NACBA Legislative Committee Advocates in D . C . for Debt Relief from Student Loans
By Krista D ’ Amelio , Director of Government Affairs & Communications at NACBA
NACBA Legislative Committee members joined together from February 26-28 , 2018 in Washington , D . C . for “ Capitol Hill Days ” to meet with Congressional members in the House and Senate . Throughout the three-day Hill Days , Committee members met with nearly 40 Congressional members and staff , targeting those members who serve on respective House or Senate Judiciary and / or Education Committees .
The halls of Congress were bustling , and NACBA was excited to participate in different conversations regarding consumer bankruptcy issues . Specifically , NACBA Legislative Committee members promoted the discharge of federal and private student loans in bankruptcy . NACBA focused on encouraging House sponsorship of bipartisan bill H . R . 2366 Discharge Student Loans in Bankruptcy Act of 2017 sponsored by Congressmen
John Delaney ( D-MD ) and John Katko ( R-NY ). NACBA members also encouraged Senators to take lead in sponsoring a similar bipartisan bill . The timing aligned with the Department of Education ’ s recent request for information on evaluating undue hardship claims in adversary actions seeking student loan discharge in bankruptcy proceedings . NACBA encourages the Department of Education to release more data on the portfolio of the current uncollectable student loan segment and the costs associated to such collections .
“ The recent NACBA Hill Days in Washington , DC were a genuinely positive experience . Three full days of meetings on Capitol Hill regarding student loans resulted in favorable and constructive discussions about the ongoing student loan debt bomb ,” stated NACBA President John C . Colwell . “ Recognizing the pervasive financial weight of the outstanding student loans on the economy as a whole , NACBA ’ s legislative team took a bipartisan approach to fostering ideas and information to educate our Congressional leaders across both aisles . I truly believe that NACBA ’ s ongoing efforts will result in real positive change for our clients as a result of this endeavor .”
NACBA Legislative Committee members continue to cover NACBA ’ s legislative objectives and priorities for the 115th Congress . The Committee looks forward to continuing this work on behalf of all NACBA members and their clients and encourages current members to participate in upcoming annual NACBA Hill Day at Home events . Be sure to visit network . nacba . org / events / calendar for more information .
10 CONSUMER BANKRUPTCY JOURNAL Spring 2018 National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys