U.S. Rep. French Hill (R-AR) on Sept. 25 sponsored a bipartisan bill that aims to protect the credit score of American hostages or wrongful detainees held abroad.
The Fair Credit for American Hostages Act, H.R. 9830, which is cosponsored by U.S. Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), would amend the Fair Credit Reporting Act to prohibit consumer reporting agencies from furnishing consumer reports containing adverse items of information about a consumer being unlawfully or wrongfully detained abroad or held hostage abroad.
“Americans held hostage or wrongfully detained abroad already have so much to worry about when they arrive home after this unimaginable situation,” Rep. Hill said. “I thank my colleague Rep. Gottheimer for joining me in leading our legislation that makes it easier for these Americans to get their lives back on track and some sense of normalcy.”
The legislation stipulates that if a former detainee or hostage provides authenticated documentation of their detention, then the credit bureaus must strike adverse information from the time of their detention, according to a bill summary provided by Rep. Hill’s staff.
“After being held for days, weeks, and months by terrorists and our adversaries, facing unimaginable horrors, and making it home, the last thing Americans should have to worry about is a hit to their credit score,” said Rep. Gottheimer. “That’s why I’m proud to lead the Fair Credit for American Hostages Act with my colleague Congressman French Hill.”
H.R. 9830 is the companion bill to the same-named S. 4455, which U.S. Sens. Thom Tillis (R-NC) and Chris Coons (D-DE) introduced in June.
“It’s crazy to think an American held hostage in a foreign nation could return to a ruined credit score and financial turmoil because of their inability to make timely payments,” Sen. Tillis said. “This common-sense legislation ensures that Americans wrongfully detained abroad can move forward without worrying about how a poor credit score impacts their financial future.”