I 
118TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 5674 
To amend the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act to provide enhanced protec-
tion against debt collector harassment of members of the Armed Forces, 
and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
SEPTEMBER 22, 2023 
Ms. DEAN of Pennsylvania (for herself and Mr. DAVIDSON) 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 
enhanced protection against debt collector harassment 
of members of the Armed Forces, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Fair Debt Collection 
Practices for Servicemembers Act’’. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
01:10 Sep 27, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5674.IH
H5674
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
SEC. 2. ENHANCED PROTECTION AGAINST DEBT COL-
LECTOR 
HARASSMENT 
OF 
SERVICEMEMBERS. 
(a) COMMUNICATION IN CONNECTION WITH DEBT 
COLLECTION.—Section 805 of the Fair Debt Collection 
Practices Act (15 U.S.C. 1692c) is amended by adding 
at the end the following: 
‘‘(e) COMMUNICATIONS CONCERNING SERVICEMEM-
BER DEBTS.— 
‘‘(1) COVERED
MEMBER
DEFINED.—In this 
subsection, the term ‘covered member’ means any of 
the following: 
‘‘(A) A covered member or a dependent as 
defined in section 987(i) of title 10, United 
States Code. 
‘‘(B) An individual who was separated, dis-
charged, or released from duty described in 
such section 987(i)(1), but only during the 365- 
day period beginning on the date of separation, 
discharge, or release. 
‘‘(C) A person, with respect to an indi-
vidual described in subparagraph (B), described 
in subparagraph (A), (D), (E), or (I) of section 
1072(2) of title 10, United States Code. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
01:10 Sep 27, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5674.IH
H5674
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
‘‘(2) PROHIBITIONS.—A debt collector may not, 
in connection with the collection of any debt of a 
covered member— 
‘‘(A) threaten to have the covered member 
reduced in rank; 
‘‘(B) threaten to have the covered mem-
ber’s security clearance revoked; or 
‘‘(C) threaten to have the covered member 
prosecuted under chapter 47 of title 10, United 
States Code (the Uniform Code of Military Jus-
tice).’’. 
(b) UNFAIR PRACTICES.—Section 808 of the Fair 
Debt Collection Practices Act (15 U.S.C. 1692f) is amend-
ed by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(9) The representation or implication to any 
covered member (as defined under section 805(e)(1)) 
that failure to cooperate with a debt collector will re-
sult in— 
‘‘(A) a reduction in rank of the covered 
member; 
‘‘(B) a revocation of the covered member’s 
security clearance; or 
‘‘(C) prosecution under chapter 47 of title 
10, United States Code (the Uniform Code of 
Military Justice).’’. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
01:10 Sep 27, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5674.IH
H5674
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
SEC. 3. GAO STUDY. 
The Comptroller General of the United States shall 
conduct a study and submit a report to Congress on the 
impact of this Act on— 
(1) the timely delivery of information to a cov-
ered member (as defined in section 805(e) of the 
Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, as added by this 
Act); 
(2) military readiness; and 
(3) national security, including the extent to 
which covered members with security clearances 
would be impacted by uncollected debt. 
Æ 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
01:10 Sep 27, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6301
E:\BILLS\H5674.IH
H5674
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB