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Fair Credit for American Hostages Act of 2025
To amend the Fair Credit Reporting Act to prohibit consumer reporting agencies from furnishing consumer reports containing adverse items of information about a consumer that resulted from that consumer being unlawfully or wrongfully detained abroad or held hostage abroad.
Summary
This bill amends the Fair Credit Reporting Act to prohibit consumer reporting agencies from including adverse credit information about Americans who were unlawfully detained or held hostage abroad during the period of their detention or hostage situation. A consumer reporting agency must be able to authenticate documentation from the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs or the Hostage Recovery Fusion Cell confirming that a person is a covered hostage or unlawfully detained individual and identifying the dates of their detention or captivity. Once such documentation is authenticated, credit reporting agencies cannot report negative items or defaults that occurred during that time period. This protects Americans from credit damage that resulted from circumstances beyond their control while they were held abroad.
AI-generated plain-language summary of the bill text — neutral, and may be imperfect. See the full text below for the exact wording.
Sponsor (1)
6 cosponsors
- Sen. Collins, Susan M. [R-ME] (R-ME)
- Sen. Lummis, Cynthia M. [R-WY] (R-WY)
- Sen. Rounds, Mike [R-SD] (R-SD)
- Sen. Tillis, Thomas [R-NC] (R-NC)
- Sen. Van Hollen, Chris [D-MD] (D-MD)
- Sen. Wyden, Ron [D-OR] (D-OR)
Money behind the sponsor
Top reported contributors to Christopher A. Coons’s campaign committee (2024 cycle) — who funds the bill’s sponsor, not a claim about this bill. Data from FEC.
- APOLLO GLOBAL MANAGEMENT $24,000
- THE CHEMOURS COMPANY $20,000
- INVARIANT $17,500
- BARCLAYS $16,500
- AXXESS $15,000
Organizations whose employees gave the most — itemized individual contributions grouped by the donor’s reported employer (FEC Schedule A). Full finance for Christopher A. Coons → · Outside spending →
Actions (2)
- Feb 20, 2025 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. · senate
- Feb 20, 2025 Introduced in Senate
Similar bills (6)
Bills with similar text or summary — includes reintroductions across Congresses. Ranked by semantic similarity of the bill text (computed locally); a neutral discovery aid, not a claim the bills are duplicates.
Full text
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
February 20, 2025
Mr. Coons (for himself, Mr. Tillis, Mr. Wyden, Ms. Lummis, Mr. Van Hollen, and Mr. Rounds) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs
A BILL
To amend the Fair Credit Reporting Act to prohibit consumer reporting agencies from furnishing consumer reports containing adverse items of information about a consumer that resulted from that consumer being unlawfully or wrongfully detained abroad or held hostage abroad.
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 Credit for American Hostages Act of 2025”.
SEC. 2. ADVERSE INFORMATION ABOUT CONSUMERS UNLAWFULLY OR WRONGFULLY DETAINED ABROAD OR HELD HOSTAGE ABROAD.
(a) In General.—The Fair Credit Reporting Act (15 U.S.C. 1681 et seq.) is amended by inserting after section 605C the following: “Sec. 605D. Adverse information about consumers unlawfully or wrongfully detained abroad or held hostage abroad
“(a) Definitions.—In this section:
“(1) Covered consumer.—The term ‘covered consumer’ means an individual who has been—
“(A) a United States national unlawfully or wrongfully detained abroad, as determined under section 302(a) of the Robert Levinson Hostage Recovery and Hostage-Taking Accountability Act (22 U.S.C. 1741(a)); or
“(B) a United States national taken hostage abroad, as determined by the Hostage Recovery Fusion Cell established by section 304 that Act (22 U.S.C. 1741b).
“(2) Detention or hostage documentation.—The term ‘detention or hostage documentation’ means documentation that—
“(A) certifies a consumer is a covered consumer under this section;
“(B) identifies the time period during which the covered consumer was unlawfully or wrongfully detained abroad or held hostage abroad; and
“(C) is authenticated by—
“(i) the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs established by section 303 of the Robert Levinson Hostage Recovery and Hostage-Taking Accountability Act (22 U.S.C. 1741a); or
“(ii) the Hostage Recovery Fusion Cell established by section 304 of that Act (22 U.S.C. 1741b).
“(b) Adverse Information.—If a consumer reporting agency described in section 603(p) is able to authenticate detention or hostage documentation provided by a covered consumer, the consumer reporting agency may not furnish a consumer report containing any adverse item of information about the covered consumer dating during the time period the covered consumer was unlawfully or wrongfully detained abroad or held hostage abroad.”.
(b) Technical and Conforming Amendment.—The table of contents of the Fair Credit Reporting Act is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 605C the following:
“605D. Adverse information about consumers unlawfully or wrongfully detained abroad or held hostage abroad.”. <all>
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