IIB 
116TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 5003 
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 
MARCH 3, 2020 
Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and 
Urban Affairs 
AN ACT 
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, 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
23:04 Mar 03, 2020
Jkt 099200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5003.RFS
H5003
pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
HR 5003 RFS
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Fair Debt Collection 
Practices for Servicemembers Act’’. 
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) DEFINITION.—In this subsection, the term 
‘covered member’ means— 
‘‘(A) a covered member or a dependent as 
defined in section 987(i) of title 10, United 
States Code; and 
‘‘(B)(i) an individual who was separated, 
discharged, 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; or 
‘‘(ii) a person, with respect to an individual 
described in clause (i), described in subpara-
graph (A), (D), (E), or (I) of section 1072(2) 
of title 10, United States Code. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
23:04 Mar 03, 2020
Jkt 099200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5003.RFS
H5003
pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
HR 5003 RFS
‘‘(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 to any covered member 
(as defined under section 805(e)(1)) that failure to 
cooperate with a debt collector will result 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 
23:04 Mar 03, 2020
Jkt 099200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5003.RFS
H5003
pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
HR 5003 RFS
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. 
SEC. 4. DETERMINATION OF BUDGETARY EFFECTS. 
The budgetary effects of this Act, for the purpose of 
complying with the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010, 
shall be determined by reference to the latest statement 
titled ‘‘Budgetary Effects of PAYGO Legislation’’ for this 
Act, submitted for printing in the Congressional Record 
by the Chairman of the House Budget Committee, 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
23:04 Mar 03, 2020
Jkt 099200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5003.RFS
H5003
pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS