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B-327922 1 (2016-05-12)

handle is hein.gao/gaobadseu0001 and id is 1 raw text is: GAOU.S. GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE 441 G St. N.W. Washington, DC 20548 B-327922 May 12, 2016 The Honorable Roy Blunt Chairman Committee on Rules and Administration United States Senate Subject: Use of Senate Appropriations for Student Loan Repayment Agreements Dear Mr. Chairman: This responds to your request for our opinion regarding whether the United States Senate may incur obligations to extend current employee service agreements, which are signed as part of the Senate's student loan repayment program. See 2 U.S.C. § 4579. Specifically, you ask whether agreements may be extended for a period of less than one year for employees of the personal offices of senators who are not seeking reelection or who are retiring. Letter from Chairman, Committee on Rules and Administration, United States Senate, to General Counsel, GAO (Mar. 3, 2016) (Request Letter). Section 4579(c)(1) of title 2 of the United States Code requires a one-year period of employment for student loan repayment service agreements. As explained below, we conclude that Senate appropriations are not available to incur obligations to extend current employee service agreements for a period of less than one year for the employees of such senators' personal offices. BACKGROUND The Senate offers a student loan repayment program pursuant to authority enacted in the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2002,1 as amended. Pub. L. No. 107-68, title I, § 102, 115 Stat. 560, 563 (Nov. 12, 2001), classified at 2 U.S.C. § 4579. According to section 4579, the head of an employing office may enter into a written service agreement with an eligible employee, under which the employing office agrees to repay a specified amount of the employee's outstanding student 1 Public Law 107-117 retroactively amended Public Law 107-68 to include the short title, Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2002. Pub. L. No. 107-117, div. B, ch. 9, § 915, 115 Stat. 2230, 2324 (Jan. 10, 2002).

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