,,ii  #aaith ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #agfd  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,may #ad1 #bjbe
 ,mr4 ,booker 7for himself and ,ms4     
,warren7 introduced the following bill2 
which was read twice and referred to the
 ,committee on ,health1 ,education1     
,labor1 and ,pensions  ,a ,,bill  ,to   
suspend and reform the authority under  
the ,higher ,education ,act of #aife for
 the ,secretary of ,education to carry  
out an administrative wage garnishment  
program4  #a4  ,short title  ,this ,act 
may be cited as the ,ending             
,administrative ,garnishment ,act of    
#bjbe4  #b4  ,suspension of wage        
garnishment  ,section #dhh;,a of the    
,higher ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj   
,u4,s4,c4 #ajie;a7 is amended by adding 
at the end the following3  7f7          
,suspension of authority  7#a7  ,in     
general  ,beginning on the date of      
enactment of the ,ending ,administrative
 ,garnishment ,act of #bjbe1 the        
authority provided under subsection 7a7 

to garnish the disposable pay of an     
individual shall be suspended until the 
date the ,secretary submits to the      
,committee on ,health1 ,education1      
,labor1 and ,pensions of the ,senate and
 the ,committee on ,education and       
,workforce of the ,house of             
,representatives the certification      
described in paragraph 7#b74  7#b7      
,certification  ,not earlier than #a    
year after the date of enactment of the 
,ending ,administrative ,garnishment    
,act of #bjbe1 the ,secretary shall     
submit to the ,committee on ,health1    
,education1 ,labor1 and ,pensions of the
 ,senate and the ,committee on          
,education and ,workforce of the ,house 
of ,representatives a certification that
 either--  7,a7 the ,secretary has      
implemented a process through which--   
7i7 individuals who have had their      
disposable pay improperly garnished in  
violation of this section1 or of any    
other instruction by the ,secretary1 are
 able to have their refund processed and

 returned to them not later than one    
calendar week after the date of such    
violation2  7ii7 the ,secretary can     
independently cease or suspend the      
administrative wage garnishment program 
authorized under this section at any    
time1 at the sole discretion of the     
,secretary1 including suspension of the 
garnishment of any individual student   
loan borrower or a cohort of borrowers2 
and  7iii7 the ,secretary obtains a     
quarterly verification from each        
employer through which garnishment is   
carried out under this section that all 
information necessary to implement      
garnishment under this section with     
respect to an individual employee is    
accurate1 including an estimate of the  
amount scheduled to be garnished in the 
subsequent quarter1 and the name1       
address1 phone number1 and email address
 for both the employee and the employer2
 or  7,b7 the ,secretary is unable to   
implement the process described in      
subparagraph 7,a7 and has determined    

that the garnishment of the disposable  
pay shall not apply to individuals as   
authorized under subsection 7a74  7#c7  
,data collection  7,a7  ,in general  ,if
 the ,secretary submits a certification 
under paragraph 7#b7 that the ,secretary
 has implemented the process described  
in paragraph 7#b77;,a71 the ,secretary1 
upon submission of such certification1  
shall establish a centralized database  
containing--  7i7 the addresses1        
occupations1 employers1 and other       
collectible demographic data of         
individuals whose disposable pay was    
subject to garnishment under this       
section on the day before the date of   
enactment of the ,ending ,administrative
 ,garnishment ,act of #bjbe2 and  7ii7  
the addresses1 occupations1 employers1  
and other collectible demographic data  
of individuals whose disposable pay is  
subject to garnishment under subsection 
7a74  7,b7  ,report  ,not later than #ij
 days after the date the ,secretary     
establishes the database under          

subparagraph 7,a71 and not less often   
than annually thereafter1 the ,secretary
 shall submit a report to the ,committee
 on ,health1 ,education1 ,labor1 and    
,pensions of the ,senate and the        
,committee on ,education and ,workforce 
of the ,house of ,representatives       
summarizing the information contained in
 the database and evaluating the        
exercise of the ,secretary's authority  
under subsection 7a74  7g7  ,right of   
action against employer  ,the employer  
shall be liable for1 and the ,secretary1
 the guaranty agency1 or an individual1 
as appropriate1 may sue the employer in 
a ,state or ,federal court of competent 
jurisdiction to recover1 any amount that
 such employer improperly withholds from
 wages due an employee following receipt
 by such employer of notice of          
suspension or revocation of the         
withholding order1 and actual damages1  
plus attorneys' fees1 costs1 and1 in the
 court's discretion1 punitive damages4  
7h7  ,department action after improper  

garnishment  ,not later than #aj days   
after the date the ,secretary receives  
an individual's disposable pay that has 
been improperly garnished1 the          
,secretary shall pay the borrower twice 
the actual amount of wages garnished4   
,notwithstanding section #dcb7;a77#b71  
an injunction against the ,secretary may
 be issued to enforce this subsection4  
7i7  ,limits on use  ,the ,secretary may
 not garnish the disposable pay of an   
individual under this section with      
respect to a loan that has been         
outstanding for more than #aj years4  4