Fair Debt Collection Practices for Servicemembers Act

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 10018 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                               H. R. 10018

  To amend the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act to provide enhanced
 protection against debt collector harassment of members of the Armed
                    Forces, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             August 3, 2026

Ms. Dean of Pennsylvania (for herself and Mr. Davidson) introduced the
   following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Financial
                                Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

  To amend the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act to provide enhanced
 protection against debt collector harassment of members of the Armed
                    Forces, 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 ``Fair Debt Collection Practices for
Servicemembers Act''.

SEC. 2. ENHANCED PROTECTION AGAINST DEBT COLLECTOR HARASSMENT OF
              SERVICEMEMBERS.

    (a) Communication in Connection With Debt Collection.--Section 805
of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (15 U.S.C. 1692c) is amended
by adding at the end the following:
    ``(e) Communications Concerning Servicemember Debts.--
            ``(1) Covered member defined.--In this subsection, the term
        `covered member' means any of the following:
                    ``(A) A covered member or a dependent as defined in
                section 987(i) of title 10, United States Code.
                    ``(B) An individual who was separated, discharged,
                or released from duty described in such section
                987(i)(1), but only during the 365-day period beginning
                on the date of separation, discharge, or release.
                    ``(C) A person, with respect to an individual
                described in subparagraph (B), described in
                subparagraph (A), (D), (E), or (I) of section 1072(2)
                of title 10, United States Code.
            ``(2) Prohibitions.--A debt collector may not, in
        connection with the collection of any debt of a covered
        member--
                    ``(A) threaten to have the covered member reduced
                in rank;
                    ``(B) threaten to have the covered member's
                security clearance revoked; or
                    ``(C) threaten to have the covered member
                prosecuted under chapter 47 of title 10, United States
                Code (the Uniform Code of Military Justice).''.
    (b) Unfair Practices.--Section 808 of the Fair Debt Collection
Practices Act (15 U.S.C. 1692f) is amended by adding at the end the
following:
            ``(9) The representation or implication to any covered
        member (as defined under section 805(e)(1)) that failure to
        cooperate with a debt collector will result in--
                    ``(A) a reduction in rank of the covered member;
                    ``(B) a revocation of the covered member's security
                clearance; or
                    ``(C) prosecution under chapter 47 of title 10,
                United States Code (the Uniform Code of Military
                Justice).''.

SEC. 3. GAO STUDY.

    The Comptroller General of the United States shall conduct a study
and submit a report to Congress on the effect of this Act and the
amendments made by this Act on--
            (1) the timely delivery of information to a covered member
        (as defined in section 805(e) of the Fair Debt Collection
        Practices Act, as added by this Act);
            (2) military readiness; and
            (3) national security, including the extent to which
        covered members with security clearances would be impacted by
        uncollected debt.
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