# 119-hr-306: ESCRA Act

119-hr-306, ESCRA Act, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. McBride, Sarah [D-DE-At Large] (D-DE); status introduced; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-09-21).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-306
- As of: 2026-09-21
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-hr-306
- Congress: 119
- Title: ESCRA Act
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2025-01-09
- Sponsor: Rep. McBride, Sarah [D-DE-At Large] (D-DE)
- Cosponsors: 7
- Policy area: Finance and Financial Sector
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2026-09-21

## Summary

**Crack down on deceptive credit repair practices.** The bill tightens rules for credit repair organizations by requiring state licensing, stronger disclosures to consumers, and a knowingly standard for false claims to regulators and law enforcement. - Consumers: CROs cannot collect payment for services unless they provide documentation from a consumer reporting agency showing success at least six months after the service. Consumers must get copies of all communications sent on their behalf and be told that the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection regulates CROs. - Credit repair organizations and attorneys: All CROs must be licensed by a state starting in 2026, keep telephone recordings, retain records for five years, and face new limits on filing repeat disputes. The bill also creates a minimum civil remedy of $500 per violation. - Furnishers and dispute handling: Disputes must include the CRO name and license number and give furnishers 15 business days to respond when they request clarification.

## Cosponsors (7)

- Rep. Kim, Young [R-CA-40] (R-CA), 2025-01-09T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Bynum, Janelle S. [D-OR-5] (D-OR), 2026-02-03T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Lawler, Michael [R-NY-17] (R-NY), 2026-02-03T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Gottheimer, Josh [D-NJ-5] (D-NJ), 2026-02-03T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Fitzpatrick, Brian K. [R-PA-1] (R-PA), 2026-02-03T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Sherman, Brad [D-CA-32] (D-CA), 2026-04-14T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Van Drew, Jefferson [R-NJ-2] (R-NJ), 2026-04-14T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- Stronger rules for credit repair services: benefit, medium. If enacted, credit repair companies would face tighter service rules. Mailed disputes would use first-class mail and show the company name and any state license number. Firms must reply in writing within 15 business days when asked for more information, and cannot refile the same dispute unless str…
- Clearer attorney carve-outs in credit repair: benefit, low. If enacted, the bill would clarify who counts as a credit repair organization. Most businesses would still be covered even if they employ attorneys. But an attorney’s legal services tied to a bankruptcy or similar case to be filed within 12 months by someone in the same law firm would be carved out…
- State license needed by Jan 2026: cost, medium. Starting January 1, 2026, anyone acting as a credit repair organization would need a state license. If you run a credit repair business, you would have to secure licensing to keep operating.
- Easier complaints and $500-per-violation damages: mixed, medium. If enacted, you could seek $500 for each proven violation of the credit repair law. You could file complaints with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the Federal Trade Commission, or law enforcement, including through online portals. At the same time, false-statement cases would require proo…

## Related bills

- 119-hr-1229: United States-Israel Defense Partnership Act of 2025
- 119-hr-3151: SHIPS for America Act of 2025
- 119-hr-9211: Jewish American Security Act
- 119-hr-1262: Mikaela Naylon Give Kids a Chance Act
- 119-hr-1065: Protect Our Letter Carriers Act of 2025
- 119-hres-23: Proxy Voting for New Parents Resolution

## Sources
- [119-hr-306 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/306)

## Related
- [119-hr-1229: United States-Israel Defense Partnership Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-1229)
- [119-hr-3151: SHIPS for America Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-3151)
- [119-hr-9211: Jewish American Security Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-9211)
- [119-hr-1262: Mikaela Naylon Give Kids a Chance Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-1262)
- [119-hr-1065: Protect Our Letter Carriers Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-1065)
- [119-hres-23: Proxy Voting for New Parents Resolution](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hres-23)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-306 (as of 2026-09-21).