Federal Perkins Loan Program Extension Act of 2015
Public Law 114-105 · H.R. 3594 · 114th Congress · began in the House
Signed by Barack Obama (D) on Dec 18, 2015 · Education
Sponsor: Rep. Mike Bishop (R-MI-8)
Cosponsors (17): Rep. Mark Pocan, Rep. Louise Slaughter,
Passage votes
- HouseUnanimous consent
- SenateVoice vote
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.
Federal Perkins Loan Program Extension Act of 2015
(Sec. 2) This bill amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to extend the authority of institutions of higher education (IHEs) to disburse Federal Perkins Loans to new undergraduate borrowers through September 30, 2017. A student must first exhaust Federal Direct Subsidized and Unsubsidized Stafford Loan eligibility.
IHEs may continue to disburse Perkins Loans to current undergraduate borrowers through September 30, 2017. A student must first exhaust all Federal Direct Subsidized Stafford Loan eligibility.
IHEs may continue to disburse Perkins Loans to certain graduate borrowers through September 30, 2016, to enable students to continue or complete an academic program. A student must have received a Perkins loan prior to October 1, 2015.
The bill prohibits Perkins Loan disbursement beyond September 30, 2017.
It also prohibits authorization of additional appropriations for the Federal Perkins Loan program beyond September 30, 2016.
Beginning October 1, 2017, each participating IHE must pay to the Department of Education: (1) a portion of the federal share of the balance of its Perkins Loan funds; (2) a portion of the Perkins student loan payments, including principal and interest, received by the institution; and (3) a capital distribution from its Perkins Loan fund.
(Sec. 3) The bill also expands disclosure requirements for IHEs that participate in the Federal Perkins Loan program.
Specifically, prior to Perkins Loan disbursement, an IHE must provide notice and explanation to all borrowers regarding unavailability of future Perkins loans, limited Perkins loan repayment and forgiveness options, and Direct Loan consolidation options. Also, an IHE must provide notice and explanation to new and current undergraduate borrowers regarding a comparison of Perkins and Direct loan interest rates.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
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. 18 actions.
- Dec 18, 2015Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 114-105.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- FloorFloor · Presented to President.
- Dec 17, 2015Resolving differencesResolving differences · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · On motion that the House agree to the Senate amendment Agreed to without objection.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · Mr. Bishop (MI) asked unanimous consent that the House agree to the Senate amendment.
- OtherOther · Resolving differences -- House actions: On motion that the House agree to the Senate amendment Agreed to without objection.
- Dec 16, 2015FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Voice Vote.
- FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
- Sep 29, 2015CommitteeCommittee · Received in the Senate, read twice.
- Sep 28, 2015FloorFloor · 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. 3594.
- FloorFloor · Considered under suspension of the rules.
- FloorFloor · Mr. Bishop (MI) moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.
- Sep 24, 2015CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.
- 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
1 amendment offered to the bill, with the last recorded step of each.
- Agreed to
S.Amdt. 2929SenateSen. Lamar AlexanderR-TN· offered Dec 16, 2015Agreed to
In the nature of a substitute.
Dec 16, 2015: Amendment SA 2929 agreed to in Senate by Unanimous Consent.
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.