II 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 3887 

To defer action regarding certain debts arising from benefits under laws 

administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs for a period of time 

including the COVID–19 emergency period, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JUNE 3, 2020 

Mrs. SHAHEEN introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 

referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL 

To defer action regarding certain debts arising from benefits 

under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans 

Affairs for a period of time including the COVID–19 

emergency period, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Veteran Debt Relief 

5 During COVID–19 Act of 2020’’. 


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•S 3887 IS

1 SEC. 2. DEFERRAL OF CERTAIN DEBTS ARISING FROM BEN2 EFITS UNDER LAWS ADMINISTERED BY THE 

3 SECRETARY OF VETERANS AFFAIRS. 

4 (a) IN GENERAL.—During the covered period, the 

5 Secretary of Veterans Affairs may not— 

6 (1) take any action to collect a covered debt (in7 cluding the offset of any payment by the Secretary); 

8 (2) record a covered debt; 

9 (3) issue notice of a covered debt to a person 

10 or a consumer reporting agency; 

11 (4) allow any interest to accrue on a covered 

12 debt; or 

13 (5) apply any administrative fee to a covered 

14 debt. 

15 (b) EXCEPTION.—Notwithstanding subsection (a), 

16 the Secretary may collect a payment regarding a covered 

17 debt (including interest or any administrative fee) from 

18 a person (or the fiduciary of that person) who elects to 

19 make such a payment during the covered period. 

20 (c) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

21 (1) CONSUMER REPORTING AGENCY.—The term 

22 ‘‘consumer reporting agency’’ has the meaning given 

23 that term in section 5701 of title 38, United States 

24 Code. 

25 (2) COVERED DEBT.—The term ‘‘covered debt’’ 

26 means a debt— 


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•S 3887 IS

1 (A) owed by a person (including a fidu2 ciary) to the United States; 

3 (B) arising from a benefit under a covered 

4 law; and 

5 (C) that is not subject to recovery under— 

6 (i) section 3729 of title 31, United 

7 States Code; 

8 (ii) section 1729 of title 38, United 

9 States Code; or 

10 (iii) Public Law 87–693 (42 U.S.C. 

11 2651). 

12 (3) COVERED LAW.—The term ‘‘covered law’’ 

13 means any law administered by the Secretary of Vet14 erans Affairs through— 

15 (A) the Under Secretary for Health; or 

16 (B) the Under Secretary for Benefits. 

17 (4) COVERED PERIOD.—The term ‘‘covered pe18 riod’’ means— 

19 (A) the COVID–19 emergency period; and 

20 (B) the 60 days immediately following the 

21 date of the end of the COVID–19 emergency 

22 period. 

23 (5) COVID–19 EMERGENCY PERIOD.—The 

24 term ‘‘COVID–19 emergency period’’ means the 

25 emergency period described in section 1135(g)(1)(B) 


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•S 3887 IS

1 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1320b– 

2 5(g)(1)(B)). 

Æ 


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