U.S. PUBLIC INTEREST RESEARCH GROUP for U.S. PUBLIC INTEREST RESEARCH GROUP

Banking BAN

1) Urge CFPB to enact strong fair debt collection rule reforms, regulate arbitration, and take other steps to protect consumers. (2) Support bank overdraft fee reform (HR 1261) (3) Support independent funding, authority and structure of CFPB. Oppose all bills to weaken CFPB including HR 3193, the Consumer Financial Freedom and Washington Accountability Act; HR 450, the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection Accountability Act; H.R. 3389, the CFPB Slush Fund Elimination Act; H.R. 4604, the CFPB Data Collection Security Act; H.R. 4262, the Bureau Advisory Commission Transparency Act; H.R. 4539, the Bureau Research Transparency Act; H.R. 3770, the CFPB-IG Act of 2013; H.R. 4383, the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection Small Business Advisory Board Act; H.R. 4804, the Bureau Examination Fairness Act; H.R. 4662, the Bureau Advisory Opinion Act; H.R. 4811, the Bureau Guidance Transparency Act; Oppose similar bills to weaken the CFPB or Wall Street reform including S. 205, S 190, S. 238, S. 450, S 2732 and any similar bills or budgetary line items or appropriations riders, including Sections 501-504 of HR 5016, the Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Act, 2015. (4) Support legislation to rein in payday lending and similar predatory loan practices, including HR 990 and S 172. Oppose any bills to provide special status or create non-bank federal charters for payday or similar lenders, such as H.R. 1566, the so-called Consumer Credit Access, Innovation, and Modernization Act. . Urge CFPB, and other regulators to prevent banks from offering similar predatory payday advance products. (5) Support legislation to hold credit bureaus accountable including proposals to provide free credit scores, such as S 471/HR 1002. (6) Work to protect consumer privacy notices from full repeal (HR 749, S 635). (6) Oppose efforts to add layers of unnecessary cost-benefit analysis or other so-called accountability constraints onto any federal financial agency or independent agency, including REINS ACT (S 15) and the sweeping so-called Jobs Act (HR 4) and any similar bills, including bills to impose OMB cost-benefit rules on independent agencies including the CFPB and others. (7) Support full funding and authority for all other financial regulators, including CFTC and SEC. (8) Urge CFPB and other regulators to enact strongest possible rules to protect homeowners and consumers from financial, foreclosure, mortgage servicing and other weakenings. (9) Oppose efforts in Congress to weaken any other consumer laws (10) Support efforts to eliminate forced arbitration in consumer contracts, such as support for Arbitration Fairness Act (Arbitration Fairness Act of 2013 (or AFA), S. 878, ). (11) Support efforts to make large, interconnected financial institutions more accountable to taxpayers, depositors and investors, including support for Volcker rule, other too-big-to-fail and capital reforms, such as the 21st Century Glass-Steagall Act, S 1282. Oppose efforts to weaken that authority, including HR 797, which would weaken protections for municipal borrowers (12) Urge CFPB/DeptofEd and administration to support strong gainful employment rules for for-profit schools and to protect students from unfair debit and prepaid card loan disbursement and other on-campus practices. (13) Support CFPB/DOE efforts to protect students from unfair private student loan practices. (14) Support Congressional and agency efforts to protect consumers from new and under-regulated uses of consumer data. Urge financial agencies and FTC to protect consumer privacy and to regulate Internet credit scoring models, data brokers and other practices involving the sale or mining of consumer social networking and other information. Regulate tracking of consumers. Similarly, urge that amendments to Electronic Communications Privacy Act reflect need for consumer/citizen privacy. (15) Support efforts to establish anti-speculation Financial Transactions Tax (HR 880, S 410). (16) Oppose efforts to weaken investor protections, including under guise of implementing JOBS Act of 2012. (17) Support efforts to eliminate Deceptive Loan Checks (S 187); Urge that any cybersecurity legislation includes privacy protections in Title VII of S. 3414 (2012). (18) Urge CFPB to use authority to ensure private education lenders obtain school certification prior to disbursing private education loans and urge CFPB/DeptofEd to protect students. (19) Urge opposition to H.R. 1256, the so-called Swaps Jurisdiction Certainty Act and similar proposals to weaken CFTC authority. (20) Generally urge CFPB to implement strongest possible consumer protections, including to protect consumers from unfair pre-dispute arbitration agreements, from credit bureau mistakes, from fee-harvester credit cards, unfair debt collector practices, as well as strongest mortgage and foreclosure rules, etc. (21) Urge FTC to enact and enforce strong consumer rules on issues ranging from privacy to used car rules to debt collection and debt settlement firms. (22) Protect and enhance Durbin amendment limiting so-called merchant swipe or interchange fees on debit cards. (22) Support Freedom and Mobility in Consumer Banking Act, HR 3137 (Schakowsky) and S 1534 (Harkin). (23) Oppose HR 2538 to allow full file credit reporting without adequate safeguards.(24) Support HR 2998, Investor Choice Act to eliminate mandatory arbitration in investor disputes (Ellison). (25) Urge FTC to strengthen Telemarketing Sales Rule. (26) Urge Department of Defense to strengthen Military Lending Act regarding Limitations on Terms of Consumer Credit Extended to Service Members and Dependents to close loopholes, ban forced arbitration and for other purposes (27) Oppose S. 710, the so-called Municipal Advisors Relief Act of 2013. (28) Oppose H.R. 2655, the so-called Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act. (29) Support efforts by CFPB and prudential regulators to end discriminatory lending practices in the auto finance market that harm minority car buyers. (30) Support the Net Price Calculator Improvement Act for college student loan comparisons. (31) Urge bank regulators take further strong action to protect consumers and the payment system by stopping depository institutions and payment processors from facilitating electronic payments for illegal transactions, including illegal payday loans. (32) Urge CFPB to propose and enact strong, comprehensive rule regulating online and storefront payday and similar small-dollar loans. (33) Support legislation such as S.1654 the- Government Settlement Transparency and Reform Act and urge CFPB, DOJ, FTC, SEC and other agencies to include language in lawsuit settlements to prevent corporate wrongdoers from taking tax writeoffs on any penalties or restitution paid to Treasury or consumer-victims. Urge that these settlements be made public. (34) Urge U.S. Treasury Departments Federal Insurance Office (FIO) to make strongest possible policy proposals to protect insurance consumers from anti-competitive pricing and marketing and other practices endemic to the property and casualty insurance industry. (35) Urge the President to nominate pro-consumer appointees to agency boards, commissions and directorships. (36) Oppose the Fair Debt Collection Practices Technical Clarification Act of 2013, HR 2892. (36) Urge Department of Labor and SEC to rapidly enact fiduciary rules to protect investors. (37) Urge administration to nominate and Senate to confirm strong pro-consumer governors to Federal Reserve Board, (38) Oppose legislative and other efforts to weaken agency authority to regulate payment processors and financial firms that may aid and abet consumer fraud (so-called Operation Choke Point), (39) Support efforts such as S 2868 to extend statue of limitations for SEC actions against investor fraud. (40) Urge CFPB to regulate auto lenders under Larger Participants rulemaking authority (41) Urge Federal Housing Finance Authority to use more accurate credit scoring models for consumers. (42) Urge federal financial regulators not to rescind or repeal Regulation AA, which prohibits unfair credit practices. (42) Support S 2224 to strengthen credit reporting laws.

