Credit Access and Inclusion Act of 2015

Bill: 114-s-2355
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Kirk, Mark Steven [R-IL]
Introduced: 2015-12-03
Policy area: Finance and Financial Sector
Subjects: Consumer credit

Debt collection

Low- and moderate-income housing

Public utilities and utility rates
Latest action: action_date: 2015-12-03
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.

Summaries:
action_date: 2015-12-03
action_desc: Introduced in Senate
text: <p><strong>Credit Access and Inclusion Act of 2015</strong></p> <p>This bill amends the Fair Credit Reporting Act to authorize a person or the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to furnish to a consumer reporting agency information relating to the performance of a consumer in making payments: (1) under a lease agreement for a dwelling, including a lease in which HUD provides subsidized payments; or (2) pursuant to a contract for a utility or telecommunications service.</p> <p>Information about a consumer's usage of any utility or telecommunications services may be furnished to a consumer reporting agency only to the extent that the information relates to payment by the consumer for such services or other terms of the provision of such services, including any deposit, discount, or conditions for interruption or termination of service.</p> <p>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 the firm and the consumer have entered into a payment plan and the consumer is meeting the obligations of such plan.</p>

tv_txt: II 114th CONGRESS 1st Session S. 2355 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES December 3, 2015 Mr. Kirk (for himself and Mr. Manchin ) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs A BILL 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 2015 . 2. Positive credit reporting permitted Section 623 of the Fair Credit Reporting Act ( 15 U.S.C. 1681s–2 ) is amended— (1) in subsection (c)(1), by striking subsection (a) and inserting subsection (a) or (f) ; and (2) by adding at the end the following: (f) Full-File credit reporting (1) Definitions In this subsection: (A) Energy utility firm The term energy utility firm means an entity that provides gas or electric utility services to the public. (B) Utility or telecommunication firm The term utility or telecommunication firm means an entity that provides utility services to the public through pipe, wire, landline, wireless, cable, or other connected facilities, or radio, electronic, or similar transmission (including the extension of such facilities). (2) Furnishing of information 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 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 of a consumer of any utility services provided by a utility or telecommunication firm may be furnished to a consumer reporting agency only to the extent that the information relates to payment by the consumer for the services 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 services. (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. .