To make permanent the waiver authority of the Secretary of Education with respect to student financial assistance during a war or other military operation or national emergency.
Public Law 110-93 · H.R. 3625 · 110th Congress · began in the House
Signed by George W. Bush (R) on Sep 30, 2007 · Education
Sponsor: Rep. Joe Sestak (D-PA-7)
Cosponsors (2): Rep. George Miller, Rep. Rubén Hinojosa
Passage votes
- HouseVoice vote
- SenateUnanimous consent
Data notes
The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.
Summary
The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.
Declares the sense of Congress that: (1) the Higher Education Relief Opportunities for Students Act of 2003 addresses the unique situations that active duty military personnel and other affected individuals may face in connection with their enrollment in postsecondary institutions and their federal student loans; and (2) the provisions authorized by such Act should be made permanent, thereby allowing the Secretary of Education to continue providing assistance to active duty service members and other affected individuals and their families.
Amends the Higher Education Relief Opportunities for Students Act of 2003 to repeal the termination date of such act, thereby making permanent the Secretary's authority to waive or modify any statutory or regulatory provision applicable to the student financial assistance programs under title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 as deemed necessary in connection with a war or other military operation or national emergency.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Education and Workforce Committee · House · referred toSubcommittee: Higher Education and Workforce Development Subcomittee
Data notes
A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.
Related bills
The record lists no related bills.
Data notes
Related bills are identified by the Congressional Research Service, the House and the Senate: companion and identical bills, bills with similar text, bills that were folded into this law, and rules that brought it to the floor. A bill that is itself a public law in this site’s data links here; the others link to Congress.gov.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 15 actions.
- Oct 17, 2007CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the Subcommittee on Higher Education, Lifelong Learning, and Competitiveness.
- Sep 30, 2007Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 110-93.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Sep 29, 2007FloorFloor · Presented to President.
- Sep 28, 2007FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- Sep 27, 2007FloorFloor · Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent.
- OtherOther · Cleared for White House.
- Sep 26, 2007CommitteeCommittee · Received in the Senate, read twice.
- Sep 25, 2007FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote.
- FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 3625.
- FloorFloor · Considered under suspension of the rules.
- FloorFloor · Mr. Sestak moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.
- Sep 20, 2007CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the House Committee on Education and Labor.
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in House
Data notes
Every action the Library of Congress lists for the bill, from introduction to signing, plus the dated committee hearings. The source lists many steps twice (the chamber’s own entry and the Library of Congress copy, or a presidential and a became-law entry with the same words); those are shown once. Amendments are listed in their own section.
Amendments
No amendments to this bill are on record.
Data notes
Amendments offered to this bill in either chamber, as the Library of Congress records them: each with a status read from its last recorded step: agreed to, rejected, withdrawn, ruled out of order, fell with another amendment, or offered with no vote recorded (most Senate amendments are only ever offered). The wording of each amendment is the source’s. Amendments to amendments and amendments to other bills are not listed.
Official record
The bill’s full text is on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.