I 

113TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2211 

To amend the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act to provide for a timetable 

for verification of medical debt and to increase the efficiency of credit 

markets with more perfect information. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 24, 2013 

Mr. GARY G. MILLER of California (for himself and Mrs. MCCARTHY of New 

York) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 

on Financial Services 

A BILL 

To amend the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act to provide 

for a timetable for verification of medical debt and to 

increase the efficiency of credit markets with more perfect information. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Accuracy in Reporting 

5 Medical Debt Act of 2013’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 The Congress finds the following: 


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1 (1) A reduction in a consumer’s credit score 

2 can impede consumers’ economic activity and con3 sumer borrowing capacity. 

4 (2) A 2012 Federal Trade Commission report 

5 found that as many as 40 million Americans have 

6 mistakes on their credit report. 

7 (3) According to credit evaluators, medical debt 

8 collections are inconsistently reported, and of ques9 tionable value in predicting future payment perform10 ance. 

11 (4) Medical debt that has been completely paid 

12 off or settled will remain on a consumer’s credit re13 port and can significantly damage a consumer’s 

14 credit score for 7 years. 

15 (5) Creditworthy consumers may be denied 

16 credit, pay higher interest rates, or pay higher fees 

17 when buying or refinancing a home loan or obtaining 

18 credit for credit-related products due to disputed 

19 medical debt on their credit reports. 

20 SEC. 3. VALIDATION OF MEDICAL DEBT. 

21 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 809 of the Fair Debt Col22 lection Practices Act (15 U.S.C. 1692g) is amended by 

23 adding at the end the following: 

24 ‘‘(f) VALIDATION OF MEDICAL DEBT.—For purposes 

25 of medical debt, the following shall apply: 


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1 ‘‘(1) DEFINITIONS.—For purposes of this sub2 section: 

3 ‘‘(A) CONSUMER REPORTING AGENCY.— 

4 The term ‘consumer reporting agency’ has the 

5 meaning given such term under section 603(f) 

6 of the Fair Credit Reporting Act. 

7 ‘‘(B) DISPUTES THE VALIDITY.—With re8 spect to a medical debt, a consumer disputes 

9 the validity of such debt if the consumer states, 

10 in writing, that either— 

11 ‘‘(i) the consumer is continuing to 

12 communicate with an insurance company 

13 to determine coverage for the debt; 

14 ‘‘(ii) the consumer disputes the 

15 amount or existence of the debt; or 

16 ‘‘(iii) the consumer has applied for fi17 nancial assistance, provides evidence of 

18 such application, and is awaiting a deter19 mination. 

20 ‘‘(C) MEDICAL DEBT.—The term ‘medical 

21 debt’ means a debt arising from the receipt of 

22 medical services, products, or devices. 

23 ‘‘(2) NOTICE OF SPECIFIC DEADLINE.—When 

24 sending a statement described under subsection 


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1 (a)(3), the debt collector shall include the following 

2 information: 

3 ‘‘(A) That the debt collector could report 

4 to a consumer reporting agency regarding the 

5 debt, if the consumer does not respond to the 

6 notice within 30 days from the date on which 

7 the consumer received the statement. 

8 ‘‘(B) That, if the consumer does respond, 

9 the debt collector could report to a consumer 

10 reporting agency regarding the debt at the end 

11 of the 120-day period beginning on the date 

12 that the debt collector sends the statement. 

13 ‘‘(C) The specific date that is the end of 

14 the 120-day period beginning on the date that 

15 the debt collector sends the statement. 

16 ‘‘(3) EFFECT OF CONSUMER NOTICE.—If the 

17 consumer notifies the debt collector, in writing, with18 in the 30-day period described under subsection (a), 

19 that the consumer disputes the validity of the debt, 

20 the debt collector may not, during the 120-day pe21 riod beginning on the date that the debt collector 

22 sends the written notice described under subsection 

23 (a), communicate with, or report any information to, 

24 any consumer reporting agency regarding such debt. 

25 This paragraph shall have no effect on when a debt 


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1 collector may or may not engage in activities to col2 lect or attempt to collect any debt owed or due or 

3 asserted to be owed. 

4 ‘‘(4) REPORTING AFTER THE 120-DAY PE5 RIOD.—Nothing in this subsection shall prohibit the 

6 debt collector from communicating with, or reporting 

7 any information to, any consumer reporting agency 

8 regarding such debt after the end of such 120-day 

9 period.’’. 

10 (b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendment made by 

11 subsection (a) shall take effect after the end of the 6- 

12 month period beginning on the date of the enactment of 

13 this Act. 

Æ 


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