# Credit Access and Inclusion Act of 2022

This bill allows utility companies, landlords, and telecommunications providers to report your payment history to credit reporting agencies—the companies that track your credit score. Right now, if you pay your electric bill, gas bill, water bill, phone bill, or rent on time every month, that good payment history typically doesn't help your credit score. This bill changes that by letting these companies share your payment information with credit bureaus, similar to how banks report credit card and loan payments.

The main benefit is that people with limited credit history—especially younger adults, immigrants, or those who've been excluded from traditional banking—could build a credit score by simply paying their regular bills on time. This could help them qualify for loans, credit cards, or better interest rates in the future. For example, if you've always paid your electric bill and rent on time but have no credit cards or loans, your payment history could now count toward establishing a positive credit profile.

However, there are some protections built in. Utility companies can't report you as late on a bill if you've set up a payment plan with them and you're following it—even if you haven't paid the full amount yet. This protects people facing financial hardship who are working with their utility company to catch up on bills. Additionally, utility companies can only report information about whether you paid your bills and the terms of your service; they can't report details about how much electricity or water you used.

The bill also requires the Government Accountability Office to study how this new reporting affects consumers within two years, so Congress can see whether it's actually helping people access credit or causing unintended problems.

Credit Access and Inclusion Act of 2022

Hill, J. French

Credit Access and Inclusion Act of 2022 This bill allows for the reporting of certain positive consumer-credit information to consumer reporting agencies. Specifically, a person or the Department of Housing and Urban Development may report information related to&nbsp;a consumer's performance&nbsp;in making payments either under a lease agreement for a dwelling or pursuant to a contract for a utility or telecommunications service. However, information about a consumer's usage of any utility or telecommunications service may be reported only to the extent that the information relates to payment by the consumer for such service or other terms of the provision of that service. Furthermore, an energy-utility firm may not report a consumer's outstanding balance as late if the firm and the consumer have entered into a payment plan and the consumer is meeting the obligations of that plan. Specified provisions that&nbsp;establish&nbsp;civil liability&nbsp;with respect to&nbsp;furnishers of information to consumer reporting agencies shall not apply to any violation of the bill. The Government Accountability Office must report on the consumer impact of such reporting.