{"bills":[{"photos":{"featured":"https://assets.causes.com/bill/photo/s895-114/featured_servicemember-and-veteran-protection-act-of-2015-1454549314.jpg","featured_large":"https://assets.causes.com/bill/photo/s895-114/featured_large_servicemember-and-veteran-protection-act-of-2015-1454549314.jpg","shareable":"https://n.causes.com/share-images/bills/s895-114.png"},"introduced_on":"2015-03-26","title_override":"Letting Soldiers Defer Student Loan Payments When They're Called to Active Duty","summary_override":"

This bill would allow members of the Armed Forces and National Guard to defer payments of principal on certain federal student loans for up to 180 days beginning when they receive a call or order to duty in connection to a war, military operation, or national emergency and ending on their first day of service. Current law also allows the deferment of principal payments during the period of service and for 180 days after their demobilization date.

Individuals whose call to duty is cancelled before their first day of service could defer payments of principal under the following circumstances:

If the cancellation is due to a service training injury, payments could be deferred for what would have been their service period;
If the cancellation is for any other reason, payments could be deferred for 14 days after the cancellation.

The Secretary of Defense would be directed to increase the rates of educational assistance payable to members of the selected reserve through the GI Bill. The increase will be equal or greater than the percentage by which the average cost of undergraduate tuition increased over the prior year. Current law bases this increase on the Consumer Price Index (CPI).

Upon the request of an active duty military consumer or an individual acting on their behalf, consumer reporting agencies would be required to:

Include an active duty freeze alert in the file of that consumer and also provide that alert with any credit score generated in using that file for at least 12 months;
Exclude the consumer for two years from any list of consumers prepared by the agency and provided to any third party to offer credit or insurance to the consumer as part of a transaction that wasn’t initiated by the consumer;
Refer the active duty freeze alert information to each of the other consumer reporting agencies that compile and maintain files on consumers on a nationwide basis.

Each active duty freeze alert would be required to notify prospective users of the consumer’s credit report that the consumer doesn’t authorize the following:

The establishment of any new credit plan or extension of credit in the consumer’s name;
The issuance of an additional credit card on an existing credit account requested by a consumer;
Any increase in the credit limit on an existing credit account requested by a consumer.

The Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) would be directed to report to Congress on the effects of using social security numbers to uniquely identify veterans on veterans’ privacy.

