Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection relating to the withdrawal of the rule relating to "Bulletin 2022-01: Medical Debt Collection and Consumer Reporting Requirements in Connection with the No Surprises Act".
- Bill Number
- H.J.Res. 168
- 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
- 2026-05-15T17:09:34Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose
This joint resolution (H.J. Res. 168) invokes the Congressional Review Act (CRA, chapter 8 of title 5, U.S. Code) to disapprove a rule by the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection (CFPB). The targeted rule withdraws CFPB's "Bulletin 2022-01," which outlined medical debt collection and consumer reporting requirements tied to the No Surprises Act—a 2020 law protecting patients from unexpected medical bills.
Key Provisions
- Disapproval of specific rule: Targets CFPB's withdrawal notice published on May 12, 2025 (90 Fed. Reg. 20084), which aimed to eliminate Bulletin 2022-01 (originally published January 20, 2022, at 87 Fed. Reg. 3025).
- Nullification: Declares the withdrawal rule to have no force or effect, effectively reinstating the original Bulletin.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
- Reverses agency action: Prevents CFPB from withdrawing its own guidance on how medical debt collectors and credit reporting agencies (like Equifax or TransUnion) must handle debts linked to the No Surprises Act.
- No direct amendments to statutes; operates under CRA to override recent agency rulemaking (rules submitted within 60 legislative days are eligible for CRA review).
Potential Impacts
- On government agencies: Limits CFPB's ability to retract prior guidance, potentially requiring ongoing enforcement of Bulletin 2022-01.
- On citizens: Maintains protections for patients by keeping restrictions on reporting surprise medical debts to credit bureaus and on collection practices.
- On businesses: Debt collectors and credit agencies must continue complying with the Bulletin's requirements, such as not reporting certain unpaid medical bills.
- No direct international effects.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Consumers/patients: Benefit from sustained limits on medical debt reporting and collection.
- CFPB: Regulatory authority curtailed on this issue.
- Healthcare providers and debt collectors: Face continued compliance obligations.
- Credit reporting agencies: Restricted in how they handle medical debt information.
- Congress: Asserts oversight over executive branch rulemaking.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- Legal: Strengthens CRA as a tool for Congress to check agency actions; if passed and signed/enacted, binds CFPB without judicial review (CRA rules are not challengeable in court).
- Constitutional: Reinforces congressional oversight of executive agencies under Article I (legislative power).
- Political: Introduced by Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) on April 30, 2026, and referred to House Financial Services Committee; signals partisan divide on consumer protections vs. regulatory burden reduction.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
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 the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection relating to the withdrawal of the rule relating to "Bulletin 2022–01: Medical Debt Collection and Consumer Reporting Requirements in Connection with the No Surprises Act". — issued 2026-04-30 — PDF (2 pages)