[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 186 (Monday, December 16, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Page S7057]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 FAIR CREDIT FOR AMERICAN HOSTAGES ACT

  Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the Senate 
proceed to the immediate consideration of S. 5543, introduced earlier 
today.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the bill by title.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       A bill (S. 5543) 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.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill.
  Mr. SCHUMER. I ask unanimous consent that the bill be considered read 
three times and passed and that the motion to reconsider be considered 
made and laid upon the table.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The bill (S. 5543) was ordered to be engrossed for a third reading, 
was read the third time, and passed, as follows:

                                S. 5543

       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''.

     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.''.

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