Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection relating to the withdrawal of the rule relating to "Debt Collection Practices (Regulation F); Deceptive and Unfair Collection of Medical Debt".
- Bill Number
- H.J.Res. 167
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 2
- Policy Area
- Finance and Financial Sector
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2026-04-30: Referred to the House Committee on Financial Services.
- Last Updated
- 2026-05-15T17:08:57Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose
This joint resolution (H.J. Res. 167) uses the Congressional Review Act (a law allowing Congress to overturn certain federal agency rules) to block a Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection (CFPB) decision to withdraw a prior rule. The prior rule aimed to protect consumers from deceptive or unfair practices in collecting medical debt under "Regulation F" (rules governing debt collection).
Key Provisions
- Disapproval of CFPB rule: Congress explicitly disapproves the CFPB's rule withdrawing the medical debt collection protections (published May 12, 2025, at 90 Fed. Reg. 20084).
- No force or effect: The withdrawal rule is nullified, meaning the original protections (published October 4, 2024, at 89 Fed. Reg. 80715) remain in place.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
- No direct changes to statutes; instead, it reverses an agency action via the Congressional Review Act (chapter 8, title 5, U.S. Code).
- Reinforces the original Regulation F rule on medical debt, preventing its removal without further process.
Potential Impacts
- On citizens: Maintains consumer protections against potentially abusive medical debt collection tactics, benefiting individuals with medical bills.
- On government agencies: Limits CFPB's ability to retract its own rules, subjecting future withdrawals to congressional review.
- On debt collectors: Keeps restrictions on practices like misleading communications or unfair reporting of medical debt.
- No direct impact on international relations.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Consumers: Especially those with medical debt, who retain safeguards.
- Debt collection industry: Faces ongoing compliance requirements.
- CFPB: Agency authority checked by Congress.
- Financial services sector: Indirectly affected through regulated debt practices.
- Congress: Exercises oversight via committees like Financial Services.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- Legal: Demonstrates the Congressional Review Act's power to swiftly nullify agency rules (typically within 60 legislative days of submission), bypassing normal rulemaking.
- Constitutional: Upholds Congress's oversight of executive agencies under Article I (legislative authority).
- Political: Highlights partisan divides on consumer protection vs. regulatory burden; introduced by Rep. Pressley (D-MA) and pending committee review, it could signal broader debates on financial regulations.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Rep. Pressley, Ayanna [D-MA-7]
Recent Actions
- 2026-04-30: Referred to the House Committee on Financial Services.
- 2026-04-30: Introduced in House
- 2026-04-30: Introduced in House
Bill Versions
- Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection relating to the withdrawal of the rule relating to "Debt Collection Practices (Regulation F); Deceptive and Unfair Collection of Medical Debt". — issued 2026-04-30 — PDF (2 pages)