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Posts tagged as “compliance”

OCC and FDIC Issue NPRMs to Fix Madden, and Clarify the Validity of the ‘Valid When Made’ Doctrine

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) both recently issued proposed rules to “fix” the potential problems arising from the ruling in Madden v. Midland Funding, LLC, 786 F.3d 246 (2nd Cir. 2015), which called into question the “valid when made” doctrine. In addition, the FDIC’s proposal would make clear that the permissible interest on a loan would be determined at the time the loan is made, regardless of subsequent events such as changes in state law or the sale or assignment of the loan. The OCC’s Notice of Proposed Rulemaking is available…

Nevada Enacts ‘Consumer Protection from the Accrual of Predatory Interest After Default Act’

Nevada has enacted a new law entitled the “Consumer Protection from the Accrual of Predatory Interest After Default Act,” which relates to consumer form contracts used in connection with retail installment transactions and the prejudgment and postjudgment interest and attorney fees that may be awarded by a court. Signed into law on June 3 and applicable only to contracts entered into on or after Oct. 1, the Act adds a new chapter to Title 8 of the Nevada Revised Statutes, “Commercial Instruments and Transactions.” The Act does not apply to a number of entities, including (but not limited to): banks;…

Three New California Laws Will Impact Consumer Credit

Three new laws signed by California Gov. Gavin Newsom in recent days will impact consumer credit in the state by capping interest rates on payday and other consumer installment loans, giving automatic exemptions for bank account levies and removing exemptions for attorneys and mortgage loans from the Rosenthal Act. California Financing Law Expanded AB 539 amends the California Financing Law, which licenses and regulates finance lenders and brokers, by imposing new restrictions on loans of $2,500 or more but less than $10,000. It also adds a rate cap on those loans so that the annual simple interest rate may not…

Emails and Hyperlink Delivery of FDCPA Disclosures after Lavallee

Lavallee v. Med-1 Solutions, LLC  from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit examines whether an email from a debt collector was an “initial communication” and if it was, whether a clickable hyperlink serves as a proper means of providing the validation notice mandated by section 1692g(a) of the federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. These disclosures, sometimes called the “validation notice,” can be contained in what the FDCPA refers to as the “initial communication” or provided “in writing” within five days of the initial communication. While the debt collector was found to have violated the FDCPA, the decision…

CFPB Extends Comment Period on Proposed Debt Collection Rules to Sept. 18

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has announced it will allow more time for comments on its Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to implement the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. The CFPB has extended the comment period by 30 days to Sept. 18. Years in the making, if adopted the proposed rules would bring significant changes to the form and manner of consumer debt collection subject to the FDCPA. According to the CFPB, its proposal “would set clear, bright-line limits on the number of calls debt collectors may place to reach consumers on a weekly basis; apply prohibitions on harassment or abuse, false…

Illinois Legislature Passes Amendments to Data Breach Notification Law

On June 25, the Illinois Legislature sent Senate Bill 1624 to Gov. J. B. Pritzker.  The legislation adds a requirement to Illinois’ data breach notification law to notify the attorney general in the event of certain data breaches.  The bill will become law if not returned by the governor by Aug. 24, 2019. The legislation would amend the Personal Information Protection Act, 815 ILCS 530/10, by requiring that any data collector who must inform more than 500 Illinois residents of a data breach also provide notice to the attorney general describing: the nature of the breach; the number of affected residents;…

Texas Enacts Amendments to Data Breach Notification Law; Creates Privacy Protection Advisory Council

On June 14, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed into law House Bill 4390 which amends the notification requirements of Texas’ data breach law and creates an advisory council to study data privacy laws generally.  The provisions become effective Jan. 1, 2020. Currently, a person conducting business in Texas who “owns or licenses computerized data that includes sensitive data” must disclose the breach to any affected individual “as quickly as possible.”  Tex. Bus. & Com. Code § 521.053(b). The amendments will require the disclosure “be made without unreasonable delay and in each case not later than the 60th day after the…

New Washington Debt Collection Law Requires Itemization Notice for Medical Debt

On April 30, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee signed into law Substitute House Bill 1531 which places new requirements on medical debt collectors.  The new provisions go into effect July 28, 2019. The new law requires medical debt collectors to inform consumers in the initial written communication of the right to request the original account number, date of last payment and an itemized statement regarding the debt.  For hospital debt, the communication must also notify consumers they “may be eligible for charity care from the hospital, together with the contact information for the hospital.” Upon an oral or written request for…

Texas Passes Debt Buyer Legislation Addressing Out-of-Statute Debt

The Texas Legislature has passed House Bill 996 which limits when a debt buyer can initiate legal action or arbitration to collect consumer debt and requires specific notices with respect to out-of-statute debt.  Upon approval by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, the new provisions will become effective Sept. 1, 2019. Definition of a Debt Buyer “Debt buyer” is defined as “a person who purchases or otherwise acquires a consumer debt from a creditor or other subsequent owner of the consumer debt, regardless of whether the person collects the consumer debt, hires a third party to collect the consumer debt, or hires…

FTC’s Big Data Report Provides Recommendations, Raises Compliance Issues

The Federal Trade Commission has released a report examining the benefits, potential risks, and legality of the use of big data in business. Big Data: A Tool for Inclusion or Exclusion? Understanding the Issues focuses on how big data is used after it is collected and how that information could result in discrimination against consumers. The primary goal of the report is to provide businesses with important information on the relevant laws to big data analytics, as well as guidelines on how to use big data effectively while remaining compliant and non-discriminatory, according to the FTC. “Big data’s role is…