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HR 1911 113th Congress House Education Academic performance and assessments Advisory bodies Budget deficits and national debt Congressional oversight Consumer affairs Government information and archives Government lending and loan guarantees Government studies and investigations Higher education Interest, dividends, interest rates Right of privacy Student aid and college costs Wages and earnings

Smarter Solutions for Students Act

Introduced: May 9, 2013 See on congress.gov
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 Everywhere this bill has been 35 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Aug 9, 2013
Became Public Law No: 113-28.
Aug 9, 2013
Signed by President.
Aug 1, 2013
Presented to President.
Jul 31, 2013
Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
Jul 31, 2013
On motion that the House suspend the rules and agree to the Senate amendment Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 392 - 31 (Roll no. 426). (text as House agreed to Senate amendment: CR H5214-5215)
Jul 31, 2013
Considered as unfinished business. (consideration: CR H5240-5241)
Jul 31, 2013
At the conclusion of debate, the Yeas and Nays were demanded and ordered. Pursuant to the provisions of clause 8, rule XX, the chair announced that further proceedings on the motion would be postponed.
Jul 31, 2013
DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on the motion to agree in the Senate amendment to H.R. 1911.
Jul 31, 2013
Mr. Kline moved that the House suspend the rules and agree to the Senate amendment. (consideration: CR H5214-5221)
Jul 24, 2013
Message on Senate action sent to the House.
Jul 24, 2013
Passed Senate, under the order of 7/23/2013, having achieved 60 votes in the affirmative, with an amendment by Yea-Nay Vote. 81 - 18. Record Vote Number: 185. (text: CR S5894)
Jul 24, 2013
Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate, under the order of 7/23/2013, having achieved 60 votes in the affirmative, with an amendment by Yea-Nay Vote. 81 - 18. Record Vote Number: 185.(text: CR S5894)
Jul 24, 2013
Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent. (consideration: CR S5863-5894)
Jul 18, 2013
Read the second time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 139.
Jul 17, 2013
Read the first time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under Read the First Time.
Jun 3, 2013
Received in the Senate.
May 23, 2013
Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
May 23, 2013
On passage Passed by recorded vote: 221 - 198 (Roll no. 183).
May 23, 2013
On motion to recommit with instructions Failed by the Yeas and Nays: 194 - 223 (Roll no. 182).
May 23, 2013
The previous question on the motion to recommit with instructions was ordered without objection. (consideration: CR H2938)
May 23, 2013
DEBATE - The House proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Sinema motion to recommit with instructions pending a reservation of a point of order. The instructions contained in the motion seek to require the bill to be reported back to the House with an amendment adding a new section pertaining to protecting students from teaser interest rates that lead to higher long-term costs. Subsequently, the reservation was removed.
May 23, 2013
Ms. Sinema moved to recommit with instructions to Education and the Workforce. (consideration: CR H2937-2939; text: CR H2937)
May 23, 2013
The previous question was ordered pursuant to the rule. (consideration: CR H2937)
May 23, 2013
DEBATE - The House proceeded with one hour of debate on H.R. 1911.
May 23, 2013
Rule provides for consideration of H.R. 1911 with 1 hour of general debate. Previous question shall be considered as ordered without intervening motions except motion to recommit with or without instructions. Measure will be considered read. Bill is closed to amendments.
May 23, 2013
Considered under the provisions of rule H. Res. 232. (consideration: CR H2926-2940; text of amendment in the nature of a substitute: CR H2927)
May 23, 2013
Rule H. Res. 232 passed House.
May 22, 2013
Rules Committee Resolution H. Res. 232 Reported to House. Rule provides for consideration of H.R. 1911 with 1 hour of general debate. Previous question shall be considered as ordered without intervening motions except motion to recommit with or without instructions. Measure will be considered read. Bill is closed to amendments.
May 20, 2013
Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 57.
May 20, 2013
Committee on Budget discharged.
May 20, 2013
Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Education and the Workforce. H. Rept. 113-82, Part I.
May 16, 2013
Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by the Yeas and Nays: 24 - 13.
May 16, 2013
Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
May 9, 2013
Referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce, and in addition to the Committee on the Budget, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
May 9, 2013
Introduced in House
 Votes taken on this bill 3
DateChamberWhat was voted onResultYes–No
Jul 31, 2013 House · vote #426 On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Concur in the Senate Amendment Passed 392–31 See who voted →
May 23, 2013 House · vote #183 On Passage Passed 221–198 See who voted →
May 23, 2013 House · vote #182 On Motion to Recommit with Instructions Failed 194–223 See who voted →
 Amendments to this bill 5

