I 116TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. R. 3689 To prohibit States from suspending, revoking, or denying State-issued professional licenses or issuing penalties due to student default. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES JULY 10, 2019 Ms. SHALALA (for herself and Mr. WALKER) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and Labor A BILL To prohibit States from suspending, revoking, or denying State-issued professional licenses or issuing penalties due to student default. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Protecting Job Oppor- 4 tunities for Borrowers Act’’ or the ‘‘Protecting JOBs 5 Act’’. 6 VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:00 Jul 19, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3689.IH H3689 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 2 •HR 3689 IH SEC. 2. PROHIBITION AGAINST SUSPENSION, REVOCATION, 1 OR DENIAL OF STATE-ISSUED PROFESSIONAL 2 LICENSES OR PENALTIES DUE TO STUDENT 3 DEFAULT. 4 (a) HIGHER EDUCATION ACT OF 1965 LOANS.—Part 5 B of title I of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 6 U.S.C. 1011 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end 7 the following: 8 ‘‘SEC. 124. PROHIBITION AGAINST SUSPENSION, REVOCA- 9 TION, OR DENIAL OF STATE-ISSUED PROFES- 10 SIONAL LICENSES OR PENALTIES DUE TO 11 STUDENT DEFAULT. 12 ‘‘(a) PROHIBITION.—Beginning 2 years after the 13 date of enactment of the Protecting Job Opportunities for 14 Borrowers Act, a State that receives assistance under this 15 Act may not suspend, revoke, or deny the approval or re- 16 newal of a State-issued license described in subsection (b) 17 or issue a fine or other penalty with respect to an indi- 18 vidual based solely on such individual’s default or delin- 19 quency on a loan made, insured, or guaranteed under title 20 IV. 21 ‘‘(b) TYPES OF LICENSES.—A State-issued license 22 described in this subsection means any of the following: 23 ‘‘(1) A State-issued driver’s license (including 24 any State-issued document permitting a specific in- 25 dividual to operate one or more types of motorized 26 VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:00 Jul 19, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3689.IH H3689 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 3 •HR 3689 IH vehicles, such as a motorcycle, car, truck, or bus on 1 a public road). 2 ‘‘(2) A State-issued teaching license. 3 ‘‘(3) A State-issued professional license involved 4 in or affecting interstate commerce (including any li- 5 cense, permit, certificate, registration, charter, au- 6 thority or similar form of permission required for 7 lawful employment in a particular career field). 8 ‘‘(c) INJUNCTIVE RELIEF.—Any individual aggrieved 9 as a result of a violation of subsection (a) may bring a 10 civil action in an appropriate district court of the United 11 States to obtain prospective injunctive relief against an in- 12 dividual State officer in the officer’s official capacity.’’. 13 (b) HEALTH EDUCATION LOANS.— 14 (1) IN GENERAL.—A State may not suspend, 15 revoke, or deny the approval or renewal of a State- 16 issued license described in section 124(b) of the 17 Higher Education Act of 1965 or issue a fine or 18 other penalty with respect to an individual based 19 solely on such individual’s default or delinquency on 20 a Health Education Assistance Loan or Primary 21 Care Loan made under part A of title VII of the 22 Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 292 et seq.). 23 (2) INJUNCTIVE RELIEF.—Any individual ag- 24 grieved as a result of a violation of paragraph (1) 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:00 Jul 19, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3689.IH H3689 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 4 •HR 3689 IH may bring a civil action in an appropriate district 1 court of the United States to obtain prospective in- 2 junctive relief against an individual State officer in 3 the officer’s official capacity. 4 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:00 Jul 19, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H3689.IH H3689 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS