Unfortunately, the United States Congress notified me this week that that they will NOT be voting on Christopher's Law this Congressional session. We will have to get it reintroduced in January 2013. Thanks for all of your support over that last few years in helping us push for Christopher's Law, and also for signing my petition! I'll reopen another online petition in Jan 2013!!

Congressmen Urge Passage of Christopher's Law with letter to Committee

Rep. Jon Runyan and Rep. Bill Pascrell sent a letter on April 25, 2012 to the Chairman (John Kline) and Ranking Member (George Miller) of the Education and Workforce Committee within the U.S. House of Representative "urging the swift consideration of H.R.3240, the Christopher Bryski Student Loan Protection Act".

Areas of concern (NOT addressed within Christopher's Law)

Please see below for a list of areas of concern within our American financial system (not addressed within Christopher's Law), that if left unregulated, will continue to place families/individuals in terribly vulnerable financial and legal situations. I believe that correcting these areas are critical to the protection of American families such as mine.

AREAS OF CONCERN

Cosigner consolidation

• Regardless of the death or disability of the original borrower, once repayment responsibility is transferred to the cosigner, the cosigner is not LEGALLY permitted to consolidate the private student loan(s).
• This unfortunate condition leaves cosigners responsible for the unconditional repayment of the Private student loan(s) AS the borrower, without all the rights and privileges OF a borrower.

Death and disability policy (Education Loans)

• No REQUIREMENT exists for Private education lenders to provide protection against unconditional repayment of, or to forgive, private student loans.

• Lending institutions are not currently required to have a POLICY in place in the event of the death or disability of the original borrower

Death and disability policy (Credit Cards)

• Families not made aware of any LAW stating whether they are required to continue paying credit card payments in the event of the death or disability of the original borrower.    
• Credit card companies not required by LAW to close borrower’s account(s) upon receipt of permanent disability certification or death.  
• Throughout our ordeal, regardless of physician justification letters or pleas for reprieve, both banks hounded our family for payment, regardless of the traumatic situation at hand.   
• Our lawyer had to send a threatening letter to two separate credit card company corporate offices to put an end to the continuous postal mail (always addressed to Christopher, but written to the family, hoping we’d respond) and phone calls requesting payment on borrower’s behalf.
• It was as if they accepted the information that he was catastrophically injured, but they were asking for their money regardless, hoping we didn’t know any better.

New Bills Introduced

• U.S. Representative Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ-8) and Jon Runyan (R-NJ-3) reintroduced the “Christopher Bryski Student Loan Protection Act" in the House of Representatives (H.R.3240) 
• U.S. Senator Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ) reintroduced the “Christopher Bryski Student Loan Protection Act" in the Senate (S.1748)

• Currently working with the House and Sentate to re-introduce Christopher's Law 2011.
• Continuing discussions with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) on amending future policy dealing with consumer protections and support for Christopher's Law.

LAUTENBERG INTRODUCES BILL TO BRING TRANSPARENCY TO STUDENT LOANS

Congressman Adler's Bill to Bring Transparency to Student Loans Passes the House of Representatives

DID YOU KNOW?

Did you know that if you or your child becomes catastrophically disabled or dies, their private education loans (if cosigned for) remain payable as if nothing happened?

No one considers the unthinkable. Neither did the Bryski family, until June 2004 when their son Christopher sustained a severe traumatic brain injury in a recreational accident. Due to the extent of his injuries, Christopher remained in a persistent vegetative state unable to see, speak, or move for approximately two years before passing away in July 2006. Christopher’s father, his cosigner, dutifully assumed responsibility for the unconditional repayment of his deceased son’s private student loans. However, this responsibility was assumed in the unfortunate absence of tremendously significant consumer protections for catastrophic disability and death. The Bryski family continues to experience tremendous emotional and financial hardships from this experience.

Following nearly two (2) years of resilient devotion and dedication, the Christopher Bryski Student Loan Protection Act (H.R.5458) was introduced by Representative John Adler (NJ) to improve transparency and disclosure of Private education lending institutions with a distinct focus on the catastrophic disability and death of borrowers and cosigners. H.R.5458 passed within in the House of Representatives on September 28, 2010. Unfortunately, H.R. 5458 DID NOT make it through the Senate prior to the end of the 111th Congressional session. Regrettably, Rep. Adler was not re-elected for another congressional term.

In an effort to preserve the momentum of honoring Christopher, and other suffering American families, and to help generate crucially essential private student loan consumer protections, Senator Frank Lautenberg introduced a Senate version of the Christopher Bryski Student Loan Protection Act (S.3996) on November 29, 2010. Organizations in support of the Christopher Bryski Student Loan Protection Act (S.3996) include the Brain Injury Association of America (BIAA), Brain Injury Association of NJ (BIANJ), Rutgers University, and the National Association of State Head Injury Administrators (NASHIA).

The Christopher Bryski Student Loan Protection Act (S.3996) amends the Truth and Lending Act and Higher Education Opportunity Act to:

• Ensure private education lenders clearly and concisely define borrower and cosigner obligations;
• Provide information about power of attorney;
• Require the Federal Reserve Board of Governors (the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau beginning July 2011) to publish model forms including information about power of attorney, and describing a cosigner’s obligation;
• Define the term “Death, disability, or inability to engage in any substantial gainful activity”;
• Define the term “cosigner”;
• Provide information on the conditions required to discharge the loan due to the death, disability, or inability to engage in any substantial gainful activity;
• Provide information with respect to the same for private education loans.