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H.R. 5434: Stop Debt Collection Abuse Act of 2016

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H.R. 5434: Stop Debt Collection Abuse Act of 2016

114th Congress · introduced 2016-06-09 · Finance and Financial Sector · Latest: Referred to the House Committee on Financial Services.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

  1. Where it came from: introduced 2016-06-09 · official record
  2. Who proposed it: Rep. Love, Mia B. [R-UT-4] · what a sponsor is
  3. What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
  4. Where it stands now: Referred to the House Committee on Financial Services. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
  5. If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

Stop Debt Collection Abuse Act of 2016

Plain summary

Stop Debt Collection Abuse Act of 2016 This bill amends the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act to redefine: (1) "debt" to include any obligation or alleged obligation of a consumer to pay a loan, an overpayment, a fine, penalty, a fee, or other money owed currently or originally to a federal agency and that is at least 180 days past due; and (2) "debt collector" to include any person who regularly collects debts currently or originally owed or allegedly owed to a federal agency. A federal agency that is a creditor may sell or transfer a debt to a debt collector beginning 90 days after the obligation or alleged obligation becomes delinquent or defaults. The Act is further amended by making the collection of any amount (including any interest, fee, charge, or expense incidental to the principal obligation) an unfair practice unless: the amount is expressly authorized by the agreement creating the debt or permitted by law (as under current law); and in the case of a debt owed a federal agency as specified in this bill, the collection charge is reasonable in relation to actual collection costs, is authorized by a contract between the debt collector and the federal agency, and does not exceed 10% of the amount the debt collector collects. The Government Accountability Office shall study the use of debt collectors by federal, state, and local government agencies.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Stop Debt Collection Abuse Act of 2016

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)

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The strongest published arguments

Arguments for (supporters)

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Arguments against (opponents)

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Alternatives

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. Love, Mia B. [R-UT-4] · 3 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

J. French Hill (R-AR), Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO)

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (3)
Authorization
A law that creates or continues a government program and says what it may do, often with a suggested spending ceiling. An authorization alone does not provide money; a separate appropriation does.
Bill
A proposed law. It becomes law only if it passes the legislature and is signed by the president or governor (or a veto is overridden).
Obligation
A binding promise by a government agency to pay money, for example by signing a contract or awarding a grant. Spending data such as USAspending.gov counts money when it is obligated, which can be before it is actually paid out.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Record fed-us-cong114-hr5434 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong114 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong114