Text of Senate Amendment 6240

On 2026-06-24, Senator John Kennedy (R-LA) delivered a floor speech titled "Text Of Senate Amendment 6240" in the Senate.

Text of Senate Amendment 6240

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 106 (Wednesday, June 24, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 106 (Wednesday, June 24, 2026)] [Senate] [Page S3405] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] SA 6240. Mr. KENNEDY submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by him to the bill S. 4784, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2027 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows: At the appropriate place, insert the following: SEC. ___. PROTECTION FROM TREATMENT-RELATED CREDIT HARM. (a) Amendments to Fair Credit Reporting Act.-- (1) 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.''. (2) Exclusion for medical debt.-- (A) 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.''. (B) Technical and conforming amendments.--Section 604(g) of the Fair Credit Reporting Act (15 U.S.C. 1681b(g)) is amended-- (i) 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 (ii) in paragraph (2), by striking ``(other than medical information treated in the manner required under section 605(a)(6))''. (b) Modification of Regulations Relating to Prohibitions on Use of Medical Debt Information.-- (1) Definitions.--In this subsection, 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). (2) 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. ______