<?xml version="1.0"?>
<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>76508</law_id><section_number>59.1-444.4</section_number><catch_line>Reporting of medical debt prohibited; civil penalty</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>59.1-200</reference></referred_to_by><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="59.1">Trade and Commerce</unit><unit label="chapter" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="35.1">Consumer Reporting Agencies</unit></structure><text>
						<section id="A"><p><span class="prefix-number">A.</span> No medical care facility listed in &#xA7; <a class="law" title="(Effective July 1, 2028) Medical care facilities and projects for which a certificate is required" href="/32.1-102.1_3/">32.1-102.1:3</a>, no person licensed or certified by a health regulatory board within the Department of Health Professions, and no emergency medical services agency, as defined in &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Definitions" href="/32.1-111.1/">32.1-111.1</a>, shall report any portion of a <span class="dictionary">medical debt</span> to a <span class="dictionary">consumer reporting agency</span>. <a id="paragraph-274625" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/59.1-444.4/#A"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B"><p><span class="prefix-number">B.</span> No <span class="dictionary">collection entity</span> collecting or attempting to collect a <span class="dictionary">medical debt</span> shall report such collection or attempts to collect to a <span class="dictionary">consumer reporting agency</span>. <a id="paragraph-274626" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/59.1-444.4/#B"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="C"><p><span class="prefix-number">C.</span> Any willful violation of the provisions of this section shall constitute a prohibited practice pursuant to the provisions of &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Prohibited practices" href="/59.1-200/">59.1-200</a> and shall be subject to any and all of the enforcement provisions of Chapter 17 (&#xA7; <a class="law" title="Title" href="/59.1-196/">59.1-196</a> et seq.). <a id="paragraph-274627" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/59.1-444.4/#C"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section></text><history>2024, c. 751.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
