I 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2362 

To exclude from consumer credit reports certain medical debt that is less 

than 180 days delinquent or that has been in collection and has been 

fully paid or settled, 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, and for 

other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 15, 2015 

Mr. CARNEY (for himself and Mr. BARR) introduced the following bill; which 

was referred to the Committee on Financial Services 

A BILL 

To exclude from consumer credit reports certain medical 

debt that is less than 180 days delinquent or that has 

been in collection and has been fully paid or settled, 

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, and for other purposes. 

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


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1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Medical Debt Relief 

3 Act of 2015’’. 

4 SEC. 2. AMENDMENTS TO FAIR CREDIT REPORTING ACT. 

5 (a) MEDICAL DEBT DEFINED.—Section 603 of the 

6 Fair Credit Reporting Act (15 U.S.C. 1681a) is amended 

7 by adding at the end the following: 

8 ‘‘(z) MEDICAL DEBT.—The term ‘medical debt’ 

9 means a debt described in section 604(g)(1)(C).’’. 

10 (b) EXCLUSION FOR PAID OR SETTLED MEDICAL

11 DEBT.—Section 605(a) of the Fair Credit Reporting Act 

12 (15 U.S.C. 1681c(a)) is amended by adding at the end 

13 the following: 

14 ‘‘(7) Any information related to a medical debt 

15 if the date on which such debt was placed for collec16 tion, charged to profit or loss, or subjected to any 

17 similar action antedates the report by less than 180 

18 days. 

19 ‘‘(8) Any information related to a fully paid or 

20 settled medical debt that had been characterized as 

21 delinquent, charged off, or in collection which, from 

22 the date of payment or settlement, antedates the re23 port by more than 45 days.’’. 


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1 SEC. 3. VALIDATION OF MEDICAL DEBT. 

2 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 809 of the Fair Debt Col3 lection Practices Act (15 U.S.C. 1692g) is amended by 

4 adding at the end the following: 

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

6 of medical debt, the following shall apply: 

7 ‘‘(1) DEFINITIONS.—For purposes of this sub8 section: 

9 ‘‘(A) CONSUMER REPORTING AGENCY.— 

10 The term ‘consumer reporting agency’ has the 

11 meaning given such term under section 603(f) 

12 of the Fair Credit Reporting Act. 

13 ‘‘(B) MEDICAL DEBT.—The term ‘medical 

14 debt’ means a debt arising from the receipt of 

15 medical services, products, or devices. 

16 ‘‘(2) NOTICE OF SPECIFIC DEADLINE.—Prior to 

17 furnishing information regarding a medical debt to 

18 a consumer reporting agency, a statement described 

19 under subsection (a)(3) shall include the following 

20 information: 

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

22 to a consumer reporting agency regarding the 

23 debt at the end of the 180-day period beginning 

24 on the date that the debt collector sends the 

25 statement. 


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1 ‘‘(B) The specific date that is the end of 

2 the 180-day period beginning on the date that 

3 the debt collector sends the statement. 

4 ‘‘(C) That, if the debt is settled or paid by 

5 the consumer or an insurance company during 

6 the 180-day period beginning on the date that 

7 the debt collector sends the statement— 

8 ‘‘(i) the debt will not be reported to a 

9 consumer reporting agency; and 

10 ‘‘(ii) the consumer may, during the 

11 180-day period— 

12 ‘‘(I) communicate with an insur13 ance company to determine coverage 

14 for the debt; or 

15 ‘‘(II) apply for financial assist16 ance. 

17 ‘‘(3) COMMUNICATIONS BY DEBT COL18 LECTOR.—The debt collector may not, during the 

19 180-day period beginning on the date that the debt 

20 collector sends the statement described under para21 graph (2), communicate with, or report any informa22 tion to, any consumer reporting agency regarding 

23 such debt. This paragraph shall have no effect on 

24 when a debt collector may or may not engage in acVerDate Sep 11 2014 01:30 May 22, 2015 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2362.IH H2362

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1 tivities to collect or attempt to collect any debt owed 

2 or due or asserted to be owed. 

3 ‘‘(4) REPORTING AFTER THE 180-DAY PE4 RIOD.—Nothing in this subsection shall prohibit the 

5 debt collector from communicating with, or reporting 

6 any information to, any consumer reporting agency 

7 regarding such debt after the end of such 180-day 

8 period.’’. 

9 SEC. 4. EFFECTIVE DATE. 

10 The amendments made by this Act shall take effect 

11 after the end of the 6-month period beginning on the date 

12 of the enactment of this Act. 

Æ 


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