SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Medical Debt Relief 
Act of 2015’’. 
SEC. 2. AMENDMENTS TO FAIR CREDIT REPORTING ACT. 
(a) MEDICAL DEBT DEFINED.—Section 603 of the 
Fair Credit Reporting Act (15 U.S.C. 1681a) is amended 
by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(z) MEDICAL DEBT.—The term ‘medical debt’ 
means a debt described in section 604(g)(1)(C).’’. 
(b) EXCLUSION FOR PAID OR SETTLED MEDICAL 
DEBT.—Section 605(a) of the Fair Credit Reporting Act 
(15 U.S.C. 1681c(a)) is amended by adding at the end 
the following: 
‘‘(7) Any information related to a medical debt 
if the date on which such debt was placed for collec-
tion, charged to profit or loss, or subjected to any 
similar action antedates the report by less than 180 
days. 
‘‘(8) Any information related to a fully paid or 
settled medical debt that had been characterized as 
delinquent, charged off, or in collection which, from 
the date of payment or settlement, antedates the re-
port by more than 45 days.’’. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
01:30 May 22, 2015
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H2362.IH
H2362
rfrederick on DSK6VPTVN1PROD with BILLS
SEC. 3. VALIDATION OF MEDICAL DEBT. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 809 of the Fair Debt Col-
lection Practices Act (15 U.S.C. 1692g) is amended by 
adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(f) VALIDATION OF MEDICAL DEBT.—For purposes 
of medical debt, the following shall apply: 
‘‘(1) DEFINITIONS.—For purposes of this sub-
section: 
‘‘(A) CONSUMER
REPORTING
AGENCY.— 
The term ‘consumer reporting agency’ has the 
meaning given such term under section 603(f) 
of the Fair Credit Reporting Act. 
‘‘(B) MEDICAL DEBT.—The term ‘medical 
debt’ means a debt arising from the receipt of 
medical services, products, or devices. 
‘‘(2) NOTICE OF SPECIFIC DEADLINE.—Prior to 
furnishing information regarding a medical debt to 
a consumer reporting agency, a statement described 
under subsection (a)(3) shall include the following 
information: 
‘‘(A) That the debt collector could report 
to a consumer reporting agency regarding the 
debt at the end of the 180-day period beginning 
on the date that the debt collector sends the 
statement. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
01:30 May 22, 2015
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H2362.IH
H2362
rfrederick on DSK6VPTVN1PROD with BILLS
‘‘(B) The specific date that is the end of 
the 180-day period beginning on the date that 
the debt collector sends the statement. 
‘‘(C) That, if the debt is settled or paid by 
the consumer or an insurance company during 
the 180-day period beginning on the date that 
the debt collector sends the statement— 
‘‘(i) the debt will not be reported to a 
consumer reporting agency; and 
‘‘(ii) the consumer may, during the 
180-day period— 
‘‘(I) communicate with an insur-
ance company to determine coverage 
for the debt; or 
‘‘(II) apply for financial assist-
ance. 
‘‘(3) 
COMMUNICATIONS
BY
DEBT
COL-
LECTOR.—The debt collector may not, during the 
180-day period beginning on the date that the debt 
collector sends the statement described under para-
graph (2), communicate with, or report any informa-
tion to, any consumer reporting agency regarding 
such debt. This paragraph shall have no effect on 
when a debt collector may or may not engage in ac-
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
01:30 May 22, 2015
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H2362.IH
H2362
rfrederick on DSK6VPTVN1PROD with BILLS
tivities to collect or attempt to collect any debt owed 
or due or asserted to be owed. 
‘‘(4) REPORTING
AFTER
THE
180-DAY
PE-
RIOD.—Nothing in this subsection shall prohibit the 
debt collector from communicating with, or reporting 
any information to, any consumer reporting agency 
regarding such debt after the end of such 180-day 
period.’’. 
SEC. 4. EFFECTIVE DATE. 
The amendments made by this Act shall take effect 
after the end of the 6-month period beginning on the date 
of the enactment of this Act. 
Æ 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
01:30 May 22, 2015
Jkt 049200
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6301
E:\BILLS\H2362.IH
H2362
rfrederick on DSK6VPTVN1PROD with BILLS