Whether you realize it or not, your credit report can affect how much you pay for insurance. But a Nebraska state senator wants to change that.

Sen. Steve Lathrop of Omaha has introduced a bill that would prohibit insurance companies from using credit information when to determine eligibility or premiums. LB 176 would also prohibit insurance companies from using income, gender, address, zip code, ethnic groups, religion, marital status or nationality as risk factors.

Mary Lynn Reiser is the associate director of the University of Nebraska Omaha Center For Economic Education. She doesn’t agree with the bill and believes the current system helps motivate consumers to improve their credit score. "If your credit report isn't very good, why isn't it? And what could you do about it? That probably sounds kind of hard hearted. But I'm a believer that this is a personal responsibility to improve your credit score if you see that there's a problem. I guess I like to see people rewarded for the positive behaviors. And so that's why I'm a proponent. I think it's a good idea."

Lisa Cameron with Credit Advisors says credit card companies have recently been lowering customers’ credit limits and closing unused credit cards. "That's going to impact their credit score. So if an insurance company comes along behind that and pulls a credit report to look at a credit score, they are possibly not going to see that whole picture why that credit score has lowered."

The Legislature’s Banking, Commerce and Insurance Committee held a public hearing on the bill on Tuesday at the state capitol in Lincoln. They could decide by next week what action to take on the measure.