,,ii  #aaeth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #ccea  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,august #af1   
#bjah,mr4 ,merkley 7for himself1 ,mr4   
,blumenthal1 ,mrs4 ,feinstein1 ,ms4     
,warren1 ,mr4 ,durbin1 ,mr4 ,menendez1  
and ,ms4 ,hassan7 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 institute a #ahj-;day
 waiting period before medical debt will
 be reported on a consumer's credit     
report and to remove paid-off and       
settled medical debts from credit       
reports that have been fully paid or    
settled1 to amend the ,fair ,debt       
,collection ,practices ,act to provide 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  

#bjah4  #b4 ,amendments to ,fair ,credit
 ,reporting ,act  7a7 ,medical debt     
defined  7#a7 ,in general ,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  7#b7 ,technical  
and conforming amendments ,on the date  
described in section #cjb7;e7 of the    
,economic ,growth1 ,regulatory ,relief1 
and ,consumer ,protection ,act 7,public 
,law #aae-agd71 subsection 7z7 of       
section #fjc of the ,fair ,credit       
,reporting ,act 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #afha;a71
 as added by paragraph 7#a71 shall be   
redesignated as subsection 7bb7 and     
moved to appear after subsection 7aa74  
7b7 ,exclusion for paid or settled      
medical debt  7#a7 ,in general ,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       

relating to a medical debt if the date  
on which the 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 relating 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  7#b7  
,technical and conforming amendments ,on
 the date described in section #cjb7;e7 
of the ,economic ,growth1 ,regulatory   
,relief1 and ,consumer ,protection ,act 
7,public ,law #aae-agd71 paragraphs 7#g7
 and 7#h7 of section #fje7;a7 of the    
,fair ,credit ,reporting ,act 7#ae      
,u4,s4,c4 #afha;c7a771 as added by      
paragraph 7#a7 of this subsection1 shall
 be redesignated as paragraphs 7#i7 and 
7#aj71 respectively1 and moved to appear
 after paragraph 7#h74  #c4 ,amendments 
to the ,fair ,debt ,collection          

,practices ,act  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          
,additional notice requirements for     
medical debt  7#a7 ,definitions ,in this
 subsection3 7,a7 ,consumer reporting   
agency ,the term consumer reporting     
agency has the meaning given the term in
 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 about credit reporting ,before  
furnishing information regarding a      
medical debt of a consumer to a consumer
 reporting agency1 the person furnishing
 the information shall send a statement 
to the consumer that includes the       
following3  7,a7 ,a notification that   
the medical debt may not be reported to 
a consumer reporting agency until the   
end of the #ahj-;day period beginning on

 the date on which the person sends the 
statement4  7,b7 ,the specific date that
 is the end of the #ahj-;day period     
beginning on the date on which the      
person sends the statement4  7,c7 ,a    
notification that1 if the debt is       
settled or paid by the consumer or an   
insurance company during the #ahj-;day  
period beginning on the date on which   
the person sends the statement--  7i7   
the debt may not be reported to a       
consumer reporting agency2 and  7ii7 the
 consumer may1 during that #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 ,no         
reporting during #ahj-;day period  7,a7 
,in general ,during the #ahj-;day period
 described in paragraph 7#b71 no person 
may communicate with1 or report any     
information to1 any consumer reporting  
agency regarding a debt described in    
that paragraph4  7,b7 ,rule of          
construction ,nothing in this paragraph 

may be construed to affect when a debt  
collector may 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 a person from communicating   
with1 or reporting any information to1 a
 consumer reporting agency regarding a  
medical debt of a consumer after the end
 of the #ahj-;day period described in   
paragraph 7#b7 with respect to the debt4
  4  #d4 ,effective date ,except as     
otherwise expressly provided1 the       
amendments made by this ,act shall take 
effect on the date that is #ahj days    
after the date of enactment of this     
,act4