Federal Worker Mortgage Forbearance Act

This bill establishes a program to provide financial relief to federal employees and contractors during a lapse in appropriations. It allows individuals designated as "covered individuals," including furloughed employees, excepted employees, and certain contractors, to request forbearance on their mortgage payments if they experience financial hardship due to such a lapse. This relief applies to a "covered period," which encompasses the duration of the appropriations lapse and extends for 180 days after it concludes. Under the bill, eligible individuals can request a 90-day forbearance on their Federally backed mortgage loans , regardless of their current delinquency status. During this forbearance period, no additional fees, penalties, or interest beyond the regularly scheduled amounts may accrue on the loan account. Importantly, servicers are prohibited from requiring a lump-sum payment of the missed amounts at the end of the forbearance period, though the bill clarifies that this does not constitute loan forgiveness. Agencies are mandated to notify covered individuals of their forbearance rights within 10 days of an appropriations lapse. Furthermore, the bill amends the Fair Credit Reporting Act to ensure that credit reporting agencies accurately reflect the status of accounts under forbearance. If a consumer makes payments or is not required to during forbearance, the account should be reported as current, or if previously delinquent, its status maintained until brought current. The provisions of this act are set to take effect retroactively to September 30, 2025.