,,ii  #aadth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #aggc  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,july #ae1     
#bjae ,mr4 ,brown 7for himself1 ,mr4    
,merkley1 ,mr4 ,blumenthal1 ,mr4        
,durbin1 and ,mr4 ,franken7 introduced  
the following bill2 which was read twice
 and referred to the ,committee on the  
,judiciary  ,a ,,bill  ,to amend title  
#aa1 ,united ,states ,code1 to require  
creditors to inform consumer reporting  
agencies that certain debts have been   
discharged in bankruptcy cases4  #a4    
,short title  ,this ,act may be cited as
 the ,consumer ,reporting ,fairness ,act
 of #bjae4  #b4 ,discharge of debt in   
bankruptcy ,section #ebe of title #aa1  
,united ,states ,code1 is amended by    
adding at the end the following3  7d7   
,if a creditor has provided or furnished
 to a consumer reporting agency1 as     
defined in section #fjc of the ,fair    
,credit ,reporting ,act 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4  
#afha;a71 any item of information       
pertaining to an account based on a debt

 discharged in a case under this title1 
the creditor shall inform the consumer  
reporting agency that the debt has been 
discharged in bankruptcy and has a zero 
balance4  7e7 ,an individual injured by 
any willful violation of this section-- 
7#a7 shall recover actual damages1      
including costs and attorneys' fees2 and
  7#b7 in appropriate circumstances1 may
 recover punitive damages4  7f7 ,nothing
 in this section shall be construed to  
prohibit the reporting of payments on a 
mortgage loan1 whether or not the debtor
 has reaffirmed that loan4  4