","official_title":"A bill to allow members of the Armed Forces to defer principal on Federal student loans for a certain period in connection with receipt of orders for mobilization for war or national emergency, and for other purposes.","short_title":"Servicemember and Veteran Protection Act of 2015","popular_title":null,"short_summary":"Servicemember and Veteran Protection Act of 2015\n\nAmends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to allow members of the Armed Forces and National Guard to defer payments of principal on their Federal Family Education Loans, William D. Ford Federal Direct Loans, and Federal Perkins Loans for the period (up to 180 days) beginning on the date they receive a call or order to duty in connection with a war, military operation, or national emergency and ending on their first day of service. (Currently, the payment of principal on those loans is also deferred during their period of service and for the 180-day period after their demobilization date.)\n\nAllows individuals whose call to duty is cancelled before their first day of service: (1) due to a service training injury, to defer payments of principal on those loans through what would have been their period of service; and (2) for a reason other than a service training injury, to defer payments of principal on those ...","summarized":true,"cost":null,"cost_commentary":"A CBO cost estimate is unavailable.","impact":"Servicemembers who are ordered to duty and their families, student loan servicers, credit reporting agencies and those requesting credit reports, and the VA.","argument_for":"It's only fair for members of the Armed Forces to be able to defer their student loan payments and freeze their credit reports before they’re deployed and serving their country, and increased GI Bill benefits will make education more attainable.","argument_against":"Serving in the armed forces is an honorable thing, but it doesn't mean service members should get a free pass to defer student loan payments or freeze their credit reports. It's unfair to everyone else who can't defer their loans. 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Make your voice heard about the issues you care about. \r\n","page_title":"Military Legislation - Vote on Bills, Stay informed, Hold Your Reps Accountable","icons":{"black":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/military/black_military-1429042060.svg","grey":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/military/grey_military-1429042060.svg","white":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/military/white_military-1429042060.svg"},"cover_image_url":null,"is_following":false},{"id":"government","name":"Government","slug":"government","description":"Federal legislation related to the operations of the US Federal Government. Bills can encompass government administration, regulation of political parties, the US postal service, US territories and public contracts.","page_title":"US Government - Federal legislation - Vote on Bills, Stay informed, Hold Your Reps Accountable","icons":{"black":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/government/black_government-1453508811.svg","grey":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/government/grey_government-1453508811.svg","white":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/government/white_government-1453508811.svg"},"cover_image_url":null,"is_following":false},{"id":"education","name":"Education","slug":"education","description":"Federal legislation can directly impact all levels of education and education funding. Here you can find bills related to Elementary, Junior and High School, Universities, continuing and adult education and pre-K. \r\n","page_title":"Federal legislation related to Education, encompassing K-12, Collegiate, Pre-K, and continuing - Vote on Bills, Stay informed, Hold Your Reps Accountable","icons":{"black":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/education/black_education-1429042042.svg","grey":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/education/grey_education-1429042042.svg","white":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/education/white_education-1429042042.svg"},"cover_image_url":null,"is_following":false}],"users":[{"name":"Michael","vote_count":162,"photos":{"large":"https://graph.facebook.com/1190903604286066/picture?width=150&height=150","small":"https://graph.facebook.com/1190903604286066/picture?width=75&height=75","tiny":"https://graph.facebook.com/1190903604286066/picture?width=20&height=20","facebook":"https://graph.facebook.com/1190903604286066/picture"},"links":{"following":"/api/users/49N1AyMm/following","followers":"/api/users/49N1AyMm/followers"},"about_me":null,"twitter_id":null,"facebook_id":null,"youtube_id":null,"google_plus_id":null,"website":null,"slug":null,"issue_count":9,"is_following":null,"influence_score":90,"influence_level":20,"follower_count":3,"following_count":5,"position_count":38,"id":"49N1AyMm","partner_id":null},{"name":"Loraki","vote_count":1215,"photos":{"large":"https://assets.causes.com/user/avatar/8mrgkD9d/large_8mrgkd9d-1485722796.jpg","small":"https://assets.causes.com/user/avatar/8mrgkD9d/small_8mrgkd9d-1485722796.jpg","tiny":"https://assets.causes.com/user/avatar/8mrgkD9d/tiny_8mrgkd9d-1485722796.jpg","facebook":"https://graph.facebook.com/100000827158540/picture"},"links":{"following":"/api/users/8mrgkD9d/following","followers":"/api/users/8mrgkD9d/followers"},"about_me":"I'm a member of the Church of Christ (non-institutional). God gave us a pattern to follow for the Church and for how we should live. He DIDN'T say that following it is OPTIONAL! Nor did He say we could make changes to His pattern! I believe that there will be an eternal home of the soul - Heaven or Hell - and that Christ will judge us on the last day. I believe that Jesus is the Son of God!