II
113th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 1837
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
December 17, 2013
Ms. Warren (for herself, Mr. Blumenthal, Mr. Brown, Mr. Leahy, Mr. Markey, Mrs. Shaheen, and Mr. Whitehouse) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
A BILL
To amend the Fair Credit Reporting Act to prohibit the use of consumer credit checks against prospective and current employees for the purposes of making adverse employment decisions.
Short title
This Act may be cited as
the Equal Employment for All Act of
2013
.
Use of credit checks prohibited for employment purposes
Prohibition for employment and adverse action
Section 604 of the Fair Credit Reporting Act (15 U.S.C. 1681b) is amended—
in subsection
(a)(3)(B), by inserting within the restrictions set forth in subsection
(b)
after purposes
;
by redesignating subsections (b) through (g) as subsections (c) through (h), respectively; and
by inserting after subsection (a) the following new subsection:
Use of certain consumer report prohibited for employment purposes or adverse action
General prohibition
Except as provided in paragraph (3), a person, including a prospective employer or current employer, may not use a consumer report or investigative consumer report, or cause a consumer report or investigative consumer report to be procured, with respect to any consumer where any information contained in the report bears on the consumer's creditworthiness, credit standing, or credit capacity—
for employment purposes; or
for making an adverse action, as described in section 603(k)(1)(B)(ii).
Source of consumer report irrelevant
The prohibition described in paragraph (1) shall apply even if the consumer consents or otherwise authorizes the procurement or use of a consumer report for employment purposes or in connection with an adverse action with respect to such consumer.
Exceptions
Notwithstanding the prohibitions set forth in this subsection, and consistent with the other sections of this Act, an employer may use a consumer report with respect to a consumer in the following situations:
When the consumer applies for, or currently holds, employment that requires national security clearance.
When otherwise required by law.
Effect on disclosure and notification requirements
The exceptions described in paragraph (3) shall have no effect upon the other requirements of this Act, including requirements in regards to disclosure and notification to a consumer when permissibly using a consumer report for employment purposes or for making an adverse action against such consumer.
.
Conforming amendments and cross references
The Fair Credit Reporting Act is further amended as follows:
In section 603 (15 U.S.C. 1681a)—
in subsection
(d)(3), by striking 604(g)(3)
and inserting
604(h)(3)
; and
in subsection
(o), by striking A
and inserting Subject to the
restrictions set forth in subsection 604(b), a
.
In section 604 (15 U.S.C. 1681b)—
in subsection
(a), by striking subsection (c)
and inserting subsection
(d)
;
in subsection (c), as redesignated by subsection (a)(2) of this section—
in
paragraph (2)(A), by inserting and subject to the restrictions set forth
in subsection (b)
after subparagraph (B)
; and
in
paragraph (3)(A), by inserting and subject to the restrictions set forth
in subsection (b)
after subparagraph (B)
;
in subsection
(d)(1), as redesignated by subsection (a)(2) of this section, by striking
subsection (e)
in both places that term appears and inserting
subsection (f)
;
in subsection (f), as redesignated by subsection (a)(2) of this section—
in
paragraph (1), by striking subsection (c)(1)(B)
and inserting
subsection (d)(1)(B)
; and
in
paragraph (5), by striking subsection (c)(1)(B)
and inserting
subsection (d)(1)(B)
.
In section
607(e)(3)(A) (15 U.S.C. 1681e(e)(3)(A)), by striking
604(b)(4)(E)(i)
and inserting
604(c)(4)(E)(i)
.
In section 609 (15 U.S.C. 1681g)—
In subsection
(a)(3)(C)(i), by striking 604(b)(4)(E)(i)
and inserting
604(c)(4)(E)(i)
; and
in subsection
(a)(3)(C)(ii), by striking 604(b)(4)(A)
and inserting
604(c)(4)(A)
.
In section 613(b)
(15 U.S.C. 1681k(b)) by striking section 604(b)(4)(A)
and
inserting section 604(c)(4)(A)
.
In section 615 (15 U.S.C. 1681m)—
in subsection
(d)(1), by striking section 604(c)(1)(B)
and inserting
section 604(d)(1)(B)
;
in subsection
(d)(1)(E), by striking section 604(e)
and inserting
section 604(f)
; and
in subsection
(d)(2)(A), by striking section 604(e)
and inserting
section 604(f)
.