Us Congress 2025-2026 Regular Session

Us Congress House Bill HB306

Introduced
1/9/25  

Caption

Ending Scam Credit Repair Act or the ESCRA ActThis bill revises the Credit Repair Organizations Act and creates additional requirements for credit repair organizations (CROs).Under current law, it is illegal for a person (including a CRO) to make false or misleading statements regarding a consumer’s creditworthiness or standing to a consumer reporting agency or to a consumer credit provider. The bill additionally prohibits making such statements to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the Federal Trade Commission, or law enforcement. To be subject to this prohibition, the bill also requires such statements to be made knowingly.The bill also revises CRO obligations to consumers. A CRO is prohibited from charging a consumer for a service (e.g., getting inaccurate information removed from a credit report) until the CRO provides proof of success not less than six months after providing the service. The bill also requires additional disclosures to consumers, requires the retention of any recorded telephone calls, and increases the time records must be retained from two to five years. In addition, consumers must be given copies of all communications sent on their behalf.Under the bill, all persons must be licensed by a state to act as a CRO. The bill also restricts a CRO’s ability to submit multiple credit disputes regarding the same information.The bill also sets a minimum liability amount for damages of $500 for each violation of the Credit Repair Organizations Act.

Congress_id

119-HR-306

Policy_area

Finance and Financial Sector

Introduced_date

2025-01-09

Companion Bills

No companion bills found.

Previously Filed As

US HB8143

Free Credit Scores for Consumers Act of 2024

US HB410

Health Care Prices Revealed and Information to Consumers Explained Transparency Act or the Health Care PRICE Transparency Act This bill provides statutory authority for requirements for hospitals and health insurance plans to disclose certain information about the costs for items and services. Specifically, hospitals must publish in their list of standard charges certain rates negotiated with insurers, discounts for cash payments, and billing codes. Further, hospitals generally must publish the standard charges for the services provided by the hospital that may be scheduled in advance. Additionally, insurance plans must publish the in-network and out-of-network charges for covered items and services and the negotiated prices for covered prescription drugs. Plans must provide a tool for consumers to search for this cost information. Consumers also may request additional information about the costs of specific items or services under their plans.

US SB90

Informing Consumers about Smart Devices Act This bill requires manufacturers of internet-connected devices (e.g., smart appliances) that are equipped with a camera or microphone to disclose to consumers prior to purchase that a camera or microphone is part of the device. The bill does not apply to mobile phones, laptops, or other devices that a consumer would reasonably expect to include a camera or microphone.

US HB5180

Restoring Unfairly Impaired Credit and Protecting Consumers Act

US HB252

Inflation Prevention Act of 2023 This bill establishes a point of order that, when the annualized rate of inflation exceeds 4.5%, prohibits the House and Senate from considering legislation that provides new budget authority and is estimated to increase the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers. The prohibition may be waived in the Senate by an affirmative vote of three-fifths of the Senate.

US HB123

Alternative Data for Additional Credit FHA Pilot Program Reauthorization Act This bill establishes a pilot program for an additional credit rating system for use by mortgage lenders. Specifically, the program must utilize one or more commercially available credit scoring models that apply additional credit information about borrowers who have insufficient credit histories for purposes of determining their creditworthiness for mortgages insured by the Federal Housing Administration.

US SB2730

Protecting Consumers from Unreasonable Credit Rates Act of 2023

US HB166

Fair Lending for All Act This bill modifies provisions related to prohibited credit discrimination. The bill adds sexual orientation, gender identity, and an applicant's location based on zip code or census tract as classes protected against discrimination with respect to credit transactions. (Currently, discrimination is prohibited on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, marital status, age, or because an applicant receives public assistance.) The bill establishes criminal penalties for violations of prohibited credit discrimination. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is required to review loan applications for compliance with specified consumer laws and to establish an Office of Fair Lending Testing.

US SB5449

A bill to create an Office of Cybersecurity at the Federal Trade Commission for supervision of data security at consumer reporting agencies, to require the promulgation of regulations establishing standards for effective cybersecurity at consumer reporting agencies, to impose penalties on credit reporting agencies for cybersecurity breaches that put sensitive consumer data at risk, and for other purposes.

US HB408

This bill prohibits from inclusion in a consumer credit report information related to an eviction occurring during the COVID-19 national emergency or occurring in the 30 days after the termination of such emergency.

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