Magaziner, Vance Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Ease Financial Burden for Parents of Students with Disabilities

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Representative Seth Magaziner (D-RI-02) and U.S. Senator J.D. Vance (R-OH) introduced Domenic and Ed’s Law. The bipartisan, bicameral legislation would allow a parent whose child develops a total and permanent disability to be eligible for a student loan discharge. 

Under current law, a student who suffers an injury or illness resulting in a total and permanent disability (TPD) is eligible to have their federal student loans discharged. However, parents who have taken out student loans on their child’s behalf do not have a similar recourse available. These parents are often left with the challenges of providing care for a disabled child while seeking to pay back loans for education their child can no longer fully take advantage of.

Domenic and Ed’s Law will support the parents of students with a total and permanent disability by extending disability loan forgiveness to Parent PLUS Loans. 

“When a student becomes disabled, their parents should be focused on providing care and support instead of worrying about paying off student loans they’ve taken out on their child’s behalf,” said Rep. Seth Magaziner. “This bipartisan legislation is partly named after my constituent, Ed Desorcy, who lost his vision while attending college – and due to this tragedy, his parents were saddled with student debt and medical bills. No parent should face this financial burden in these difficult circumstances, and this commonsense legislation will provide much-needed relief to families in Rhode Island and across the nation.”

“No parent should be forced to shoulder the burden of FFEL loans while caring for their disabled child,” said Senator Vance. “Domenic Carducci, a fellow Buckeye from Steubenville, and his family deserve the relief this bipartisan legislation would provide.”

The bill is named after constituents of Rep. Magaziner and Sen. Vance who inspired this legislative fix. Ed Desorcy, who lives in Harrisville, RI, suffers from Lebers Hereditary Optic Neuropathy and lost his vision while attending college. While Desorcy’s loans were discharged following his disability, the loans taken out by his parents on his behalf were not.

Domenic Carducci, a graduate from The Ohio State University, became totally and permanently disabled not long after graduation. Domenic was able to have his student loans forgiven but his mother, Carolyn, was forced to continue to pay for the student loans that she took out in her name for Domenic’s education. She and her husband still owe tens of thousands of dollars and will be paying these loans well into their 90s. 

The bipartisan, bicameral legislation is co-sponsored by Senators Mike Braun (R-IN) and Chris Coons (D-DE) in the Senate and Representatives Marc Molinaro (R-NY-19), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.), André Carson (D-IN-7), Debbie Dingell (D-MI-6), Paul Tonko (D-NY-20), Kevin Mullin (D-CA-15), and Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL-8) in the House. 

The legislation is also endorsed by leading disability rights and education organizations, including the National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities; National Center for Learning Disabilities; American Association of People with Disabilities; National Association of Disability Representatives; American Federation of Teachers (AFT); National Education Association (NEA); Young Invincibles; National Down Syndrome Congress; Special Needs Alliance (SNA); United Spinal Association; Consortium for Constituents with Disabilities; Social Security Task Force; National Association of the Deaf; Active Minds; National Federation of the Blind; Association of University Centers and Disabilities (AUCD); Association on Higher Education and Disabilities (AHEAD); ACPA—College Student Educators International; American Association of Community Colleges; American Association of University Women; Education Finance Council; Higher Education Loan Coalition; American Council on Education; and Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS).

A copy of the bill text can be found here.