[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3156 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 3156
To provide certain Federal employees with the ability to request and
receive a period of forbearance on certain mortgage loans during a
period during which there is a lapse in appropriations, and for other
purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
November 7, 2025
Ms. Alsobrooks (for herself, Mr. Van Hollen, Mr. Kaine, and Mr. Warner)
introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To provide certain Federal employees with the ability to request and
receive a period of forbearance on certain mortgage loans during a
period during which there is a lapse in appropriations, and for other
purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Federal Worker Mortgage Forbearance
Act''.
SEC. 2. RIGHT OF AFFECTED INDIVIDUALS TO REQUEST FORBEARANCE.
(a) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Agency.--The term ``agency'' means each authority of
the executive, legislative, or judicial branch of the
Government of the United States.
(2) Covered individual.--The term ``covered individual''--
(A) means an employee of an agency, without regard
to whether the individual is, during a period during
which there is a lapse in appropriations with respect
to the agency--
(i) determined to be an excepted employee
or an employee performing emergency work, as
those terms are defined by the Office of
Personnel Management; or
(ii) subject to furlough;
(B) includes a contractor who--
(i) as part of the ordinary job duties of
the individual, provides support to any
employee described in subparagraph (A); and
(ii) during a period during which there is
a lapse in appropriations with respect to the
applicable agency, does not provide the
services described in clause (i); and
(C) does not include an individual described in
subparagraph (A) or (B) who, during a period during
which there is a lapse in appropriations with respect
to the applicable agency, is paid the basic pay
ordinarily paid to the individual.
(3) Covered period.--The term ``covered period'' means,
with respect to a period during which there is a lapse in
appropriations with respect to an agency, the period beginning
on the date on which that lapse begins and ending on the date
that is 180 days after the date on which that lapse ends.
(4) Federally backed mortgage loan.--The term ``Federally
backed mortgage loan'' means a loan that is--
(A) secured by a first or subordinate lien on
residential real property (including individual units
of condominiums and cooperatives) designed principally
for the occupancy of from 1- to 4- families; and
(B)(i) purchased or securitized by the Federal Home
Loan Mortgage Corporation or the Federal National
Mortgage Association;
(ii) insured by the Federal Housing Administration
under title II of the National Housing Act (12 U.S.C.
1707 et seq.);
(iii) insured under section 255 of the National
Housing Act (12 U.S.C. 1715z-20);
(iv) guaranteed under section 184 or 184A of the
Housing and Community Development Act of 1992 (12
U.S.C. 1715z-13a, 1715z-13b);
(v) guaranteed or insured by the Department of
Veterans Affairs; or
(vi) guaranteed, made, or insured by the Department
of Agriculture.
(b) Forbearance of Loan Payments for Holders of Federally Backed
Mortgage Loans During Covered Periods.--
(1) In general.--During any covered period with respect to
an agency that begins on or after the effective date of this
section described in subsection (d), a covered individual with
respect to the agency with a Federally backed mortgage loan may
request forbearance on the Federally backed mortgage loan,
regardless of delinquency status, by--
(A) submitting a request to the servicer of the
Federally backed mortgage loan; and
(B) affirming that the covered individual is
experiencing a financial hardship because of the
applicable lapse in appropriations.
(2) Grant of forbearance.--Upon a request by a covered
individual for forbearance under paragraph (1), the servicer to
which the request was submitted shall promptly, and without
unreasonable delay, grant forbearance with respect to the
applicable Federally backed mortgage loan--
(A) for a period of 90 days; and
(B) regardless of the delinquency status of the
Federally backed mortgage loan.
(3) Right to discontinue.--A covered individual with
respect to whom forbearance is granted under this subsection
may, at any time, request that the applicable servicer
discontinue the forbearance.
(4) Accrual of interest or fees.--During a period of
forbearance under this subsection, no fees, penalties, or
interest, beyond the amounts scheduled or calculated as if the
applicable covered individual made all contractual payments on
time and in full under the terms of the mortgage contract,
shall accrue on the account of the covered individual.
(5) No lump-sum payment required.--After the end of a
period of forbearance under this subsection with respect to a
Federally backed mortgage loan, the servicer of the Federally
backed mortgage loan may not require the applicable covered
individual to pay a lump-sum payment for the payments on the
Federally backed mortgage loan that were not paid during that
period of forbearance.
(6) Criminal penalty for false statements.--Knowingly
making a false statement in, or in connection with, a request
for forbearance under paragraph (1) shall constitute a
violation of section 1014 of title 18, United States Code.
(7) Notice.--Not later than 10 days after the date on which
a lapse in appropriations with respect to an agency begins, the
head of the agency shall provide notice to covered individuals
with respect to the agency of the rights of the covered
individuals under this subsection.
(8) Rule of construction.--Nothing in this subsection may
be construed to grant forgiveness with respect to a Federally
backed mortgage loan.
(c) Furnishing of Credit Information.--Section 623(a)(1) of the
Fair Credit Reporting Act (15 U.S.C. 1681s-2(a)(1)) is amended by
adding at the end the following:
``(G) Reporting information relating to certain
forbearances.--
``(i) Definition.--In this subsection, the
term `accommodation' means an agreement to
grant a period of forbearance pursuant to
section 2(b) of the Federal Worker Mortgage
Forbearance Act.
``(ii) Reporting.--Except as provided in
clause (iii), if a furnisher makes an
accommodation with respect to 1 or more
payments on a credit obligation or account of a
consumer, and the consumer makes the payments
or is not required to make 1 or more payments
pursuant to the accommodation, the furnisher
shall--
``(I) report the credit obligation
or account as current; or
``(II) if the credit obligation or
account was delinquent before the
accommodation--
``(aa) maintain the
delinquent status during the
period in which the
accommodation is in effect; and
``(bb) if the consumer
brings the credit obligation or
account current during the
period described in item (aa),
report the credit obligation or
account as current.
``(iii) Exception.--Clause (ii) shall not
apply with respect to a credit obligation or
account of a consumer that has been charged-
off.''.
(d) Retroactive Effective Date.--This section, and the amendments
made by this section, shall take effect as if enacted on September 30,
2025.
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