An Act To Protect Maine Citizens' Credit
Maine Legislature, Session 123, LD 0958
Committee: Insurance and Financial Services
Sponsors: SIMPSON, SULLIVAN, BRAUTIGAM, HILL, HINCK, KOFFMAN, PILON, HOBBINS, STRIMLING
Amends: 10 MRSA §1320, 10 MRSA §1330

Legislative Document 
No. 958 
H.P.718 
House of Representatives, March 1, 2007 
An Act To Protect Maine Citizens' Credit 
Reference to the Committee on Insurance and Financial Services suggested and ordered 
printed. 
Presented by Representative SIMPSON of Auburn. 
Cosponsored by Senator SULLIVAN of York and 
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MILLICENT M. MacFARLAND 
Clerk 
Representatives: BRAUTIGAM of Falmouth, HILL of York, HINCK of Portland, KOFFMAN 
of Bar Harbor, PILON of Saco, Senators: HOBBINS of York, STRIMLING of Cumberland. 
Printed on recycled paper 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1. 10 MRSA §1320, sub-§3-A, as enacted by PL 1993, c. 365, §1, is 
amended to read: 
3-A. Medical expenses debts; court or administrative orders. A Except as 
provided in section 1330, a debt collector may report overdue medical expenses for a 
minor child to a consumer reporting agency only in the name of the responsible party 
identified in a court order or administrative order if the debt collector is notified orally or 
in writing of the existence of the order. In addition, a report may not be made until after 
the debt collector has notified, or made a good faith effort to notify, the responsible party 
of that party's obligation to pay the overdue medical expenses. Existing information 
regarding overdue medical expenses for a minor child in the name of a person other than 
the responsible party identified in a court order or administrative order is considered 
inaccurate information for the purposes of section 1317 and is subject to correction. A 
debt collector or consumer reporting agency may request reasonable verification of the 
order, including a certified copy of the order. 
Sec.2. 10 MRSA §1330 is enacted to read: 
§1330. Reporting of information related to debt resulting from necessary medical 
treatment 
1. 
Definition. 
As used in this section, unless the context otherwise indicates, 
"necessary medical treatment" means medical treatment for a life-threatening condition, 
without which the likelihood of death is probable. 
2. Furnishing information to consumer reporting agency prohibited. A person 
who provides medical treatment or a debt collection agency may not furnish information 
to a consumer reporting agency regarding an amount owed by a consumer for the receipt 
of necessary medical treatment by the consumer or a person to whom the consumer has a 
legal obligation to provide support. 
3. Penalty. A person who provides medical treatment or a debt collection agency 
that violates this section is liable to the consumer against whom the violation occurs for 
the greatest of: 
A. Three times the amount of actual damages to the consumer; 
B. One thousand dollars plus reasonable attorney's fees and court costs; and 
C. The amount of costs and damages provided in section 1322 or 1323. 
SUMMARY 
This bill prohibits a person who provides medical treatment or a debt collection 
agency from furnishing information to a consumer reporting agency regarding an amount 
owed by a consumer for the receipt of necessary medical treatment by the consumer or by 
a person to whom the consumer has a legal obligation to provide support.