LCO \\PRDFS1\HCOUSERS\BARRYJN\WS\2021HB-05895-R02-
HB.docx
1 of 3
General Assembly Substitute Bill No. 5895
January Session, 2021
AN ACT ESTABLISHING A TASK FORCE ON THE REDUCTION OF
STUDENT LOAN DEBT.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:
Section 1. (Effective from passage) (a) There is established a task force 1
to study the amount of student loan debt incurred by students and 2
graduates in the state and options available for reducing such debt. Such 3
study shall include, but need not be limited to, an examination of (1) the 4
average amount of student loan debt incurred by students and 5
graduates in the state compared to the average amount incurred by 6
students and graduates in other states in the region and nationally, (2) 7
possible reasons for any differences between such average amounts of 8
student loan debt, (3) options available to the state for reducing the 9
amount of student loan debt incurred by students and graduates, (4) 10
recommendations for programs to reduce the average amount of 11
student loan debt in the state, and (5) the relationship between race, 12
ethnicity, gender identity, sex or age and the average amount of debt 13
incurred by students or graduates. 14
(b) The task force shall consist of the following members: 15
(1) Two appointed by the speaker of the House of Representatives, 16
one of whom is a financial aid officer at a four-year public institution of 17
higher education in the state and one of whom is a financial aid officer 18 Substitute Bill No. 5895
LCO {\\PRDFS1\HCOUSERS\BARRYJN\WS\2021HB-05895-
R02-HB.docx }
2 of 3
at an independent institution of higher education in the state; 19
(2) Two appointed by the president pro tempore of the Senate, one of 20
whom is a financial aid officer at a regional community-technical college 21
in the state and one of whom works in the banking industry and has 22
expertise in managing student loans; 23
(3) One appointed by the majority leader of the House of 24
Representatives, who is a current student at an institution of higher 25
education in the state; 26
(4) One appointed by the majority leader of the Senate, who is a 27
parent of a current student at an institution of higher education in the 28
state; 29
(5) One appointed by the minority leader of the House of 30
Representatives, who is a recent graduate of an institution of higher 31
education in the state; 32
(6) One appointed by the minority leader of the Senate, who is a 33
parent of a recent graduate of an institution of higher education in the 34
state; 35
(7) The executive director of the Office of Higher Education, or the 36
executive director's designee; 37
(8) The executive director of the Connecticut Higher Education 38
Supplemental Loan Authority, or the executive director's designee; and 39
(9) The chairpersons, vice-chairpersons and ranking members of the 40
joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of 41
matters relating to higher education and employment advancement, or 42
their designees. 43
(c) Any member of the task force appointed under subdivision (1), 44
(2), (3), (4), (5) or (6) of subsection (b) of this section may be a member 45
of the General Assembly. 46 Substitute Bill No. 5895
LCO {\\PRDFS1\HCOUSERS\BARRYJN\WS\2021HB-05895-
R02-HB.docx }
3 of 3
(d) All initial appointments to the task force shall be made not later 47
than thirty days after the effective date of this section. Any vacancy shall 48
be filled by the appointing authority. 49
(e) The speaker of the House of Representatives and the president pro 50
tempore of the Senate shall select the chairpersons of the task force from 51
among the members of the task force. Such chairpersons shall schedule 52
the first meeting of the task force, which shall be held not later than sixty 53
days after the effective date of this section. 54
(f) The administrative staff of the joint standing committee of the 55
General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to higher 56
education shall serve as administrative staff of the task force. 57
(g) Not later than January 1, 2022, the task force shall submit a report on 58
its findings and recommendations to the joint standing committee of the 59
General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to higher 60
education, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a of the 61
general statutes. The task force shall terminate on the date that it 62
submits such report or January 1, 2022, whichever is later.63
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:
Section 1 from passage New section
HED Joint Favorable Subst.