SEC. 2. PROHIBITION ON LOWERING THE CREDIT SCORES 
OF COVERED INDIVIDUALS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Fair Credit Reporting Act 
(15 U.S.C. 1681 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end 
the following new sections: 
‘‘§ 630. Prohibitions relating to credit scores during a 
shutdown 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—Subject to subsection (b), a cov-
ered entity may not lower the credit score of a covered 
individual who fails to pay any qualified expense or obliga-
tion during the period beginning on the first day of a shut-
down and ending on the date that is 60 days after the 
date on which the shutdown ends, if the covered individual 
pays the qualified expense or obligation within such pe-
riod. 
‘‘(b) REQUIREMENTS AND PROCEDURES.— 
‘‘(1) IDENTIFICATION.—A covered entity shall, 
to the extent practicable, identify covered individuals 
eligible under subsection (a). 
‘‘(2) ASSISTANCE FROM THE OFFICE OF PER-
SONNEL MANAGEMENT.—The Director of the Office 
of Personnel Management shall, to the extent prac-
ticable, assist covered entities in identifying covered 
individuals. 
‘‘(3) NOTIFICATION
BY
INDIVIDUALS.—Not 
later than 1 year after the date that is 60 days after 
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the date on which a shutdown ends, a covered indi-
vidual may notify a covered entity that the covered 
entity may not lower the credit score of the covered 
individual pursuant to subsection (a), and if such 
credit score has been lowered, such covered indi-
vidual may seek a reversal of that action. 
‘‘(c) NOTIFICATION BY ENTITIES.—A covered entity 
shall notify the public— 
‘‘(1) of the requirement described under sub-
section (a); and 
‘‘(2) how a covered individual may— 
‘‘(A) inform the entity of the eligibility of 
the individual under subsection (a); and 
‘‘(B) submit such reasonable materials 
deemed necessary to confirm such eligibility. 
‘‘(d) DUTIES
OF CONSUMER REPORTING AGEN-
CIES.—A consumer reporting agency that receives a cred-
ible notification that a covered individual is eligible under 
subsection (a) shall— 
‘‘(1) notify covered entities of the eligibility of 
such covered individual; 
‘‘(2) to the extent practicable, inform other con-
sumer reporting agencies of the eligibility of such 
covered individual; and 
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‘‘(3) in the event the credit score of a covered 
individual was lowered prior to receipt of such cred-
ible notification, take all necessary measures to re-
verse that action and restore the credit score of the 
covered individual such that it reflects the credit 
score such covered individual would have received 
absent the consideration of the nonpayment of a 
qualified expense or obligation. 
‘‘(e) ENFORCEMENT.—Upon petition by a covered in-
dividual, the Bureau may— 
‘‘(1) require a covered entity to make appro-
priate adjustments to the credit score of the covered 
individual; and 
‘‘(2) issue a fine or take another enforcement 
action, as determined by the Bureau. 
‘‘(f) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
‘‘(1) COVERED ENTITY.—The term ‘covered en-
tity’ means an entity that develops a credit score. 
‘‘(2) COVERED
INDIVIDUAL.—The term ‘cov-
ered individual’ means— 
‘‘(A) an employee of the Federal Govern-
ment who is furloughed or excepted from fur-
lough during the shutdown; 
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‘‘(B) a Federal contractor who, during any 
lapse in Federal appropriations, is not receiving 
pay by reason of such lapse; and 
‘‘(C) a spouse of an individual described 
under subparagraph (A) or (B). 
‘‘(3) CREDIT SCORE.—The term ‘credit score’ 
has the meaning given in section 609(f)(2). 
‘‘(4) QUALIFIED EXPENSE OR OBLIGATION.— 
The term ‘qualified expense or obligation’ means any 
payment, including a partial payment, of a covered 
individual relating to a mortgage loan, rent, credit 
cards, medical expenses, automobile purchases or 
leases, student loans, insurance premiums, utilities, 
and other recurring payments or expenses ordinarily 
incurred by such covered individual (as determined 
by the Bureau). 
‘‘(5) SHUTDOWN.—The term ‘shutdown’ means 
the period of a lapse in appropriations beginning on 
or after December 22, 2018, and that ends before 
October 1, 2019. 
‘‘§ 631. Prohibition on adverse lending determina-
tions for covered individuals 
‘‘(a) PROHIBITION.—A creditor (as defined in section 
103 of the Truth in Lending Act) may not knowingly deny 
credit, or knowingly provide credit on less favorable terms 
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than would otherwise be provided, to a covered individual 
who fails to pay any qualified expense or obligation during 
the period beginning on the first day of a shutdown and 
ending on the date that is 60 days after the date on which 
the shutdown ends, if the covered individual pays the 
qualified expense or obligation within such period. 
‘‘(b) ENFORCEMENT.—The Bureau may issue a fine 
or take another enforcement action, as determined by the 
Bureau, against a creditor that violates subsection (a) if 
the Bureau determines by a preponderance of the evidence 
that the fact that the covered individual failed to pay a 
qualified expense while not receiving pay by reason of a 
lapse in Federal appropriations, or during the 60-day pe-
riod immediately following such lapse in Federal appro-
priations, was a substantial factor in the action taken by 
the creditor that violated subsection (a). 
‘‘(c) DEFINITIONS.—The terms ‘covered individual’, 
‘qualified expense or obligation’, and ‘shutdown’ have the 
meanings given those terms, respectively, in section 631.’’. 
(b) TABLE OF CONTENTS AMENDMENT.—The table 
of contents of the Fair Credit Reporting Act is amended 
by adding at the end the following new items: 
‘‘630. Prohibitions relating to credit scores during a shutdown. 
‘‘631. Prohibition on adverse lending determinations for covered individuals.’’. 
Æ 
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