S. 5456: Stop Social Security Garnishment Act of 2026
This bill would stop the federal government from taking money out of a person’s Social Security payments to collect on defaulted federal student loans.
What changes
- It adds a new rule to the Higher Education Act that says Social Security payments cannot be reduced, or “offset,” because someone is in default on a federal student loan.
- This applies to payments due under the Social Security Act, including retirement, disability, or other Social Security benefits paid to the individual.
- The prohibition would begin once the bill becomes law.
What it means in practice
- People who owe defaulted federal student loans would no longer have their Social Security checks used to repay those debts through this collection method.
- The bill does not erase the student loan debt itself; it only blocks this specific way of collecting it.
- Other collection tools that are allowed under law are not addressed by this bill.
Relevant Companies
None found.
This is an AI-generated summary of the bill text. There may be mistakes.
Sponsors
10 bill sponsors
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TrackBernard Sanders
Sponsor
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TrackRichard Blumenthal
Co-Sponsor
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TrackKirsten E. Gillibrand
Co-Sponsor
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TrackMazie K. Hirono
Co-Sponsor
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TrackEdward J. Markey
Co-Sponsor
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TrackJeff Merkley
Co-Sponsor
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TrackAlex Padilla
Co-Sponsor
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TrackJack Reed
Co-Sponsor
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TrackElizabeth Warren
Co-Sponsor
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TrackRon Wyden
Co-Sponsor
Actions
2 actions
| Date | Action |
|---|---|
| Sep. 22, 2026 | Introduced in Senate |
| Sep. 22, 2026 | Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance. |
Corporate Lobbying
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Potentially Relevant Congressional Stock Trades
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