I 
118TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 509 
To prevent class-based loan forgiveness for Federal student loans under title 
IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 without the explicit appropria-
tion of funds by Congress for such purpose. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JANUARY 25, 2023 
Mr. DAVIDSON (for himself, Mr. BIGGS, Mr. DONALDS, Mr. ROY, Mr. BISHOP 
of North Carolina, Mrs. LESKO, Mr. GUEST, Mr. CAREY, Mr. NORMAN, 
Mr. WEBER of Texas, Mr. TIFFANY, and Mr. BALDERSON) introduced 
the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and 
the Workforce 
A BILL 
To prevent class-based loan forgiveness for Federal student 
loans under title IV of the Higher Education Act of 
1965 without the explicit appropriation of funds by Con-
gress for such purpose. 
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 ‘‘Debt Cancellation Ac-
countability Act of 2023’’. 
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SEC. 2. PROHIBITION ON CLASS-BASED LOAN FORGIVE-
NESS WITHOUT PROPER APPROVAL. 
Part G of title IV of the Higher Education Act of 
1965 (20 U.S.C. 1088 et seq.) is amended by adding at 
the end the following: 
‘‘SEC. 494A. PROHIBITION ON CLASS-BASED LOAN FORGIVE-
NESS WITHOUT PROPER APPROVAL. 
‘‘(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
‘‘(1) CLASS-BASED LOAN FORGIVENESS.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The term ‘class-based 
loan forgiveness’ means the cancellation, waiver, 
assumption, discharge, reduction, or other for-
giveness of any obligation due on covered 
loans— 
‘‘(i) on a class-wide basis and for a 
class of 2 or more covered loan borrowers; 
and 
‘‘(ii) 
that 
totals 
more 
than 
$1,000,000. 
‘‘(B) EXCEPTION
FOR
EXISTING
TAR-
GETED
LOAN
FORGIVENESS
PROGRAMS.—The 
term ‘class-based loan forgiveness’ does not in-
clude a targeted program of loan forgiveness ex-
plicitly established under this Act and in effect 
before January 1, 2022, if the cancellation, 
waiver, assumption, discharge, reduction, or 
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other forgiveness of any obligation due on a 
covered loan is— 
‘‘(i) granted for a single covered loan 
borrower; and 
‘‘(ii) based upon an individualized, 
case-by-case determination of the covered 
loan borrower’s— 
‘‘(I) eligibility for the targeted 
loan forgiveness; and 
‘‘(II) satisfaction of all terms and 
conditions precedent to receive the 
targeted loan forgiveness. 
‘‘(2) COVERED LOAN.—The term ‘covered loan’ 
means a loan made, insured, or guaranteed under 
part B, D, or E. 
‘‘(b) LIMITATION ON DEPARTMENT AUTHORITY.— 
Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act or any 
other law, the Secretary shall have no authority to provide 
class-based loan forgiveness unless funds have been spe-
cifically requested and appropriated for the purpose 
through the process described in subsection (c). 
‘‘(c) REQUEST AND APPROPRIATION PROCESS.— 
‘‘(1) IN
GENERAL.—The Secretary shall not 
provide any class-based loan forgiveness until— 
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‘‘(A) the Secretary has submitted a request 
under paragraph (2); and 
‘‘(B) funds have been specifically appro-
priated for such request by Congress through 
an appropriations Act or other law. 
‘‘(2) REQUEST.—In any case where the Sec-
retary determines class-based loan forgiveness is 
necessary, the Secretary shall submit to the author-
izing committees, the Committee on Appropriations 
of the Senate, and the Committee on Appropriations 
of the House of Representatives a written request 
that describes— 
‘‘(A) the number of covered loan borrowers 
in the class and the aggregate amount of the 
covered student loan obligations that will be 
cancelled, waived, assumed, discharged, re-
duced, or otherwise forgiven through the class- 
based loan forgiveness; 
‘‘(B) the particular reason for the class- 
based loan forgiveness; 
‘‘(C) the legal authority, including the 
identification of any authorizing statute or rule, 
of the Department to grant such class-based 
loan forgiveness; and 
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‘‘(D) the particular reason the student 
loan obligations are being cancelled, waived, as-
sumed, discharged, reduced, or otherwise for-
given on a collective basis, rather than through 
a case-by-case assessment. 
‘‘(3) RESUBMISSION OF REQUEST.—If funds for 
a class-based loan forgiveness request submitted 
under paragraph (2) are not specifically appro-
priated under an appropriations Act or other law 
during the fiscal year for which the request is sub-
mitted— 
‘‘(A) the request shall expire; and 
‘‘(B) if the Secretary desires the request to 
be reconsidered in a future fiscal year, the Sec-
retary shall resubmit the request for such fiscal 
year.’’. 
Æ 
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