Amendments propose changes to this bill. Members vote on amendments separately before the final bill vote. An agreed amendment becomes part of the bill; a failed amendment does not.

1 agreed to 2 failed 2 pending / other

AmendmentSponsorPurposeStatusLatest action
SAMDT 1,778 Reed, Jack To provide for interest rate caps for certain Federal student loans. Failed Jul 24, 2013
SAMDT 1,774 Sanders, Bernard To provide a sunset date. Failed Jul 24, 2013
SAMDT 1,773 — To establish student loan interest rates, and for other purposes. Agreed to Jul 24, 2013
SAMDT 1,745 Blumenthal, Richard — Pending —
HAMDT 76 — Pursuant to the provisions of H.Res. 232 the amendment in the nature of a substitute consisting of the text o… Pending —
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 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Bipartisan Student Loan Certainty Act of 2013 - (Sec. 2) Amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA) to set the annual interest rate on Direct Stafford loans and Direct Unsubsidized Stafford loans issued to undergraduate students at the rate on high-yield 10-year Treasury notes plus 2.05%, but caps that rate at 8.25%.

Sets the annual interest rate on Direct Unsubsidized Stafford loans issued to graduate or professional students at the rate on high-yield 10-year Treasury notes plus 3.6%, but caps that rate at 9.5%.

Sets the annual interest rate on Direct PLUS loans at the rate on high-yield 10-year Treasury notes plus 4.6%, but caps that rate at 10.5%.

Limits the applicability of the preceding provisions to loans first disbursed on or after July 1, 2013.

Fixes the interest rate on Direct Stafford loans, Direct Unsubsidized Stafford loans, and Direct PLUS loans for the period of the loan.

Sets the annual interest rate on Direct Consolidation loans for which an application is received on or after July 1, 2013, at the weighted average of the interest rates on the loans consolidated, rounded to the nearest higher one-eighth of 1%.

(Sec. 3) Provides that the budgetary effects of this Act shall not be entered on specified PAYGO scorecards.

(Sec. 4) Directs the Comptroller General (GAO) to conduct a study and report to Congress on the actual cost to the federal government of carrying out the federal student loan programs authorized under title IV of the HEA.

What's happening now August 9, 2013

Became Public Law No: 113-28.

 Related & companion bills 2
  • S 1334 Related bill Bipartisan Student Loan Certainty Act of 2013
  • HRES 232 Procedurally related Providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 1911) to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to establish interest rat…
 Bill text 7 versions

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 2
 Cosponsors 4
All 4 Republican 2
R
Thompson, Glenn
Pennsylvania · May 20, 2013
Messer, Luke
· May 16, 2013
Roe, David
· May 16, 2013
 R
Foxx, Virginia
North Carolina · May 9, 2013
Cite this page click to expand
APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). H.R. 1911: Bipartisan Student Loan Certainty Act of 2013. 113th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/113-HR-1911/
MLA
"H.R. 1911: Bipartisan Student Loan Certainty Act of 2013." 113th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/113-HR-1911/.
Bluebook (legal)
H.R. 1911, 113th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/113-HR-1911/.
Markdown link
[H.R. 1911: Bipartisan Student Loan Certainty Act of 2013](https://openamerica.io/bill/113-HR-1911/)
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