,i  #aacth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #bbaa  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,may #bd1 #bjac ,mr4 
,gary ,g4 ,miller of ,california 7for   
himself and ,mrs4 ,mc,carthy of ,new    
,york7 introduced the following bill2   
which was referred to the ,committee on 
,financial ,services  ,a ,,bill  ,to    
amend the ,fair ,debt ,collection       
,practices ,act to provide for a        
timetable for verification of medical   
debt and to increase the efficiency of  
credit markets with more perfect        
information4  #a4 ,short title ,this    
,act may be cited as the ,accuracy in   
,reporting ,medical ,debt ,act of #bjac4
  #b4 ,findings ,the ,congress finds the
 following3  7#a7 ,a reduction in a     
consumer's credit score can impede      
consumers' economic activity and        
consumer borrowing capacity4  7#b7 ,a   
#bjab ,federal ,trade ,commission report
 found that as many as #dj million      
,americans have mistakes on their credit
 report4  7#c7 ,according to credit     

evaluators1 medical debt collections are
 inconsistently reported1 and of        
questionable value in predicting future 
payment performance4  7#d7 ,medical debt
 that has been completely paid off or   
settled will remain on a consumer's     
credit report and can significantly     
damage a consumer's credit score for #g 
years4  7#e7 ,creditworthy consumers may
 be denied credit1 pay higher interest  
rates1 or pay higher fees when buying or
 refinancing a home loan or obtaining   
credit for credit-related products due  
to disputed medical debt on their credit
 reports4  #c4 ,validation of medical   
debt  7a7 ,in general ,section #hji of  
the ,fair ,debt ,collection ,practices  
,act 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #afib;g7 is amended 
by adding at the end the following3  7f7
 ,validation of medical debt ,for       
purposes of medical debt1 the following 
shall apply3  7#a7 ,definitions ,for    
purposes of this subsection3  7,a7      
,consumer reporting agency ,the term    
consumer reporting agency has the       

meaning given such term under section   
#fjc7;f7 of the ,fair ,credit ,reporting
 ,act4  7,b7 ,disputes the validity     
,with respect to a medical debt1 a      
consumer disputes the validity of such  
debt if the consumer states1 in writing1
 that either--  7i7 the consumer is     
continuing to communicate with an       
insurance company to determine coverage 
for the debt2  7ii7 the consumer        
disputes the amount or existence of the 
debt2 or  7iii7 the consumer has applied
 for financial assistance1 provides     
evidence of such application1 and is    
awaiting a determination4  7,c7 ,medical
 debt ,the term medical debt means a    
debt arising from the receipt of medical
 services1 products1 or devices4  7#b7  
,notice of specific deadline ,when      
sending a statement described under     
subsection 7a77#c71 the debt collector  
shall include the following information3
  7,a7 ,that the debt collector could   
report to a consumer reporting agency   
regarding the debt1 if the consumer does

 not respond to the notice within #cj   
days from the date on which the consumer
 received the statement4  7,b7 ,that1 if
 the consumer does respond1 the debt    
collector could report to a consumer    
reporting agency regarding the debt at  
the end of the #abj-;day period         
beginning on the date that the debt     
collector sends the statement4  7,c7    
,the specific date that is the end of   
the #abj-;day period beginning on the   
date that the debt collector sends the  
statement4  7#c7 ,effect of consumer    
notice ,if the consumer notifies the    
debt collector1 in writing1 within the  
#cj-;day period described under         
subsection 7a71 that the consumer       
disputes the validity of the debt1 the  
debt collector may not1 during the      
#abj-;day period beginning on the date  
that the debt collector sends the       
written notice described under          
subsection 7a71 communicate with1 or    
report any information to1 any consumer 
reporting agency regarding such debt4   

,this paragraph shall have no effect on 
when a debt collector may or may not    
engage in activities to collect or      
attempt to collect any debt owed or due 
or asserted to be owed4  7#d7 ,reporting
 after the #abj-;day period ,nothing in 
this subsection shall prohibit the debt 
collector from communicating with1 or   
reporting any information to1 any       
consumer reporting agency regarding such
 debt after the end of such #abj-;day   
period4  4  7b7 ,effective date ,the    
amendment made by subsection 7a7 shall  
take effect after the end of the        
#f-month period beginning on the date of
 the enactment of this ,act4