Congress moves to restore medical debt protections CFPB tried to kill
H.J.Res. 168 — 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". · Filed by Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) · Introduced Apr 30, 2026 · Referred to committee
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What it does
This resolution blocks the CFPB's attempt to withdraw a 2022 rule protecting consumers from surprise medical debt collection and unfair credit reporting. The CFPB tried to rescind that protection in May 2025; this resolution voids that rescission, restoring the consumer protections that were in place.
Why we flagged it
The resolution uses the Congressional Review Act (CRA) disapproval mechanism to undo a regulatory withdrawal, restoring consumer protections against medical debt collection abuse. It is a straightforward accountability measure, not a substantive policy change.
What the text implies
- If enacted, this resolution would lock in Bulletin 2022-01 protections unless the CFPB resubmits a new withdrawal rule and Congress fails to disapprove it again—creating a procedural hurdle for future deregulation.
- The resolution does not address whether the CFPB's May 2025 withdrawal was legally sound; it is a political override, not a judicial review. The underlying legal question remains open.
- Medical debt collectors and credit bureaus that benefited from the May 2025 withdrawal would face immediate operational and compliance costs if this resolution passes.
Section numbers refer to the bill text the analysis read — linked under Primary records below.
Who it affects
Ordinary people regain protection against predatory medical debt collection practices and credit-reporting abuse tied to surprise medical bills. The resolution restores a rule designed to shield consumers from debt collectors exploiting the No Surprises Act gap.
Named in the bill
Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection (CFPB), Congress, Bulletin 2022-01, No Surprises Act, 87 Fed. Reg. 3025, 90 Fed. Reg. 20084
Where it stands
- Apr 30, 2026 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in House”
- Apr 30, 2026 — Referred to House Committee on Financial Services · Congress.gov: “Referred to the House Committee on Financial Services”
Dates and quoted wording are Congress.gov's action record; the timeline shows status changes, not every procedural step.
How this was measured
Analysis — Quorum's AI read the bill text published by Congress.gov (1,462 characters) on Jun 3, 2026. Section numbers in the findings refer to that text, linked below; transparency and hidden-provision scores are compared against the median of 16,222 analysed bills.
Status and sponsors — Congress.gov's bill record — actions, committee referrals and cosponsors — loaded nightly. The timeline shows status changes, not every procedural action.
As of — page rendered 2026-10-20.
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