Rep. Sherrill Moves to Protect New Jersey Consumers

Washington, DC – Today, Representative Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11) voted for The Comprehensive Credit Rating Enhancement, Disclosure, Innovation, and Transparency (CREDIT) Act of 2019 (H.R. 3621), legislation that holds credit reporting agencies accountable and empowers consumers with more control of their data. Too often, consumers have little recourse to correct errors on their reports, even though the information on credit reports can affect job opportunities and access to credit.

More than 40 million Americans have inaccurate credit reports that can make it difficult or impossible to access credit affordably. These inaccurate reports are the cause of millions of complaints to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. The Federal Trade Commission has found that 21 percent of consumers had errors in their reports that adversely affected their credit score.

“Credit reports directly impact our everyday lives but consumers in New Jersey have little recourse when their reports have errors,” said Representative Sherrill. “This bill will strengthen protections for New Jerseyans and hold agencies accountable. I am proud to have joined my colleagues in passing this critical legislation.”

The Comprehensive CREDIT Act will strengthen consumer protection laws by holding credit reporting agencies more accountable. Among its key provisions, the bill:

• Grants consumers the right to appeal initial credit disputes;
• Restricts the use of credit for employment purposes;
• Shortens the amount of time negative information stays on a report;
• Restores the credit of victims of identity theft and fraud;
• Expands free access to information about consumer reports and credit scores;
• Provides relief for consumers who have medical debt;
• Improves transparency for how credit scores are generated.

The bill has the support of a wide range of nonpartisan organizations, including Americans for Financial Reform, Center for Digital Democracy, National Consumer Law Center, the National Association of Realtors, and the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights.

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