PATCH Act

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office] [S. 4622 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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119th CONGRESS 2d Session S. 4622

To amend the Fair Credit Reporting Act to prohibit the inclusion of medical debt on a consumer report, and for other purposes.

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IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

May 21, 2026

Mr. Kennedy introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs

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A BILL

To amend the Fair Credit Reporting Act to prohibit the inclusion of medical debt on a consumer report, and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ``Protecting Americans from Treatment- related Credit Harm Act'' or the ``PATCH Act''.

SEC. 2. AMENDMENTS TO FAIR CREDIT REPORTING ACT.

(a) Medical Debt Defined.--Section 603 of the Fair Credit Reporting Act (15 U.S.C. 1681a) is amended by adding at the end the following: ``(bb) Medical Debt.--The term `medical debt' means a debt arising from the receipt of medical services, products, or devices.''. (b) Exclusion for Medical Debt.-- (1) In general.--Section 605(a) of the Fair Credit Reporting Act (15 U.S.C. 1681c(a)) is amended by striking paragraph (6) and inserting the following: ``(6)(A) Any adverse information related to a medical debt, including a medical debt that was placed for collection, charged to profit or loss, or subjected to any similar action. ``(B) Nothing in subparagraph (A) may be construed to prevent a consumer reporting agency from collecting the information described in that subparagraph.''. (2) Technical and conforming amendments.--Section 604(g) of the Fair Credit Reporting Act (15 U.S.C. 1681b(g)) is amended-- (A) in paragraph (1)-- (i) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by striking ``(other than medical contact information treated in the manner required under section 605(a)(6))''; (ii) in subparagraph (A), by adding ``or'' at the end; (iii) in subparagraph (B)(ii), by striking ``; or'' and inserting a period; and (iv) by striking subparagraph (C); and (B) in paragraph (2), by striking ``(other than medical information treated in the manner required under section 605(a)(6))''.

SEC. 3. MODIFICATION OF REGULATIONS RELATING TO PROHIBITIONS ON USE OF MEDICAL DEBT INFORMATION.

(a) Definitions.--In this section, the terms ``credit'' and ``creditor'' have the meanings given those terms in section 702 of the Equal Credit Opportunity Act (15 U.S.C. 1691a). (b) Requirement.--Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Director of the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection shall amend section 1022.30 of title 12, Code of Federal Regulations, or any successor regulation, to ensure that creditors are prohibited from obtaining or using information relating to the medical debt of a consumer in determining whether or not to extend credit to that consumer. <all>