Credit Access and Inclusion Act of 2019

To amend the Fair Credit Reporting Act to clarify Federal law with respect to reporting certain positive consumer credit information to consumer reporting agencies, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Credit Access and Inclusion Act of 2019 2. Positive credit reporting permitted (a) In general Section 623 of the Fair Credit Reporting Act ( 15 U.S.C. 1681s–2 (f) Full-File credit reporting (1) Definitions In this subsection: (A) Energy utility firm The term energy utility firm (B) Utility or telecommunication firm The term utility or telecommunication firm (2) Information relating to lease agreements, utilities, and telecommunications services Subject to the limitation in paragraph (3) and notwithstanding any other provision of law, a person or the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development may furnish to a consumer reporting agency information relating to the performance of a consumer in making payments— (A) under a lease agreement with respect to a dwelling, including such a lease in which the Department of Housing and Urban Development provides subsidized payments for occupancy in a dwelling; or (B) pursuant to a contract for a utility or telecommunications service. (3) Limitation Information about the usage by a consumer of any utility service provided by a utility or telecommunication firm may be furnished to a consumer reporting agency only to the extent that the information relates to the payment by the consumer for the service of the utility or telecommunication service or other terms of the provision of the services to the consumer, including any deposit, discount, or conditions for interruption or termination of the service. (4) Payment plan An energy utility firm may not report payment information to a consumer reporting agency with respect to an outstanding balance of a consumer as late if— (A) the energy utility firm and the consumer have entered into a payment plan (including a deferred payment agreement, an arrearage management program, or a debt forgiveness program) with respect to such outstanding balance; and (B) the consumer is meeting the obligations of the payment plan, as determined by the energy utility firm. . (b) Limitation on liability Section 623(c) of the Fair Credit Reporting Act ( 15 U.S.C. 1681s–2(c) (1) in paragraph (2), by striking or (2) by redesignating paragraph (3) as paragraph (4); and (3) by inserting after paragraph (2) the following: (3) subsection (f) of this section, including any regulations issued thereunder; or . (c) GAO study and report Not later than 2 years after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall submit to Congress a report on the impact of furnishing information pursuant to subsection (f) of section 623 of the Fair Credit Reporting Act ( 15 U.S.C. 1681s–2

Summary: Credit Access and Inclusion Act of 2019 This bill allows for the reporting of certain positive consumer-credit information to consumer reporting agencies. Specifically, a person or the Department of Housing and Urban Development may report information related to a consumer's performance in making payments either under a lease agreement for a dwelling or pursuant to a contract for a utility or telecommunications service. However, information about a consumer's usage of any utility or telecommunications service may be reported only to the extent that the information relates to payment by the consumer for such service or other terms of the provision of that service. Furthermore, an energy-utility firm may not report a consumer's outstanding balance as late if the firm and the consumer have entered into a payment plan and the consumer is meeting the obligations of that plan. Specified provisions that establish civil liability with respect to furnishers of information to consumer reporting agencies shall not apply to any violation of the bill. The Government Accountability Office must report on the consumer impact of such reporting.