Young Kim (R-CA)
Credit Access and Inclusion Act of 2026
A Republican bill with 2 Democratic cosponsors · See all 2 cosponsors
Last activity — Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 688.
Cleared committee, waiting for its first floor vote
A committee approved it and it is on the calendar of the chamber it started in.
This is further than most bills get, and still no promise of a vote: the calendar is a queue, and the majority leadership decides what is called. A bill can sit here until the Congress ends.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- On Calendar
What this bill would do
The Credit Access and Inclusion Act of 2026 aims to amend the Fair Credit Reporting Act. It clarifies federal law regarding the reporting of certain full-file consumer credit information to consumer reporting agencies. The bill allows persons or the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to furnish information about lease agreements and utility or telecommunications service payments. It also establishes specific rules for how energy utility firms report outstanding balances when payment plans are in place. Additionally, the Act includes a requirement for a GAO study on the impact of these changes.
Yes· 3 of 19
- Scored +6
Would households on low incomes be better off under this?
Allows those without traditional loans to use rent and utility payments to improve credit scores.
- Scored +5
Would people in their twenties and thirties be better off under this?
Young adults often lack credit history; rental and utility reporting helps them establish credit.
- Scored +5
Would immigrants be better off under this?
New immigrants often lack US credit history; reporting basic payments helps them establish credit.
The opposite· 3 of 4
- Scored -3
Does this protect people from being watched or searched?
Increases the volume of personal financial data shared with credit bureaus.
- Scored -3
Does this give people more control over their personal data?
Expands the reporting of personal payment data to third-party credit agencies.
- Scored -2
Does this protect the right to fair treatment by the courts?
Limits the liability of entities reporting this information, potentially making it harder for consumers to seek recourse.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
-
Protection of Credit Standing During Payment Plans: Under Section 2(a)(4), an energy utility firm cannot report a balance as late if the consumer has entered into a payment plan and is meeting the obligations of that plan. This could benefit individuals attempting to manage their debts through deferred payment or debt forgiveness programs.
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Expanded Reporting of Positive Payment History: Section 2(a)(2) allows for the furnishing of information regarding payments made under lease agreements, including those with HUD-subsidized occupancy, as well as utility or telecommunications service contracts. This could help individuals demonstrate their payment performance to consumer reporting agencies.
Potential Negative Impacts for People
-
Increased Reporting of Debt Information: Section 2(a)(2) allows persons or the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to furnish information relating to the performance of a consumer in making payments for lease agreements or utility and telecommunications services to a consumer reporting agency. This could result in more consumer data being shared with credit agencies.
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Limitations on Reported Utility Information: Section 2(a)(3) limits information regarding utility usage to only that which relates to the payment of the service or terms of service, such as deposits or conditions for termination. This limits the scope of what can be reported regarding utility service usage.
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would households on low incomes be better off under this? — Allows those without traditional loans to use rent and utility payments to improve credit scores. Would immigrants be better off under this? — New immigrants often lack US credit history; reporting basic payments helps them establish credit. Would students be better off under this? — Students typically have little credit history and benefit from rental/utility reporting. Would people in their twenties and thirties be better off under this? — Young adults often lack credit history; rental and utility reporting helps them establish credit. Would Black Americans be better off under this? — Helps bridge the credit gap for historically underbanked communities. Would Hispanic Americans be better off under this? — Helps bridge the credit gap for historically underbanked communities. Would Native Americans be better off under this? — Helps bridge the credit gap for historically underbanked communities. Would people in rural areas be better off under this? — Benefit from utility payment reporting to build credit. Would people in cities be better off under this? — Higher proportion of renters in urban areas benefit from rental payment reporting. Would Asian Americans be better off under this? — Provides more options for credit building. Would people in middle age be better off under this? — Provides more ways to build or repair credit scores. Would middle-income households be better off under this? — Provides additional data points to potentially improve credit ratings. Would people over 65 be better off under this? — Provides more ways to build or repair credit scores. Would white Americans be better off under this? — Provides more options for credit building.
- Social Issues And Justice
- Does this make housing cost less? — Reporting rental payments can help tenants build credit, potentially easing future housing access. Is this likely to lift people out of poverty? — Provides a pathway for low-income individuals to establish credit history through basic needs payments. Does this narrow racial gaps in how people are treated? — Allows non-traditional credit data (like rent and utilities) to help underbanked populations build credit. Is this likely to reduce homelessness? — Better credit scores through rental reporting may help individuals secure stable housing.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this protect people from being watched or searched? — Increases the volume of personal financial data shared with credit bureaus. Does this protect the right to fair treatment by the courts? — Limits the liability of entities reporting this information, potentially making it harder for consumers to seek recourse.
- Education And Technology
- Does this give people more control over their personal data? — Expands the reporting of personal payment data to third-party credit agencies.
- Economy And Finance
- Is this likely to grow the economy? — Improving credit access for more people can stimulate economic activity. Does this give people more protection from unfair business practices? — Increases the amount of personal payment data reported to credit agencies and limits liability for reporters.
- 9/1/2026
- Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Financial Services. H. Rept. 119-788.
- Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 688.
- 6/30/2026
- Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held
- Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by the Yeas and Nays: 28 - 23.
- 10/3/2025
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 9/16/2025
- Referred to the House Committee on Financial Services.
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- Introduced in House
5 bills Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.
Janelle BynumDemocrat · Oregon
Eugene VindmanDemocrat · Virginia