# Stop Reckless Student Loan Actions Act of 2022

This bill would severely restrict the federal government's ability to pause or cancel student loan payments during national emergencies. Right now, when a national emergency is declared (like COVID-19), the Secretary of Education has broad power to temporarily stop requiring people to make student loan payments or to forgive loan balances. This bill would take away most of that power.

Here's what would actually change: First, any pause on student loan payments could only last 90 days, and the government couldn't do it again in the next 90-day period. So if an emergency happened, borrowers would get a temporary break, but it would be very short and couldn't be extended. Second, the government couldn't pause payments for anyone making more than 400 percent of the poverty line—which is roughly $106,000 for a family of four. Third, and most significantly, the bill would completely ban the government from canceling student loan debt during any national emergency, no matter the circumstances. This directly targets actions like the student loan forgiveness programs that have been proposed or implemented in recent years.

The bill also requires that if the government tries to suspend payments or cancel loans anyway, Congress would have the power to block it through a special fast-track process. Additionally, any loan pause that was already in effect when this bill became law would immediately end, and the government couldn't restart it for COVID-19 or any other emergency.

Essentially, this bill would make it much harder for future administrations to provide relief to student loan borrowers during crises, shifting the decision-making power from the executive branch to Congress, which would need to pass new legislation to authorize any major student loan relief.

Stop Reckless Student Loan Actions Act of 2022

Stop Reckless Student Loan Actions Act of 2022 This bill limits executive authority to (1) suspend or defer federal student loan payments or interest accrual on such loans, and (2) cancel federal student loans. Specifically, the bill prohibits the President or the Department of Education (ED) from suspending or deferring federal student loan payments or the accrual of interest on such loans for borrowers with annual household incomes over 400% of the federal poverty line. Further, ED may only suspend or defer federal student loan payments or the accrual of interest for such loans for a total of 90 days after the declaration of a national emergency by the President. ED must submit recommendations to Congress on relief necessary for recipients of student financial-aid assistance. Additionally, the bill prohibits the President or ED from cancelling the outstanding balances or portions of balances on student loans due to the COVID-19 national emergency or any other national emergency. Executive or regulatory action to suspend or defer federal student loan payments or to cancel federal student loans shall be subject to congressional review. The bill also revises the definition of affected individual for purposes of the Higher Education Relief Opportunities for Students (HEROES) Act of 2003 to exclude from relief under the act (1) an individual who resides or is employed in an area that is declared a disaster area in connection with a national emergency; or (2) an individual who suffered direct economic hardship as a direct result of a war, military operation, or national emergency.