H 1271

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    HB 1271  2026
1A bill to be entitled
2An act relating to medical debt; amending s. 395.3011,
3F.S.; revising the definition of the term
4"extraordinary collection action" and defining the
5term "prohibited collection actions"; providing an
6effective date.
7
8    Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
9
10Section 1.        Subsection (1) of section 395.3011, Florida
11Statutes, is amended to read:
12395.3011  Billing and collection activities.—
13(1)(a)      As used in this section, the term "extraordinary
14collection action" means any of the following actions taken by a
15licensed facility against an individual in relation to obtaining
16payment of a bill for care:
171.(a)       Selling the individual's debt to another party,
18except if, before the sale, the medical creditor has entered
19into a legally binding written agreement with the medical debt
20buyer which includes all of the following criteria:
21a.      The medical debt buyer or collector is prohibited from
22engaging in any prohibited collection actions listed in
23paragraph (b) to obtain payment for the care.
24b.      The medical debt buyer is prohibited from charging
25interest on the debt in excess of that described in paragraph
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26    (2)(e).
27c.      The debt is returnable to or recallable by the medical
28    creditor upon a determination by the medical creditor or medical
29    debt buyer that the individual is eligible for financial
30    assistance.
31d.      If the individual is determined to be eligible for
32    financial assistance and the debt is not returned to or recalled
33    by the medical creditor, the medical debt buyer is required to
34    adhere to procedures which shall be specified in the agreement
35    that ensure that the individual does not pay, and has no
36    obligation to pay, the medical debt buyer and the medical
37    creditor together more than he or she is personally responsible
38    for paying in compliance with this section;
392.      Filing a debt collection lawsuit; or
403.      Any prohibited collection actions.
41(b)      As used in this subsection, the term "prohibited
42    collection actions" means the following activities when used by
43    any medical creditor or medical debt collector to collect debts
44    owed for health care services:
451.      Causing or threatening an individual's arrest;
462.      Causing or threatening an individual to be subject to a
47    writ of body attachment;
483.      Obtaining or threatening to obtain a lien on an
49    individual's real property;
504.      Foreclosing or threatening to foreclose on an
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 HB 1271  2026
51    individual's real property;
525.      Garnishing or threatening to garnish wages or state
53    income tax refunds;
546.      State or federal tax offsets to seize tax refunds or
55    tax credits;
567.      Attaching, seizing, or threatening to attach or seize a
57    consumer's bank account; or
588.      Furnishing or threatening to furnish information about
59    the medical debt to a consumer reporting agency.
60(b)      Reporting adverse information about the individual to
61    consumer credit reporting agencies or credit bureaus.
62(c)      Deferring, denying, or requiring a payment before
63    providing medically necessary care because of the individual's
64    nonpayment of one or more bills for previously provided care
65    covered under the facility's financial assistance policy.
66(d)      Actions that require a legal or judicial process,
67    including, but not limited to:
681.      Placing a lien on the individual's property;
692.      Foreclosing on the individual's real property;
703.      Attaching or seizing the individual's bank account or
71    any other personal property;
724.      Commencing a civil action against the individual;
735.      Causing the individual's arrest; or
746.      Garnishing the individual's wages.
75Section 2.       This act shall take effect July 1, 2026.
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