Contacted: Natl Economic Council (NEC); Defense, Dept of (DOD); Treasury, Dept of; Food & Drug Administration (FDA); Federal Trade Commission (FTC); HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; Transportation, Dept of (DOT); Labor, Dept of (DOL); Natl Credit Union Administration (NCUA); Federal Communications Commission (FCC); Education, Dept of; Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC); State, Dept of (DOS); Commerce, Dept of (DOC); Justice, Dept of (DOJ); U.S. Trade Representative (USTR); SENATE; Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC); Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC); Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC); Federal Reserve System; Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC); Natl Telecommunications & Information Administration (NTIA)

Bills named: H.R. 4662 (113th), H.R. 450 (113th), H.R. 3137 (113th), H.R. 3770 (113th), H.R. 1566 (113th), H.R. 2998 (113th), H.R. 1261 (113th), H.R. 3389 (113th), H.R. 3193 (113th), S. 3414 (113th), H.R. 4604 (113th), S. 450 (113th), S. 878 (113th), S. 205 (113th), H.R. 4539 (113th), H.R. 880 (113th), H.R. 5016 (113th), S. 1654 (113th), H.R. 749 (113th), S. 238 (113th), H.R. 4811 (113th), H.R. 4 (113th), H.R. 4383 (113th), H.R. 2538 (113th), H.R. 4804 (113th), H.R. 1002 (113th), H.R. 797 (113th), S. 710 (113th), H.R. 1256 (113th), H.R. 2892 (113th), H.R. 990 (113th), H.R. 2655 (113th), H.R. 4262 (113th)

Trade (domestic/foreign) TRD

Oppose fast track trade authority (H.R. 3830/ S. 1900). Oppose efforts in trade treaties and legislation, including activities under the Transatlantic Economic Council (TEC) or through any Transatlantic Free Trade Area (TAFTA) or Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) or Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) or similar trade agreement that would scuttle strong consumer health, safety, privacy, and pocketbook protections in favor of weaker rules or grant corporations unacceptable powers such as ISDS (Investor-State Dispute Resolution powers). Oppose efforts to preempt or harmonize local or state or federal laws. Support strongest possible transparency in trade negotiations including public availability of real-time negotiating text. Urge USTR to disclose any surveillance by NSA or others of organizations working on trade policy.

