Results for

Fair Student Loan Debt Collection Practices Act This bill prohibits a debt collector from collecting on federal student loan debt owed by a borrower earning under a certain income. Specifically, a federal student loan debt collector may not attempt to collect if a borrower would qualify for a zero-dollar payment under an income-driven repayment plan. Additionally, a debt collector may not attempt to collect an amount greater than the payment the borrower would owe under such a plan.

Student Loan Debt Relief Act of 2019 This bill establishes programs to cancel certain student loan debt and refinance student loans. First, the bill requires the Department of Education (ED) to automatically discharge (i.e., repay or cancel) up to $50,000 of outstanding student loan debt for each qualified borrower. Borrowers with an adjusted gross income of $100,000 or less, based on the most recent tax year, may receive the maximum loan cancellation. Borrowers with an adjusted gross income above $100,000 may receive partial loan cancellation. Members of Congress are not eligible to receive loan cancellation. Further, the bill outlines the method of loan discharge, and excludes loan cancellation from taxable income. It also requires ED to automatically place each federal student loan borrower in administrative forbearance for the one-year period in which ED carries out the cancellation of student loans. During this period, payments are not due, interest does not accrue, and ED may not pursue debt collection activities (e.g., wage garnishments). Next, the bill requires ED to carry out student loan refinancing programs for those student loans that exist after the loan cancellation period. Specifically, it directs ED to automatically refinance federal student loans at the lower interest rates offered to new federal borrowers in the 2016-2017 school year. It also allows borrowers to convert their private student loans to federal student loans, thereby allowing such borrowers to qualify for loan cancellation. It also makes student loans dischargeable in bankruptcy proceedings. Finally, the bill specifies notification requirements.

Student Loan Debt Relief Act of 2019 This bill establishes programs to cancel certain student loan debt and refinance student loans. First, the bill requires the Department of Education (ED) to automatically discharge (i.e., repay or cancel) up to $50,000 of outstanding student loan debt for each qualified borrower. Borrowers with an adjusted gross income of $100,000 or less, based on the most recent tax year, may receive the maximum loan cancellation. Borrowers with an adjusted gross income above $100,000 may receive partial loan cancellation. Members of Congress are not eligible to receive loan cancellation. Further, the bill outlines the method of loan discharge, and excludes loan cancellation from taxable income. It also requires ED to automatically place each federal student loan borrower in administrative forbearance for the one-year period in which ED carries out the cancellation of student loans. During this period, payments are not due, interest does not accrue, and ED may not pursue debt collection activities (e.g., wage garnishments). Next, the bill requires ED to carry out student loan refinancing programs for those student loans that exist after the loan cancellation period. Specifically, it directs ED to automatically refinance federal student loans at the lower interest rates offered to new federal borrowers in the 2016-2017 school year. It also allows borrowers to convert their private student loans to federal student loans, thereby allowing such borrowers to qualify for loan cancellation. It also makes student loans dischargeable in bankruptcy proceedings. Finally, the bill specifies notification requirements.

This resolution calls on the President to take executive action to cancel up to $50,000 in federal student loan debt for borrowers. Further, it encourages the President to (1) ensure that borrowers have no tax liability from the debt cancellation, (2) ensure that the debt cancellation helps close racial wealth gaps, and (3) pause student loan payments and interest accumulation on federal student loans for the duration of the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic.

This resolution calls on the President to take executive action to cancel up to $50,000 in federal student loan debt for borrowers. Further, it encourages the President to (1) ensure that borrowers have no tax liability from the debt cancellation, (2) ensure that the debt cancellation helps close racial wealth gaps, and (3) pause student loan payments and interest accumulation on federal student loans for the duration of the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic.

Economic and Student Loan Debt Relief Act of 2020 This bill extends the suspension of payments on student loans held by the Department of Education (ED). It also generally allows for an exclusion from taxable income of employer payments of student loans. Specifically, the bill requires ED to suspend all payments due on Federal Direct Loans and Federal Family Education Loans held by ED through December 31, 2020. (Currently, this suspension period ends on September 30, 2020). Normal payment obligations and interest accrual resume at the end of this period. Additionally, ED must carry out a program, beginning on November 1, 2020, to provide at least six notices to borrowers that normal payment obligations will resume. (Currently, this program begins on August 1, 2020.) The bill also generally provides a permanent exclusion from employee income, for income tax purposes, of employer payments of student loans. (Currently, this exclusion from income is only for payments of student loans made before January 1, 2021.)

Taxi Medallion Loan Forgiveness Debt Relief Act of 2020 This bill excludes from gross income, for income tax purposes, income of a taxpayer, other than a C corporation, attributable to the discharge of qualified taxi medallion indebtedness that is discharged before 2023.

Student Debt Cancellation Act of 2019 This bill requires the Department of Education to (1) forgive the outstanding balance of interest and principal due on all Federal Family Education Loans, Federal Direct Loans, and Perkins Loans, including parent loans, consolidation loans, and certain grants treated as loans; and (2) purchase and forgive the outstanding balance of interest and principal due on private student loans.

Servicemember Student Loan Affordability Act of 2020 This bill extends the 6% interest rate limitation on debt entered into during a service member's military service to any debt entered into to consolidate or refinance one or more student loans incurred before such service.

Small Business Debt Relief Extension Act of 2020 This bill extends the Small Business Debt Relief Program, under which the Small Business Administration (SBA), in response to COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019), was authorized to make six months of payments for certain SBA-backed loan products on behalf of the recipients of these loans.

Small Business Debt Relief Extension Act of 2020 This bill extends the Small Business Debt Relief Program, under which the Small Business Administration (SBA), in response to COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019), was authorized to make six months of payments for certain SBA-backed loan products on behalf of the recipients of these loans.

Accountability for World Bank Loans to China Act of 2019 This bill directs the U.S. Governor for the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) to instruct U.S. representatives to the IBRD that it is U.S. policy to seek China's graduation from IBRD assistance programs. (The IBRD is the World Bank's primary financing institution for middle-income countries. The World Bank's definition ofmiddle-income countryis based on a country's gross national income per capita.) The governor shall report to Congress on U.S. efforts to secure China's graduation from IBRD assistance programs. The Department of the Treasury shall report to Congress on debt transparency and debt management assistance efforts in relation to credit provided by China to other countries, including through China's Belt and Road Initiative.

Accountability for World Bank Loans to China Act of 2019 This bill directs the U.S. Governor for the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) to instruct U.S. representatives to the IBRD that it is U.S. policy to seek China's graduation from IBRD assistance programs. (The IBRD is the World Bank's primary financing institution for middle-income countries. The World Bank's definition ofmiddle-income countryis based on a country's gross national income per capita.) The governor shall report to Congress on U.S. efforts to secure China's graduation from IBRD assistance programs. The Department of the Treasury shall report to Congress on debt transparency and debt management assistance efforts in relation to credit provided by China to other countries, including through China's Belt and Road Initiative.

Foreign Medical School Accountability Fairness Act of 2019 This bill revises the institutional eligibility criteria for a foreign graduate medical school to participate in federal student aid programs. Specifically, this bill requires all foreign graduate medical schools to meet the same minimum requirements to participate in the programs.

Student Loan Borrowers' Bill of Rights Act of 2019 This bill permits a borrower to discharge a student loan in a bankruptcy case and establishes requirements concerning (1) student loan debt collection, (2) student loan forgiveness, (3) options for student loan payments, (4) the exclusion of discharged student loan debt from an individual's gross income, and (5) loan defaults. Specifically, the bill allows federal or private student loans to be discharged in bankruptcy cases and reinstates the six-year statute of limitations for certain student loans. The Department of Education must cancel 50% of the balance of the interest and principal due on student loans for borrowers who make 60 monthly payments on such loans after October 1, 2019, and work at a public service job for 5 years during the repayment period. In addition, the bill protects borrowers from efforts to collect student loan debt from (1) offsets of Social Security, railroad retirement, or black lung benefits; (2) wage garnishment; or (3) offsets of tax refunds. The bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to (1) exclude discharged student loan debt from an individual's gross income, and (2) allow distributions from qualified tuition programs (known as 529 plans) to be used for student loan payments. The bill makes parent PLUS loans eligible for income-based repayment plans. Finally, the bill prohibits evidence of an individual's default on a federal student loan from being used (1) in proceedings involving the individual's professional or vocational license, or (2) to prohibit the individual from accessing transcripts and degrees.

