the bill.Map →
bill_numberHigher Education Act of 1965The foundational legislation being amended.Map →
personDeSaulnier, Mr.One of the bill's sponsors in the House of Representatives.Map →
personSarbanes, Mr.One of the bill's sponsors in the House of Representatives.Map →
personCourtney, Mr.One of the bill's sponsors in the House of Representatives.Map →
organizationDepartment of EducationThe agency responsible for administering the PSLF program.Map →

Analysis Score

0–100
  • Significance85
    How much this matters to a regular citizen
  • Controversy40
    Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
  • Entertainment10
    Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
  • Buzz30
    Current news / social attention level

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