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S. 3351: Medical Debt Relief Act of 2018

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S. 3351: Medical Debt Relief Act of 2018

115th Congress · introduced 2018-08-16 · Finance and Financial Sector · Latest: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

  1. Where it came from: introduced 2018-08-16 · official record
  2. Who proposed it: Sen. Merkley, Jeff [D-OR] · what a sponsor is
  3. What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
  4. Where it stands now: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. 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

Medical Debt Relief Act of 2018

Plain summary

Medical Debt Relief Act of 2018 This bill amends the Fair Credit Reporting Act and the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act to modify requirements related to the reporting of medical debt. Specifically, a consumer reporting agency may not add certain medical debt information to a consumer credit report. Also, a debt collector may not report certain medical debt information to a consumer reporting agency within a specified time period and must notify the consumer prior to reporting such medical debt.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate), 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

Medical Debt Relief Act of 2018

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)

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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: Sen. Merkley, Jeff [D-OR] · 6 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Richard J. Durbin (D-IL), Margaret Wood Hassan (D-NH)

Sponsor's campaign money: Sen. Merkley, Jeff [D-OR] reported raising $5.4 million (2025–2026). Details. Shown for context only; it does not mean any donor supported this bill.

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 (1)
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).

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Record fed-us-cong115-s3351 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong115 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong115