HR 5816
Help feds act
Help Feds Act
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Bill overview
This bill, titled the Help Fed’s Act, provides protections for federal employees facing student loan payments during government shutdowns. It prevents late fees, penalties, and adverse credit reporting on qualified education loans when a federal employee experiences an ‘involuntary disruption of pay’ due to a lapse in federal funding. The bill also prohibits interest accrual during these disruptions and applies retroactively from October 1, 2025.
Key provisions
- Waives late fees and penalties on student loans for federal employees during pay disruptions.
- Prevents interest from accruing on student loans during pay disruptions.
- Prohibits adverse credit reporting related to missed payments during pay disruptions.
- Defines ‘involuntary disruption of pay’ as a lapse in federal funding leading to government shutdowns.
- Applies retroactively to disruptions of pay starting October 1, 2025.
- Requires the Secretary of Education to coordinate with credit reporting agencies and servicers.
- Establishes a process for removing inappropriate adverse credit information.
- Requires the Department of Education to issue implementing regulations.
Who is affected
- Federal Employees
- Students with Federal Student Loans
- Department of Education
- Loan Servicers
- Credit Reporting Agencies
Notable changes
- Retroactive application to disruptions of pay starting October 1, 2025.
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119th CONGRESS — 1st Session
H. R. 5816
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
A BILL
To prohibit penalties, interest accrual, negative credit implications, or other adverse actions for qualified student loans for Federal employees during a lapse in Federal funding.
This Act may be cited as the Halting Education Loan Payments during Federal Employment Disruptions Act HELP FEDs Act
or the
.
In this Act:
The term Federal employee means—
The Secretary of Education shall coordinate with credit reporting agencies and loan servicers to ensure that no adverse information related to delayed or missed payments of a Federal employee described in subsection (a) is furnished to any consumer reporting agency, as defined in section 603 of the Fair Credit Reporting Act (15 U.S.C. 1681a).
This section shall apply retroactively to any instance of involuntary disruption of pay occurring on or after October 1, 2025. The Secretary shall coordinate with credit reporting agencies and loan servicers to remove any adverse credit information that was inappropriately reported.
The Secretary of Education, in coordination with the Director of the Office of Personnel Management, the Administrative Office of the United States Courts, the Clerk of the House of Representatives, and Secretary of the Senate, shall issue regulations and guidance for the Department, borrowers, loan servicers, and credit agencies necessary to implement this Act within 30 days of the date of enactment of this Act.
Loan servicers and credit reporting agencies shall cooperate fully with the Secretary of Education in implementing this Act.
Nothing in this Act shall be construed to excuse the full repayment of qualified education loans or to eliminate any otherwise existing repayment obligation.
If any provision of this Act, or the application of such provision to any person or circumstance, is held to be invalid, the remainder of this Act shall not be affected.