No Garnishing of Social Security for Student Debt Act This bill prohibits administrative offsets that use an individual's Social Security benefits to pay a federal student loan debt. (An administrative offset is the withholding of funds payable by or held by the United States to satisfy a debt.)

Small Business COVID-19 Debt Relief Extension Act of 2020 This bill extends for an additional six months the Small Business Debt Relief Program, under which the Small Business Administration (SBA), in response to COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019), was authorized to subsidize six months of payments for certain SBA-backed loan products on behalf of the recipients of these loans. Further, a small business that submits a new application for an SBA-backed loan prior to March 30, 2021, may receive a six month subsidy.

Debt Disclosure for Officials in Government Act This bill requires the President, Vice President, and certain presidential appointees to disclose more detailed debt information, including with respect to the liabilities of private companies in which the individual or the individual's spouse or child is a beneficial owner.

Teacher Debt Relief Act This bill allows an eligible teacher to use the same teaching service to qualify for both the teacher and public service loan forgiveness programs.

Income-Based Repayment Debt Forgiveness Act This bill modifies the requirements for calculating taxable income to exclude from the gross income of an individual any income that is attributable to the discharge of a federal student loan pursuant to a federal program or law that provides for income contingent or income-based repayment of the loan.

Decreasing Employees Burdensome Taxes from Student Loans Act of 2019 or the DEBT Act of 2019 This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to the tax treatment of student loan payments, to (1) expand the tax exclusion for employer-provided educational assistance programs to include an employer's payment of any qualified education loan incurred by an employee, (2) increase the maximum amount that may be excluded from the gross income of an employee under employer-provided educational assistance programs, and (3) increase the maximum tax deduction and the income limitation for interest on education loans.

Unsolicited Loan Act of 2019 This bill prohibits a lender from providing an unsolicited loan check or similar instrument to a consumer. Additionally, a consumer is not liable for any debt incurred from such an instrument.

Debt Ceiling Alternative Act This bill establishes requirements and authorities for notifying Congress, issuing bonds, proposing rescissions, and selling assets if the debt limit will be reached. The Department of the Treasury must notify Congress if it estimates that the U.S. debt will reach the statutory debt limit during a quarter. After Congress is notified, Treasury must issue bonds that (1) have an interest rate linked to the nominal gross domestic product of the United States, (2) may only be used to pay the principal and interest on obligations of the United States held by the public or the Social Security trust funds, and (3) are exempt from the debt limit. Once Congress is notified that the debt limit will be reached, the President may issue a message to Congress containing a list of budget authority proposed to be rescinded. The list may only contain items related to unobligated balances of funds made available before the beginning of the fiscal year during which such notification is provided. Congress must consider the message using specified expedited legislative procedures. If the debt limit notice has been provided to Congress, the President may also order the sale of specified mortgage-related assets owned or held by the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae), the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Association (Freddie Mac), and the Federal Reserve. The proceeds from the sales must be deposited in the Treasury.

Stop Student Debt Relief Scams Act of 2019 This bill establishes criminal penalties for unauthorized access of certain student loan information and expands the requirements for student loan exit counseling. Specifically, the bill makes it a crime to knowingly use an access device (e.g., account number) that was issued to another person or was fraudulently obtained to access Department of Education (ED) information technology systems for commercial advantage or private financial gain. A violator is subject to criminal penalties—a fine, a prison term of up to five years, or both. Further, the bill expands loan exit counseling requirements to require an institution of higher education that participates in federal student-aid programs to provide an explanation to borrowers cautioning them about third-party student debt relief companies. It also requires ED to prevent unauthorized access to the central database for student aid (i.e., the National Student Loan Data System) and warn borrowers of suspicious activity regarding their student loan accounts.

HBCU Capital Finance Debt Relief Act This bill requires the Department of Education to, within 30 days, cancel the obligation of historically Black colleges and universities to repay the balance of principal and interest due on their capital financing loans.