Prohibition on student loan forgiveness

(a)

Findings

Congress finds the following: (1)Antisemitism is on the rise in the United States and is impacting Jewish students in K–12 schools, colleges, and universities. (2)Jewish and Israeli students have faced physical violence, hate-filled disruptions in the classroom and on campus, calls from students and faculty advocating for the elimination and destruction of Israel, and other forms of persistent harassment. (3)Antisemitic protests have taken over college campuses in the United States. (4)University administrations have failed to address these acts of antisemitism and stop the spread of these pro-terrorist, antisemitic protests. (5)Violent campus protestors should not be bailed out by irresponsible student loan forgiveness. (b)

Sense of Congress

It is the sense of Congress that— (1)title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (42 U.S.C. 2000d et seq.), prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, and national origin in programs and activities receiving Federal financial assistance; (2)while such title does not cover discrimination based solely on religion, individuals who face discrimination based on actual or perceived shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics do not lose protection under such title for also being members of a group that share a common religion; (3)discrimination against Jewish people may give rise to a violation of such title when the discrimination is based on race, color, or national origin, which can include discrimination based on actual or perceived shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics; and (4)the Department of Education relating to Improving Income Driven Repayment for the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Program and the Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) Program (88 Fed. Reg. 43820 (July 10, 2023)), and such rule shall have no force or effect. (c)

Definitions

In this Act: (1)

Antisemitic activities

The term antisemitic activities means any actions or behaviors that discriminate against individuals or groups based on their Jewish heritage, religion, or ethnicity. (2)

Federal student loan forgiveness

The term Federal student loan forgiveness means the forgiveness of Federal student loans under President Biden’s income-driven repayment (IDR) forgiveness program. (d)

Prohibition

(1)Any student who is arrested for engaging in antisemitic activities at universities, in communities, or anywhere within the United States shall be barred from receiving Federal student loan forgiveness through President Biden’s income-driven repayment forgiveness program. (2)This prohibition shall apply regardless of whether the student is convicted of the charges related to antisemitic activities. (e)

Implementation

(1)The Secretary of Education shall establish procedures to identify students who have been arrested for engaging in antisemitic activities and ensure their ineligibility for Federal student loan forgiveness through the IDR program. (2)The Secretary of Education shall collaborate with law enforcement agencies, educational institutions, and relevant stakeholders to effectively implement the provisions of this Act. (f)

Enforcement

(1)Any educational institution found to knowingly provide false information or fail to report incidents of antisemitic activities by its students shall be subject to penalties, including but not limited to fines and loss of all Federal funding. (2)The Department of Education shall conduct periodic audits to monitor compliance with the provisions of this Act and take appropriate enforcement actions against non-compliant entities. (g)

Effective date

This Act shall take effect 90 days after its enactment into law.