SB 5847 — Providing information to public service employees about the public service loan forgiveness program.

ENGROSSEDS-3547.1 SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL 5847 State of Washington 67th Legislature 2022 Regular Session By Senate Higher Education & Workforce Development (originally sponsored by Senators Liias, Randall, Das, Hasegawa, Keiser, Kuderer, Lovick, Nguyen, Nobles, Saldaña, and C.

Wilson)Wilson READRead FIRSTfirst TIMEtime 02/02/22.01/13/22.

Referred to Committee on Higher Education & Workforce Development.

adding a new sectionssection to chapter 41.04 RCW;

1 ESSBSB 5847 (3) The legislature further recognizes that the federal government offers and provides loan forgiveness for individuals who have worked in a public service job full time and have made qualifying payments towards their student loans.

(b) Create a program for state agencies and other public service employers to certify employment for the purpose of the public service loan forgiveness program;

and (c) HaveAcknowledge publicthe servicework employersdone collaborateoutside onthe aclassroom statewideby initiativepart-time toacademic improveemployees, accessallowing andfor removethose barriershours to be counted towards the definition of full time for the public service loan forgiveness program foras allset publicforth service employees in the34 state;C.F.R.

and (d) Acknowledge the work done outside the classroom by part-time academic employees, allowing for those hours to be counted towards the definition of full time for the public service loan forgiveness program as set forth in 34 C.F.R.

Materials include, at a minimum:

and p.(c) A document containing frequently asked questions about the public service loan forgiveness program.

2(2) ESSBThe 5847student (c)loan Aadvocate documentshall containingcoordinate frequentlywith askedthe questionsoffice aboutof financial management, the publicsecretary serviceof loanstate, forgivenesslocal program.governmental p.

(2)2 TheSB student5847 loan advocate shall coordinate with the office of financial management, the secretary of state, local governmental entities, and other relevant agencies and public service employer entities to ensure that public service employers receive materials developed in subsection (1) of this section.

1087e(m) and 34 C.F.R.C.F.R Sec.

Sec.

(1) The office shall:of financial management shall develop a program for state agencies and other public service employers to certify employment for the purposes of the public service loan forgiveness program and assist the student loan advocate in creating and distributing materials designed to increase awareness of the public service loan forgiveness program set forth in section 1 of this act.

(a) Develop a program for state agencies to certify employment for the purposes of the public service loan forgiveness program by July 1, 2023.

(b) Assist the student loan advocate in creating and distributing materials designed to increase awareness of the public service loan forgiveness program set forth in section 1 of this act.

(c) Collaborate with the student achievement council, the employment security department, the department of retirement systems, nonprofit entities, local government representatives, and other public service employers in developing a statewide initiative to improve access and remove barriers to the public service loan forgiveness program for all public service employees.

The program established for state agencies in this section and the certification p.

3 ESSB 5847 process in section 4 of this act may be considered in the development of the initiative.

A plan for a statewide initiative must be developed and submitted to the higher education committees of the legislature by December 1, 2024, in compliance with RCW 43.01.036.

(a) "Certifying employment" means either completing the employer sections of the public service loan forgiveness form or sharing data directly with the United States department of education that corresponds to the information required for the public service loan forgiveness form,form. as allowed by the United States department of education.

(i) Any governmental entity including state, county, city, or other local government entity including political subdivisions, such as office, department, independent agency, school district, public collegep. or university system, public library system, authority, or other body including the legislature and the judiciary;

3 SB 5847 college or university system, public library system, authority, or other body including the legislature and the judiciary;

(1) AsA soonpublic asservice available,employer a state agency shall provide the materials described in section 2 of this act in written or electronic form to:

p.(2) Public service employers must certify employment for the purposes of the public service loan forgiveness program in accordance with the program established in section 3 of this act.

4(a) ESSBIf 5847a (2)public Aservice stateemployer agencydoes mustnot directly certify employment forwith the purposesUnited States department of education, the public service employer must annually provide notice of renewal and a copy of the public service loan forgiveness programform inwith accordanceemployer withinformation and employment certification sections of the programform establishedalready incompleted sectionreflecting 3at ofleast thisthe actlast by12 Julymonths 1,of 2023.employment to:

(a) If a state agency does not directly certify employment with the United States department of education, the state agency must annually provide notice of renewal and a copy of the public service loan forgiveness form with employer information and employment certification sections of the form already completed reflecting at least the last 12 months of employment to:

(ii) Any current employee for whom the statepublic agencyservice employer has previously certified employment,employment; unless the employee has opted out;

and (iii) An employee who has separated from service or employment,employment. unless the employee has opted out.

(b) A statepublic agencyservice employer shall not unreasonably delay in certifying employment.

(c) A statepublic agencyservice mustemployer may seek permission from its employees prior to certifying their employment.

(d)p. Institutions of higher education must use the calculation established in section 5 of this act to determine whether a part-time academic employee is considered full time for the public service loan forgiveness program.

(e)4 ASB state5847 agency(d) mayFor send the informationpurpose necessaryof fordetermining publicwhether servicea loanpart-time forgivenessacademic employmentemployee certificationis toconsidered thefull Unitedtime Statesfor departmentcertifying ofemployment education,for or its agents, if the United States department of education permits public service employersloan toforgiveness certifyprogram, employmentduties forperformed pastin orsupport presentof, individualor employeesin oraddition groupsto, ofcontractually employeesassigned directly,in-class notwithstandingteaching otherhours provisionsmust ofbe law.included.

(f)To Thecalculate officethis, ofeach financialhour managementof isin-class authorizedteaching totime adoptshall rulesbe formultiplied theby purpose3.35 ofhours. this section.

(3)This Ansubsection employeeshall ofnot asupersede stateany agencycalculation mayor optadjustment outestablished ofby thea employmentcollective certificationbargaining processagreement establishedor inemployer sectionpolicy 3for ofadditional thiswork actdone atoutside anyof time.in-class teaching.

(4)A Forstate purposesagency ofshall thisnot section,treat theany definitionsadjusted intotal thishours subsectionworked apply:differently from hours worked without an adjustment when determining whether an employee is full time.

(a)(e) "CertifyingA employment"public meansservice eitheremployer completingmay send the employerinformation sectionsnecessary offor the public service loan forgiveness formemployment orcertification sharingto datathe directlyUnited withStates department of education, or its agents, if the United States department of education thatpermits p.public service employers to certify employment for past or present individual employees or groups of employees directly, notwithstanding other provisions of law.

5(3) ESSBFor 5847purposes correspondsof tothis thesection, information required for the publicdefinitions servicein loanthis forgivenesssubsection form.apply:

(a) "Certifying employment" means either completing the employer sections of the public service loan forgiveness form or sharing data directly with the United States department of education that corresponds to the information required for the public service loan forgiveness form.