,,ii  #aadth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #beib  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,february #be1 
#bjaf,mr4 ,merkley 7for himself1 ,mr4   
,durbin1 ,mr4 ,blumenthal1 ,mr4         
,menendez1 and ,mr4 ,schumer7 introduced
 the following bill2 which was read     
twice and referred to the ,committee on 
,banking1 ,housing1 and ,urban ,affairs 
,a ,,bill  ,to amend the ,fair ,credit  
,reporting ,act by instituting a        
#ahj-;day waiting period before medical 
debt will be reported on a consumer's   
credit report and removing paid-off and 
settled medical debts from credit       
reports that have been fully paid or    
settled1 to amend the ,fair ,debt       
,collection ,practices ,act by providing
 for a timetable for verification of    
medical debt and to increase the        
efficiency of credit markets with more  
perfect information1 and for other      
purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act  
may be cited as the ,medical ,debt      
,relief ,act of #bjaf4  #b4 ,amendments 

to ,fair ,credit ,reporting ,act  7a7   
,medical debt defined ,section #fjc of  
the ,fair ,credit ,reporting ,act 7#ae  
,u4,s4,c4 #afha;a7 is amended by adding 
at the end the following3  7z7 ,medical 
debt ,the term medical debt means a debt
 described in section #fjd7;g77#a77;,c74
  4  7b7 ,exclusion for paid or settled 
medical debt ,section #fje7;a7 of the   
,fair ,credit ,reporting ,act 7#ae      
,u4,s4,c4 #afha;c7a77 is amended by     
adding at the end the following3  7#g7  
,any information related to a medical   
debt if the date on which such debt was 
placed for collection1 charged to profit
 or loss1 or subjected to any similar   
action antedates the report by less than
 #ahj days4  7#h7 ,any information      
related to a fully paid or settled      
medical debt that had been characterized
 as delinquent1 charged off1 or in      
collection which1 from the date of      
payment or settlement1 antedates the    
report by more than #de days4  4  #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 ,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 ,prior to furnishing  
information regarding a medical debt to 
a consumer reporting agency1 a statement
 described under subsection 7a77#c7     
shall include the following information3
  7,a7 ,that the debt collector could   
report to a consumer reporting agency   
regarding the debt at the end of the    
#ahj-;day period beginning on the date  

that the debt collector sends the       
statement4  7,b7 ,the specific date that
 is the end of the #ahj-;day period     
beginning on the date that the debt     
collector sends the statement4  7,c7    
,that1 if the debt is settled or paid by
 the consumer or an insurance company   
during the #ahj-;day period beginning on
 the date that the debt collector sends 
the statement--  7i7 the debt will not  
be reported to a consumer reporting     
agency2 and  7ii7 the consumer may1     
during the #ahj-;day period--  7,i7     
communicate with an insurance company to
 determine coverage for the debt2 or    
7,,ii7 apply for financial assistance4  
7#c7 ,communications by debt collector  
,the debt collector may not1 during the 
#ahj-;day period beginning on the date  
that the debt collector sends the       
statement described under paragraph     
7#b71 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 
#ahj-;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 #ahj-;day   
period4  4  #d4 ,effective date ,the    
amendments made by this ,act shall take 
effect after the end of the #f-month    
period beginning on the date of the     
enactment of this ,act4