Olympia – A measure championed by Rep. Monica Stonier, D-Vancouver, to protect students who are borrowing money for their education passed the House.
The measure, House Bill 1440, creates baseline standards for loan servicers and creates a student-loan ombudsman to help students navigate the system and deal with complaints.
Attorney General Bob Ferguson requested the measure after receiving hundreds of consumer complaints from student borrowers.
“Some bad actors have received attention for not providing quality service to borrowers,” Stonier said. “Student borrowers expect a level of customer service that helps them repay their loans. With the passage of this bill, we can protect our students in Washington state.”
The measure now goes to the Senate.