\n\nI am NOT\n• a Catholic\n• a Protestant\n• a Baptist\n• a Methodist\n• a Mormon\n• an Episcopalian\n• a Pentacostal\nor member of any other denomination.\n\n• I AM A CHRISTIAN, PERIOD!\n• I AM A MEMBER OF THE CHURCH OF CHRIST, PERIOD! \n• I ACKNOWLEDGE NO HEAD OF THE CHURCH EXCEPT CHRIST JESUS, THE SON OF GOD, PERIOD! \n• I FOLLOW NO MANMADE CREED, BUT THE BIBLE ONLY, WHICH IS THE INSPIRED WORD OF GOD, PERIOD!\n\nI'm a 4th. generation Texan & the mother of 2 sons. I'm retired. I love the mountains and I like Oberhasli dairy goats, organic gardening, science fiction, astronomy, camping, and hunting. I'm very fond of my OESheepdog and my Norwegian Forest cat, too.\n\n• I'm a Constitutional Conservative and a patriot. \n•. I support the Tea Party. \n• I'm for limited government and free market capitalism. \n• I'm also for school choice and school prayer. \n• I'm against abortion and same-sex \"marriage\". \n• I'm TOTALLY AGAINST the implementation of Shariah law at any level in the United States! \n• I'm for SECURE BORDERS and reduced immigration, especially of Muslims! \n• I believe ALL illegal aliens should be deported. Those who enter our country illegally should not be given special privileges at the taxpayers' expense! \n• I believe that Congress should balance the budget and Uncle Sam should live within his means - without raising taxes! \n• I also believe in \"peace through strength\" - keep our military strong and keep out the transgenders! Freedom of religion applies to the military as well as civilians! I'm AGAINST allowing foreigners to join our military! That includes Obama's Dreamers! \n• I want to see a ban on GMOs! \n• I want to see the federal government OUT OF education! \n• Audit the Fed! \n• Abolish the IRS! \n• Just say \"NO\" to political correctness and race-baiting!\n\nThis is not a complete description of what I stand for. If you have specific questions about me, it can't hurt to ask! I might even answer! :-D #MakeDCListen\n\nTHIS IS MY COUNTRY!\n\nI AM TIRED OF AND FED UP WITH MUSLIM JIHADISTS AND ILLEGAL ALIENS IN MY COUNTRY, WHO ARE BRINGING DRUGS, DISEASE, AND CRIME, WHILE BEING CODDLED BY MY GOVERNMENT AT THE EXPENSE OF THE AMERICAN CITIZENS! IT'S NOT RIGHT FOR US TO HAVE TO SUFFER THIS INVASION BY PEOPLE WHO DON'T RESPECT OUR LAWS, OUR PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE, OUR FLAG, OUR LANGUAGE (That's ENGLISH!), OR OUR CULTURE! AND I'M TIRED OF AND FED UP WITH HAVING TO \"PRESS 1 FOR ENGLISH\"! WE NEED A MORATORIUM ON MUSLIM IMMIGRATION AND WE NEED TO KICK OUT ALL OF THE ILLEGAL ALIENS WHO BY DEFINITION ARE CRIMINALS! WE NEED TO MAKE OUR GOVERNMENT UNDERSTAND THAT WE DON'T WANT AMERICA TURNED INTO A THIRD WORLD CESSPOOL!\n\nI AM NOT ANTI-IMMIGRANT. I AM FOR THE RULE OF LAW. I DON'T CARE WHAT COLOR YOUR SKIN IS OR WHAT YOUR NATIVE LANGUAGE IS. BUT IF YOU COME TO MY COUNTRY TO LIVE, I EXPECT YOU TO LEARN AND SPEAK ENGLISH AND TO OBEY OUR LAWS! NONE OF THAT SHARIAH STUFF! WE HAVE FREEDOM OF RELIGION HERE IN AMERICA, AND ISLAM IS A CLEAR AND PRESENT DANGER TO THAT FREEDOM! SPARE ME YOUR TAQIYYA AND HUDNA! YOU WANT TO BELIEVE MUHAMMAD IS A PROPHET OF GOD? THAT IS YOUR RIGHT, BUT IT IS OUR RIGHT TO DISAGREE WITH YOUR BELIEFS. IT IS NOT YOUR RIGHT TO KILL US FOR DISAGREEING! IF YOU DON'T LIKE OUR LAWS, YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO TRY TO CHANGE THEM THROUGH LEGAL AND PEACEFUL MEANS, BUT MANY OF US WILL PEACEFULLY AND RESPECTFULLY (insofar as it is possible) DO OUR UTMOST TO PREVENT YOU FROM SUCCEEDING, IF YOUR GOAL IS CULTURAL AND POLITICAL JIHAD.\n\nTHIS IS THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND WE HAVE A HERITAGE OF HONOR, PRIDE AND COURAGE. OUR NATION, MOREOVER, WAS FOUNDED ON CHRISTIAN PRINCIPLES! OUR REVERENCE FOR GOD AND HIS CHRIST AND THE HOLY BIBLE IS WHAT ENABLED AMERICA TO BECOME GREATLY BLESSED BY GOD. WE HAVE OUR PROBLEMS; WE ARE NOT PERFECT, BUT WE WILL FIGHT THE POWERS OF DARKNESS AND EVIL, SO HELP US, GOD!\n\nTHIS IS AMERICA! LOVE IT OR LEAVE IT!!!","twitter_id":null,"facebook_id":"lafigarus","youtube_id":"LauraroseofTexas","google_plus_id":null,"website":null,"slug":"loraki","issue_count":120,"is_following":null,"influence_score":47090,"influence_level":40,"follower_count":535,"following_count":3688,"position_count":920,"id":"8mrgkD9d","partner_id":null}],"bill_position":{"flagged":false,"id":"693092ac-3b62-4388-b74f-2224d6493fd6","argument_for":"This is the commonsense question and absolutely though should be deferred if not reduce while they're putting their lives on the line to protect the citizens of this country including the politicians","argument_against":null,"show_argument_for":true,"show_argument_against":false,"upvote_count":1,"upvotes_for_count":1,"upvotes_against_count":null,"has_upvoted":false,"endorsement_count":1,"links":{"self":"https://www.causes.com/positions/693092ac-3b62-4388-b74f-2224d6493fd6"},"body":"This is the commonsense question and absolutely though should be deferred if not reduce while they're putting their lives on the line to protect the citizens of this country including the politicians","stance":"yea","created_at":"2016-08-02T15:39:37.972Z","shareable_image_url":"https://n.causes.com/share-images/positions/693092ac-3b62-4388-b74f-2224d6493fd6.png","note_color":null,"note_text":null,"bill_id":"s895-114","user_id":"49N1AyMm","endorser_ids":["8mrgkD9d"]}}

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Letting Soldiers Defer Student Loan Payments When They're Called to Active Duty