,,ii #aaeth ,,congress #ast ,session ,s4 #baha ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,november #cj1 #bjag,mr4 ,menendez 7for himself1 ,mr4 ,booker1 and ,mr4 ,brown7 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 to provide protections for active duty military consumers4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,military ,families ,credit ,reporting ,act of #bjag4 #b4 ,notice of status as an active duty military consumer ,the ,fair ,credit ,reporting ,act 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #afha et seq47 is amended-- 7#a7 in section #fje 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #afha;c71 by adding at the end the following3 7i7 ,notice of status as an active duty military consumer 7#a7 ,in general ,with respect to an item of adverse information about a consumer that arises from the failure of the consumer to make any required payment on a debt or other obligation1 if the action or inaction that gave rise to the item occurred while the consumer was an active duty military consumer-- 7,a7 the consumer may provide appropriate proof1 including official orders1 to a consumer reporting agency that the consumer was an active duty military consumer at the time the action or inaction occurred2 and 7,b7 any consumer report provided by the consumer reporting agency that includes the item shall clearly and conspicuously disclose that the consumer was an active duty military consumer when the action or inaction that gave rise to the item occurred4 7#b7 ,model form ,the ,bureau shall prepare a model form1 which shall be made publicly available1 including in an electronic format1 by which a consumer may-- 7,a7 notify1 and provide appropriate proof to1 a consumer reporting agency in a simple and easy manner1 including electronically1 that the consumer is or was an active duty military consumer2 and 7,b7 provide contact information of the consumer for the purpose of communicating with the consumer while the consumer is an active duty military consumer4 7#c7 ,no adverse consequences ,notice1 whether provided by the model form described in paragraph 7#b7 or otherwise1 that a consumer is or was an active duty military consumer may not provide the sole basis for-- 7,a7 with respect to a credit transaction between the consumer and a creditor1 a creditor-- 7i7 denying an application of credit submitted by the consumer2 7ii7 revoking an offer of credit made to the consumer by the creditor2 7iii7 changing the terms of an existing credit arrangement with the consumer2 or 7iv7 refusing to grant credit to the consumer in a substantially similar amount or on substantially similar terms requested by the consumer2 7,b7 furnishing negative information relating to the creditworthiness of the consumer by or to a consumer reporting agency2 or 7,c7 except as otherwise provided in this title1 a creditor or consumer reporting agency noting in the file of the consumer that the consumer is or was an active duty military consumer4 2 7#b7 in section #fje;,a 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #afha;c-#a7-- 7,a7 in subsection 7c7-- 7i7 by redesignating paragraphs 7#a71 7#b71 and 7#c7 as subparagraphs 7,a71 7,b71 and 7,c71 respectively1 and adjusting the margins accordingly2 7ii7 in the matter preceding subparagraph 7,a71 as so redesignated1 by striking ,upon and inserting the following3 7#a7 ,in general ,upon 2 and 7iii7 by adding at the end the following3 7#b7 ,negative information notification ,if a consumer reporting agency receives an item of adverse information about a consumer who has provided appropriate proof that the consumer is an active duty military consumer1 the consumer reporting agency shall promptly notify the consumer1 with a frequency1 in a manner1 and according to a timeline determined by the ,bureau or specified by the consumer-- 7,a7 that the consumer reporting agency has received the item of adverse information1 along with a description of the item2 and 7,b7 the method by which the consumer may dispute the validity of the item4 7#c7 ,contact information for active duty military consumers 7,a7 ,in general ,if a consumer who has provided appropriate proof to a consumer reporting agency that the consumer is an active duty military consumer provides the consumer reporting agency with contact information for the purpose of communicating with the consumer while the consumer is an active duty military consumer1 the consumer reporting agency shall use that contact information for all communications with the consumer while the consumer is an active duty military consumer4 7,b7 ,direct request ,unless a consumer directs otherwise1 the provision of contact information by the consumer under subparagraph 7,a7 shall be deemed to be a request for the consumer to receive an active duty alert under paragraph 7#a74 7#d7 ,sense of ,congress ,it is the sense of ,congress that any person making use of a consumer report that contains an item of adverse information with respect to a consumer should1 if the action or inaction that gave rise to the item occurred while the consumer was an active duty military consumer1 take that fact into account when evaluating the creditworthiness of the consumer4 2 and 7,b7 in subsection 7e71 by striking paragraph 7#c7 and inserting the following3 7#c7 subparagraphs 7,a7 and 7,b7 of subsection 7c77#a71 in the case of a referral under subsection 7c77#a77;,c74 2 and 7#c7 in section #faa7;a77#a7 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #afha;i7a77#a771 by adding at the end the following3 7,d7 ,notice of dispute related to active duty military consumers ,with respect to an item of information described under subparagraph 7,a7 that is under dispute1 if the consumer to whom the item relates has notified the consumer reporting agency conducting the investigation described in that subparagraph1 and has provided appropriate proof1 that the consumer was an active duty military consumer at the time the action or inaction that gave rise to the disputed item occurred1 the consumer reporting agency shall-- 7i7 include that fact in the file of the consumer2 and 7ii7 indicate that fact in each consumer report that includes the disputed item4 4