I 
118TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 644 
To protect borrowers of Federal student loans during the transition period 
following the end of the COVID–19 student loan repayment pause, and 
for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JANUARY 31, 2023 
Ms. BONAMICI (for herself, Mrs. MCBATH, Ms. WILD, Ms. NORTON, Ms. WIL-
SON of Florida, Mr. CARSON, Mr. VARGAS, Mr. CLEAVER, Mr. DAVIS of 
Illinois, Mr. EVANS, Mr. THOMPSON of California, Ms. TITUS, Mr. 
TAKANO, Mr. COURTNEY, and Ms. SALINAS) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce 
A BILL 
To protect borrowers of Federal student loans during the 
transition period following the end of the COVID–19 
student loan repayment pause, and for other purposes. 
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 ‘‘Student Loan Bor-
rower Safety Net Act of 2023’’. 
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SEC. 2. EXTENSION OF APPLICATION AND RECERTIFI-
CATION DEADLINE. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 3513 of the CARES Act 
(20 U.S.C. 1001 note) is amended— 
(1) by amending subsection (g) to read as fol-
lows: 
‘‘(g) NOTICE TO BORROWERS OF COVERED LOANS 
RELATING TO TRANSITION PERIOD.—Not later than the 
date that is 60 days prior to the first day on which a bor-
rower’s payment obligations on a covered loan are no 
longer suspended, as determined by the Secretary, the 
Secretary shall carry out a program to provide a total of 
not fewer than 6 notices through a combination of postal 
mail, telephone, and electronic communication to such a 
borrower indicating— 
‘‘(1) when the borrower’s normal payment obli-
gations will resume; 
‘‘(2) that the borrower may be eligible to enroll 
in income-driven repayment, including a brief de-
scription of the most affordable and generous in-
come-driven repayment options; and 
‘‘(3) the options available to a borrower who is 
in default, including— 
‘‘(A) the option to participate in the Fresh 
Start program of the Department of Education; 
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‘‘(B) the option to rehabilitate or consoli-
date the borrower’s loans; and 
‘‘(C) a brief description of the benefits and 
consequences of each option.’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(h) PRIORITY NOTIFICATION.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—In carrying out subsection 
(g), the Secretary shall give priority in accordance 
with paragraph (2) to notifying borrowers who— 
‘‘(A) during the 5-year period preceding 
March 31, 2020, missed a payment or pay-
ments for a period of not less than 60 days 
with respect to a covered loan; and 
‘‘(B) in the 5 years preceding March 31, 
2020— 
‘‘(i) missed a payment in the first 3 
months of entering repayment with respect 
to such a covered loan; 
‘‘(ii) entered into a non-administrative 
forbearance 
or 
a 
economic 
hardship 
deferment with respect to such a covered 
loan— 
‘‘(I) on 2 or more occasions; or 
‘‘(II) for a period of longer than 
1 year; 
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‘‘(iii) were enrolled and subsequently 
unenrolled, or changed to less-than-half- 
time enrollment status, more than twice 
after entering repayment with respect to 
such a covered loan; 
‘‘(iv) defaulted on such a covered 
loan; or 
‘‘(v) on 3 or more occasions, missed 
two or more consecutive payments with re-
spect to such a covered loan. 
‘‘(2) PRIORITY.—In carrying out paragraph (1), 
the Secretary shall— 
‘‘(A) notify borrowers described in such 
paragraph of the information specified in sub-
section (g) through at least 3 additional and 
subsequent notifications after the initial notifi-
cation; or 
‘‘(B) carry out other evidence-based out-
reach activities that are designed to assist 
struggling borrowers or borrowers who were 
otherwise at risk for default before the COVID– 
19 pandemic, and report to Congress on such 
activities. 
‘‘(i) APPLICATION OR RECERTIFICATION.— 
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‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—A borrower of a covered 
loan may— 
‘‘(A) during the period beginning on the 
date of enactment of the Student Loan Bor-
rower Safety Net Act of 2023, and ending on 
the date that is one year after the first day on 
which a borrower’s payment obligations on such 
loan are no longer suspended, submit a written, 
verbal, or electronic application or reapplication 
for an income-driven repayment plan with re-
spect to such loan; and 
‘‘(B) under an application described in 
subparagraph (A), self-certify the income and 
family size of such borrower. 
‘‘(2) CHANGE
OF
REPAYMENT
PLANS.—With 
respect to a covered loan, in the case of a borrower 
of such a loan who opts to change the repayment 
plan in which such borrower was enrolled on the 
date of the enactment of this section— 
‘‘(A) no fee or payment shall be required 
during the period in which it takes such bor-
rower to become enrolled in such repayment 
plan; and 
‘‘(B) before the borrower selects a new re-
payment plan, the Secretary shall notify the 
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borrower of the most affordable and generous 
repayment plan available to the borrower. 
‘‘(3) ECONOMIC HARDSHIP.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—A borrower of a cov-
ered loan who, due to an economic hardship, is 
unable to make payments with respect to such 
loan on or after the first day on which the bor-
rower’s payment obligations on such loan are no 
longer suspended, may apply to the Secretary 
for an economic hardship deferment for the pe-
riod beginning on the date of enactment of the 
Student Loan Borrower Safety Net Act of 2023 
and ending on the date that is one year after 
the first day on which the borrower’s payment 
obligations on such loan are no longer sus-
pended. To apply for such a deferment, a bor-
rower shall submit a written, verbal, or elec-
tronic certification of such economic hardship to 
the Secretary. 
‘‘(B) NOTIFICATION.—The Secretary and 
any other servicer of a covered loan shall notify 
borrowers who miss a payment on such a loan 
of the availability of— 
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‘‘(i) income-driven repayment plans 
available in accordance with paragraph (1); 
and 
‘‘(ii) an economic hardship deferment 
under this paragraph. 
‘‘(C) TREATMENT
OF
BORROWER
WITH 
ECONOMIC HARDSHIP.—In the case of a bor-
rower who submits certification of an economic 
hardship under subparagraph (A), the Sec-
retary shall treat such borrower in the same 
manner as a borrower with an economic hard-
ship under section 435(o) of the Higher Edu-
cation Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1085(o)). 
‘‘(j) MISSED PAYMENTS.—In the case of a borrower 
of a covered loan who misses a payment or payments on 
such a loan for the 60-day period beginning on the first 
day on which the borrower’s payment obligations on such 
loan are no longer suspended, the Secretary or the holder 
of a loan described in subsection (k)(2) shall— 
‘‘(1) hold such loan in administrative forbear-
ance for a 90-day period beginning on the date that 
is 60 days after the first day on which the bor-
rower’s payment obligations on such loan are no 
longer suspended; and 
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‘‘(2) contact such borrower on at least 6 sepa-
rate occasions regarding the information included in 
subsection (g). 
‘‘(k) COVERED LOAN.—In this section, the term ‘cov-
ered loan’ means— 
‘‘(1) a loan described in subsection (a); or 
‘‘(2) a loan— 
‘‘(A) made, insured, or guaranteed under 
part B of title IV of the Higher Education Act 
of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1071 et seq.); and 
‘‘(B) for which payments were sus-
pended— 
‘‘(i) pursuant to the Higher Education 
Relief Opportunities for Students Act of 
2003 (Public Law 108–76; 20 U.S.C. 1070 
note); and 
‘‘(ii) during a qualifying emergency.’’. 
Æ 
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