,i #aahth ,,congress #b;d ,session ,h4 ,r4 #ajjba ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,representatives ,october #bb1 #bjbd,mr4 ,casten 7for himself and ,mrs4 ,beatty7 introduced the following bill2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,energy and ,commerce1 and in addition to the ,committees on ,transportation and ,infrastructure1 ,financial ,services1 and ,education and the ,workforce1 for a period to be subsequently determined by the ,speaker1 in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned ,a ,,bill ,to require covered companies to allow consenting cohabitating adults to open joint accounts1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,financial ,empowerment and ,protection ,act4 #b4 ,covered company joint accounts of consenting cohabitating adults 7a7 ,requirements for covered company joint accounts of consenting cohabitating adults 7#a7 ,joint accounts 7,a7 ,in general ,each covered company shall allow consenting cohabitating adults who are or will be customers of the covered company to open a joint account with the covered company for purposes of managing-- 7i7 the services provided by the covered company2 and 7ii7 bills for such services4 7,b7 ,agreement required ,a joint account may not be opened pursuant to this paragraph unless each of the consenting cohabitating adults agree to open the joint account4 7#b7 ,names ,each joint account opened pursuant to paragraph 7#a7 shall be in the name of each of the consenting cohabitating adults who opened the joint account4 7#c7 ,requests for information ,with respect to a joint account opened pursuant to paragraph 7#a71 each covered company shall1 upon request by any of the consenting cohabitating adults that opened the joint account1 provide to such consenting cohabitating adults-- 7,a7 information related to the joint account1 including-- 7i7 bills2 7ii7 copies of paper and electronic mail2 and 7iii7 any information about products or services provided4 7,b7 access to any online portal for the joint account4 7#d7 ,notification required ,each covered company shall provide a notice to each cohabitating adult that opens a joint account with the covered company that explains what information will be shared by the covered company with each of the consenting cohabitating adults4 7#e7 ,regulation ,p ,if a covered company is required by ,regulation ,p 7part #ajaf of title #ab1 ,code of ,federal ,regulations7 to provide certain privacy notices such covered company shall provide such privacy notices to each of the consenting cohabitating adults who opened the joint account4 7#f7 ,civil actions ,any cohabitating adult who is harmed by a failure of a covered company to meet a requirement of this subsection may bring a civil action in a ,federal or ,state court against such a covered company for an award of not more than #a1jjj for each such failure4 7b7 ,effective date ,the requirements of this section shall apply to covered companies beginning on the date that is #ahj days after the date of the enactment of this section4 7c7 ,definitions ,in this section3 7#a7 ,consenting cohabitating adults 7,a7 ,in general ,except as provided in subparagraph 7,b71 the term consenting cohabitating adults means any adults who consent to cohabitate4 7,b7 ,childcare provider ,with respect to a covered company that is a childcare provider licensed by a ,state1 the term consenting cohabitating adults means the custodial parents of a child who is or will be served by such a covered company4 7#b7 ,covered company ,the term covered company includes-- 7,a7 an electric utility 7as defined in section #c of the ,public ,utility ,regulatory ,policies ,act of #aigh 7#af ,u4,s4,c4 #bfjb772 7,b7 a gas utility 7as defined in section #cjb of the ,public ,utility ,regulatory ,policies ,act of #aigh 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #cbjb772 7,c7 a water utility2 7,d7 an owner or operator of a sanitary landfill 7as defined in section #ajjd of the ,solid ,waste ,disposal ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #fijc772 7,e7 a provider of internet access service2 7,f7 a provider of telephone service2 7,g7 any person who rents a dwelling that is covered by the ,fair ,housing ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #cfja et seq472 7,h7 any childcare provider licensed by a ,state2 7,i7 any person who originates a residential mortgage loan2 7,j7 any person who leases a residential dwelling unit2 7,k7 any person who is a servicer of a residential mortgage loan2 and 7,l7 a multichannel video programming distributor 7as defined in section #fjb of the ,communications ,act of #aicd 7#dg ,u4,s4,c4 #ebb774 7#c7 ,residential mortgage loan ,the term residential mortgage loan has the meaning given the term in section #ajc7;d77d7 of the ,truth in ,lending ,act 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #afjb7;d77d774 7#d7 ,servicer ,the term servicer has the meaning given the term in section #f7;i77#b7 of the ,real ,estate ,settlement ,procedures ,act of #aigd 7#ab ,u4,s4,c4 #bfje7;i77#b774 7#e7 ,telephone service ,the term telephone service means any of the following3 7,a7 ,voice service 7as defined in section #bbg7;e77#h7 of the ,communications ,act of #aicd 7#dg ,u4,s4,c4 #bbg7;e77#h7774 7,b7 ,commercial mobile service 7as defined in section #ccb7;d7 of the ,communications ,act of #aicd 7#dg ,u4,s4,c4 #ccb7;d7774 7,c7 ,commercial mobile data service 7as defined in section #fjja of the ,middle ,class ,tax ,relief and ,job ,creation ,act of #bjab 7#dg ,u4,s4,c4 #adja774 7#f7 ,water utility ,the term water utility means the owner or operator of-- 7,a7 a public water system 7as defined in section #adja of the ,safe ,drinking ,water ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #cjj;f772 or 7,b7 a treatment works 7as defined in section #bab of the ,federal ,water ,pollution ,control ,act 7#cc ,u4,s4,c4 #abib774