I 
115TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 6156 
To prohibit States from suspending, revoking, or denying State-issued 
professional licenses or issuing penalties due to student default. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 20, 2018 
Mr. FERGUSON (for himself and Mr. CICILLINE) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce 
A BILL 
To prohibit States from suspending, revoking, or denying 
State-issued professional licenses or issuing penalties due 
to student default. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Protecting Job Oppor-
tunities for Borrowers Act’’ or the ‘‘Protecting JOBs 
Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. PROHIBITION AGAINST SUSPENSION, REVOCATION, 
OR DENIAL OF STATE-ISSUED PROFESSIONAL 
LICENSES OR PENALTIES DUE TO STUDENT 
DEFAULT. 
(a) HIGHER EDUCATION ACT OF 1965 LOANS.—Part 
B of title I of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
U.S.C. 1011 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end 
the following: 
‘‘SEC. 124. PROHIBITION AGAINST SUSPENSION, REVOCA-
TION, OR DENIAL OF STATE-ISSUED PROFES-
SIONAL LICENSES OR PENALTIES DUE TO 
STUDENT DEFAULT. 
‘‘(a) PROHIBITION.—Beginning 2 years after the 
date of enactment of the Protecting Job Opportunities for 
Borrowers Act, a State that receives assistance under this 
Act may not suspend, revoke, or deny the approval or re-
newal of a State-issued license described in subsection (b) 
or issue a fine or other penalty with respect to an indi-
vidual based solely on such individual’s default or delin-
quency on a loan made, insured, or guaranteed under title 
IV. 
‘‘(b) TYPES OF LICENSES.—A State-issued license 
described in this subsection means any of the following: 
‘‘(1) A State-issued driver’s license (including 
any State-issued document permitting a specific in-
dividual to operate one or more types of motorized 
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vehicles, such as a motorcycle, car, truck, or bus on 
a public road). 
‘‘(2) A State-issued teaching license. 
‘‘(3) A State-issued professional license involved 
in or affecting interstate commerce (including any li-
cense, permit, certificate, registration, charter, au-
thority or similar form of permission required for 
lawful employment in a particular career field). 
‘‘(c) INJUNCTIVE RELIEF.—Any individual aggrieved 
as a result of a violation of subsection (a) may bring a 
civil action in an appropriate district court of the United 
States to obtain prospective injunctive relief against an in-
dividual State officer in the officer’s official capacity.’’. 
(b) HEALTH EDUCATION LOANS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—A State may not suspend, 
revoke, or deny the approval or renewal of a State- 
issued license described in section 124(b) of the 
Higher Education Act of 1965 or issue a fine or 
other penalty with respect to an individual based 
solely on such individual’s default or delinquency on 
a Health Education Assistance Loan or Primary 
Care Loan made under part A of title VII of the 
Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 292 et seq.). 
(2) INJUNCTIVE
RELIEF.—Any individual ag-
grieved as a result of a violation of paragraph (1) 
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may bring a civil action in an appropriate district 
court of the United States to obtain prospective in-
junctive relief against an individual State officer in 
the officer’s official capacity. 
Æ 
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