An Act Regarding Credit Ratings Related to Overdue Medical Expenses
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 10 MRSA §1310-H, sub-§3, as enacted by PL 2013, c. 228, §1, is amended to read:
3. Nonliability. A person may not be held liable for any violation of this section if the person shows by a preponderance of the evidence that at the time of the alleged violation the person maintained reasonable procedures to ensure compliance with the provisions of subsections 1 and , 2 and 4.
Sec. 2. 10 MRSA §1310-H, sub-§4 is enacted to read:
4. Reporting of medical expenses on a consumer report. Notwithstanding any provision of federal law, a consumer reporting agency shall comply with the following provisions with respect to the reporting of medical expenses on a consumer report.
A. A consumer reporting agency may not report debt from medical expenses on a consumer's consumer report when the date of the first delinquency on the debt is less than 180 days prior to the date that the debt is reported.
B. Upon the receipt of reasonable evidence from the consumer, creditor or debt collector that a debt from medical expenses has been settled in full or paid in full, a consumer reporting agency:
(1) May not report that debt from medical expenses; and
(2) Shall remove or suppress the report of that debt from medical expenses on the consumer's consumer report.
C. As long as the consumer is making regular, scheduled periodic payments toward the debt from medical expenses reported to the consumer reporting agency as agreed upon by the consumer and medical provider, the consumer reporting agency shall report that debt from medical expenses on the consumer's consumer report in the same manner as debt related to a consumer credit transaction is reported.
Effective 90 days following adjournment of the 129th Legislature, First Regular Session, unless otherwise indicated.