,i  #aai? ,,congress  #a/ ,session  ,h4 
,r4 #dddd  ,,9 ,,! ,,h\se ,,(           
,,repres5tatives  ,july #af1 #bjbe,mr4  
,correa 7= himself1 ,ms4 ,adams1 ,ms4   
,bal9t1 ,mr4 ,c>t] ( ,l\isiana1 ,mr4    
,fields1 ,ms4 ,jayapal1 ,mr4 ,johnson ( 
,georgia1 ,ms4 ,lee ( ,p5nsylvania1 ,ms4
 ,l(gr51 ,ms4 ,norton1 ,ms4 ,ross1 ,mr4 
,swalwell1 ,ms4 ,tlaib1 ,mr4 ,?an$>1    
,mr4 ,tonko1 & ,ms4 ,velzquez7 introduc$
 ! foll[+ bill2 :i* 0 ref]r$ to !       
,committee on ! ,judici>y  ,a ,,bill    
,to provide a m equitable dis*>ge /&>d =
 /ud5t loan borr[]s4  #a4 ,%ort title   
,?is ,act may be cit$ z ! ,/ud5t ,loan  
,bankruptcy ,improvem5t ,act ( #bjbe4   
#b4 ,f9d+s ,! ,congress f9ds ! foll[+3  
7#a7 ,/ud5t loan borr[]s des]ve an      
opportunity to dis*>ge debt us+ a fair1 
nation-wide /&>d = relief4  7#b7 ,!     
curr5t /&>d ( undue h>d%ip fails to     
provide an a*ievable av5ue = relief (   
/ud5t loan debt requir+ significant co/s
 & a pap]work burd54  7#c7 ,/ud5t loan  
borr[]s r>ely meet ! arbitr>y &         

draconian /&>d ( undue h>d%ip1          
especially 9 jurisdictions us+ ! ,brunn]
 te/1 ) only #j4ja successfully be+     
dis*>g$ z ( #bjbb4  7#d7 ,! crit]ia     
utiliz$ 9 ! ,brunn] te/1 :i* is us$ by  
mo/ bankruptcy c\rts 9 ! ,unit$ ,/ates1 
is inconsi/5t ) ! ma9 goal ( bankruptcy 
( giv+ hone/ debtors a fre% />t1 enabl+ 
!m to m fully p>ticipate & contribute to
 ! economy4  7#e7 ,! ,brunn] te/ 0      
develop$ by ! c\rts decades ago :5      
debtors c\ld dis*>ge _! /ud5t loans 9   
bankruptcy by simply wait+ five or sev5 
ye>s--x %\ld no long] be us$ n[ t !     
wait+ p]iod = dis*>ge 0 elim9at$ by     
,congress4  7#f7 ,by *ang+ ! /&>d (     
h>d%ip1 ,congress w\ld provide          
bankruptcy c\rts ) ne$$ flexibility to  
adopt m reasonable crit]ia 9 det]m9+    
dis*>ge /&>ds = /ud5t loan debt4  7#g7  
,adopt+ ?is new h>d%ip /&>d does n      
negate requirem5ts = dis*>ge "u         
bankruptcy proce$+s l means te/+1       
disclosure requirem5ts1 & exemption     
limitations1 secur+ bankruptcy's        

integrity & b5efitt+ bo? debtors &      
cr$itors :o h an increas$ opportunity = 
repaym5t4  7#h7 ,z ( ,june #bjbe1 ar\nd 
six million borr[]s ( ,f$]al /ud5t loans
 are pass$ due by at lea/ #ij days4     
7#i7 ,a majority ( borr[]s ) #ij days or
 m pa/ due /ud5t loans z ( ,june #bjbe  
c\ld move into default by ,septemb]     
#bjbe4  7#aj7 ,millions ( /ud5t loan    
borr[]s are fac+ significant cr$it score
 decl9es mak+ x m exp5sive or difficult 
to get necess>y insurance1 loans1 &     
cr$it c>ds4  7#aa7 ,! va/ majority (    
debtors seek+ bankruptcy dis*>ges =     
/ud5t loans nev] obta9$ degrees or got  
degrees t h n enabl$ !m to secure bett] 
employm5t or h a high] e>n+ pot5tial z  
pr$ict$ :5 ,congress adopt$ ! undue     
h>d%ip /&>d4  7#ab7 ,accord+ to a ,duke 
,law ,j\rnal article1 betwe5 #bjaa &    
#bjai1 less ?an #j4a p]c5t (            
applications made by /ud5t loan debtors 
9 bankruptcy c\rt seek+ a dis*>ge (     
/ud5t loan debt 7 successful1 l>gely    
because attorneys disc\rage _! cli5ts f 

seek+ an adv]s>y proce$+ on ! belief t x
 is too h>d to meet ! undue h>d%ip /&>d4
  7#ac7 ,ea* ye>1 less ?an "o p]c5t ( ! 
approximately #bej1jjj p :o file =      
bankruptcy seek to dis*>ge /ud5t loan   
debt bas$ on undue h>d%ip1 a m]e        
fraction ( ! ne>ly #dc million p :o h   
,f$]al /ud5t loan debt4  7#ad7 ,betwe5  
,novemb] #bjbb & ,septemb] #bjbd1       
approximately #b1ejj p s\ght to dis*>ge 
/ud5t loan debt ?r\gh bankruptcy4  7#ae7
 ,! ,dep>tm5t ( ,education 7,dep>tm5t7  
rec5tly report$ t tw5ty p]c5t ( borr[]s 
are 9 default & ano!r f\r million are   
betwe5 ?ree & six mon?s beh9d on _!     
paym5ts4 ,! ,dep>tm5t e/imates t z _m z 
#aj million borr[]s c\ld be 9 default )9
 a few mon?s4  7#af7 ,!re is little     
evid5ce ( debtors abus+ ! bankruptcy    
sy/em by seek+ unfair dis*>ges ( /ud5t  
loan obligations1 a conc]n rais$ by     
,congress :5 x adopt$ ! undue h>d%ip    
/&>d4  7#ag7 ,! conc]ns ( abuse 7       
address$ & m9imiz$ ) ! passage 9 #bjje (
 ! ,bankruptcy ,abuse ,prev5tion &      

,consum] ,protection ,act ) ! enactm5t (
 a rigor\s ,means ,te/ to evaluate      
debtors' ability to repay debts4  7#ah7 
,/ud5t loan debt ow$ by ,am]icans :o    
file = bankruptcy ) /ud5t loans is (t5  
nev] paid1 :]eas bankruptcy proce$+s    
provide an opportunity to address ?is   
reality4  7#ai7 ,) ! re/>t ( /ud5t loan 
collections1 ! numb] ( borr[]s ) /ud5t  
loan debt is expect$ to rise4 ,! *ange  
to a h>d%ip /&>d w facilitate fair &    
appropriate dis*>ges & repaym5t plans4  
#c4 ,am5dm5t #aa ,section #ebc7;a77#h7 (
 title #aa1 ,unit$ ,/ates ,code1 is     
am5d$ by /rik+ undue4  #d4 ,application 
( am5dm5t ,! am5dm5t made by ?is ,act   
%all apply ) respect to cases comm5c$   
be=e1 on1 & aft] ! date ( ! enactm5t (  
?is ,act4