,,ib ,union ,calendar ,no4 #ecg #aafth ,,congress #b;d ,session ,h4 ,r4 #eccj ,report ,no4 #aaf-fec ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,representatives ,december #e1 #bjai,ms4 ,tlaib introduced the following bill2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,financial ,services ,december #ae1 #bjbj,reported with amendments1 committed to the ,committee of the ,whole ,house on the ,state of the ,union1 and ordered to be printed,strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic,for text of introduced bill1 see copy of bill as introduced on ,december #e1 #bjai ,a ,,bill ,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 to prohibit consumer reporting agencies from issuing consumer reports containing information about debts related to medically necessary procedure1 about and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,consumer ,protection for ,medical ,debt ,collections ,act4 #b4 ,amendments to the ,fair ,debt ,collection ,practices ,act 7a7 ,definition ,section #hjc of the ,fair ,debt ,collection ,practices ,act 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #afib;a7 is amended by adding at the end the following3 7#i7 ,the term medical debt means a debt arising from the receipt of medical services1 products1 or devices4 4 7b7 ,unfair practices ,section #hjh of the ,fair ,debt ,collection ,practices ,act 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #afib;f7 is amended by adding at the end the following3 7#i7 ,engaging in activities to collect or attempting to collect a medical debt owed or due or asserted to be owed or due by a consumer1 before the end of the #b-year period beginning on the date that the first payment with respect to such medical debt is due4 4 #c4 ,prohibition on consumer reporting agencies reporting certain medical debt 7a7 ,definition ,section #fjc of the ,fair ,credit ,reporting ,act 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #afha;a7 is amended by adding at the end the following3 7bb7 ,medical debt ,the term medical debt means a debt arising from the receipt of medical services1 products1 or devices4 7cc7 ,medically necessary procedure ,the term medically necessary procedure means-- 7#a7 health care services or supplies needed to diagnose or treat an illness1 injury1 condition1 disease1 or its symptoms and that meet accepted standards of medicine2 and 7#b7 health care to prevent illness or detect illness at an early stage1 when treatment is likely to work best 7including preventive services such as pap tests1 flu shots1 and screening mammograms74 4 7b7 ,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 following new paragraphs3 7#i7 ,any information related to a debt arising from a medically necessary procedure4 7#aj7 ,any information related to a medical debt1 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 #cfe calendar days4 4 #d4 ,requirements for furnishers of medical debt information 7a7 ,additional notice requirements for medical debt ,section #fbc of the ,fair ,credit ,reporting ,act 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #afhas-#b7 is amended by adding at the end the following3 7f7 ,additional notice requirements for medical debt ,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-- 7,a7 may not be included on a consumer report made by a consumer reporting agency until the later of the date that is #cfe days after-- 7i7 the date on which the person sends the statement2 7ii7 with respect to the medical debt of a borrower demonstrating hardship1 a date determined by the ,director of the ,bureau2 or 7iii7 the date described under section #fje7;a77#aj72 and 7,b7 may not ever be included on a consumer report made by a consumer reporting agency1 if the medical debt arises from a medically necessary procedure4 7#b7 ,a notification that1 if the debt is settled or paid by the consumer or an insurance company before the end of the period described under paragraph 7#a77;,a71 the debt may not be reported to a consumer reporting agency4 7#c7 ,a notification that the consumer may-- 7,a7 communicate with an insurance company to determine coverage for the debt2 or 7,b7 apply for financial assistance4 4 7b7 ,furnishing of medical debt information ,section #fbc of the ,fair ,credit ,reporting ,act 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #afhas-#b71 as amended by subsection 7a71 is further amended by adding at the end the following3 7g7 ,furnishing of medical debt information 7#a7 ,prohibition on reporting debt related to medically necessary procedures ,no person shall furnish any information to a consumer reporting agency regarding a debt arising from a medically necessary procedure4 7#b7 ,treatment of other medical debt information ,with respect to a medical debt not described under paragraph 7#a71 no person shall furnish any information to a consumer reporting agency regarding such debt before the end of the #cfe-;day period beginning on the later of-- 7,a7 the date on which the person sends the statement described under subsection 7f7 to the consumer2 7,b7 with respect to the medical debt of a borrower demonstrating hardship1 a date determined by the ,director of the ,bureau2 or 7,c7 the date described in section #fje7;a77#aj74 7#c7 ,treatment of settled or paid medical debt ,with respect to a medical debt not described under paragraph 7#a71 no person shall furnish any information to a consumer reporting agency regarding such debt if the debt is settled or paid by the consumer or an insurance company before the end of the #cfe-;day period described under paragraph 7#b74 7#d7 ,borrower demonstrating hardship defined ,in this subsection1 and with respect to a medical debt1 the term borrower demonstrating hardship means a borrower or a class of borrowers who1 as determined by the ,director of the ,bureau1 is facing or has experienced unusual extenuating life circumstances or events that result in severe financial or personal barriers such that the borrower or class of borrowers does not have the capacity to repay the medical debt4 4 #e4 ,effective date ,this ,act and the amendments made by this ,act shall take effect on the date that is #ahj days after the date of enactment of this ,act4 ,amend the title so as to read3 ,a bill to amend the ,fair ,debt ,collection ,practices ,act to provide a timetable for the collection of medical debt by debt collectors1 to amend the ,fair ,credit ,reporting ,act to prohibit consumer reporting agencies from issuing consumer reports containing information about debts related to medically necessary procedures1 and for other purposes44 ,december #ae1 #bjbj,reported with amendments1 committed to the ,committee of the ,whole ,house on the ,state of the ,union1 and ordered to be printed