Contacted: Natl Economic Council (NEC); Federal Communications Commission (FCC); Federal Reserve System; U.S. Trade Representative (USTR); Natl Telecommunications & Information Administration (NTIA); Education, Dept of; Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC); State, Dept of (DOS); Commerce, Dept of (DOC); Federal Trade Commission (FTC); Food & Drug Administration (FDA); Defense, Dept of (DOD); Natl Credit Union Administration (NCUA); Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC); HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; Labor, Dept of (DOL); Treasury, Dept of; Transportation, Dept of (DOT); Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC); Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC); Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC); SENATE; Justice, Dept of (DOJ)

Bills named: H.R. 3830 (113th), S. 1900 (113th)

Agriculture AGR

Oppose any efforts to weaken the Commodities Futures Trading Commission's authority over derivatives or futures or to reduce its funding. (Note that in the Senate these primarily financial bills originate in the Agriculture Committee, for historic reasons dealing with agricultural commodities.)

Contacted: Federal Trade Commission (FTC); Federal Reserve System; HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC); State, Dept of (DOS); Natl Economic Council (NEC); Federal Communications Commission (FCC); Defense, Dept of (DOD); U.S. Trade Representative (USTR); Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC); Transportation, Dept of (DOT); Food & Drug Administration (FDA); Treasury, Dept of; Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC); Labor, Dept of (DOL); Education, Dept of; Commerce, Dept of (DOC); Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC); Natl Credit Union Administration (NCUA); Natl Telecommunications & Information Administration (NTIA); SENATE; Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC); Justice, Dept of (DOJ)

Budget/Appropriations BUD

Tax reform, Senate Finance and House Ways and Means, specifically S. 268, S. 1533, S. 250, H.R. 1554, H.R. 2084, S. 1654, H.R. 3445, H.R. 4678, S. 2360, tax extenders. Tax policy/tax reform; Stop Tax Haven Abuse Act of 2014 (S. 1533, HR 1554), Stop Corporate Inversions Act of 2014 (S. 2360, HR 4679), No Federal Contracts for Corporate Deserters Act of 2014 (S. 2704, HR 5278), Partnership to Build America Act of 2014 (S. 1957, HR 2084), Pay What You Owe Before You Go Act of 2014 (S. 2895, HR 5549), Corporate Inverters Earnings Stripping Reform Act of 2014 (S. 2786), Corporate Fair Share Act of 2014 (H.S. 5444).

Contacted: Education, Dept of; Food & Drug Administration (FDA); Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC); Natl Economic Council (NEC); Natl Credit Union Administration (NCUA); Federal Communications Commission (FCC); SENATE; HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; State, Dept of (DOS); Commerce, Dept of (DOC); Transportation, Dept of (DOT); Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC); Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC); Justice, Dept of (DOJ); Federal Reserve System; Defense, Dept of (DOD); Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC); Natl Telecommunications & Information Administration (NTIA); U.S. Trade Representative (USTR); Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC); Federal Trade Commission (FTC); Treasury, Dept of; Labor, Dept of (DOL)

Bills named: S. 1654 (113th), H.R. 5278 (113th), S. 2786 (113th), S. 268 (113th), S. 1533 (113th), S. 250 (113th), H.R. 2084 (113th), S. 5444 (113th), H.R. 5549 (113th), S. 2895 (113th), S. 2360 (113th), S. 1957 (113th), H.R. 3445 (113th), H.R. 4678 (113th), S. 2704 (113th), H.R. 4679 (113th), H.R. 1554 (113th)

Bankruptcy BNK

Support efforts to make consumer bankruptcy laws fairer, including elimination of medical debts on credit reports (S 160) and similar House proposals) and support efforts to remove private student loans from permanent credit reporting (eliminate inability to discharge them in bankruptcy) (HR 532, S 114). (2) Oppose H.R. 982, the "Furthering Asbestos Claim Transparency Act" or FACT Act.

Contacted: Commerce, Dept of (DOC); HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; Natl Economic Council (NEC); Food & Drug Administration (FDA); Labor, Dept of (DOL); Justice, Dept of (DOJ); Defense, Dept of (DOD); Federal Communications Commission (FCC); U.S. Trade Representative (USTR); Education, Dept of; Federal Reserve System; State, Dept of (DOS); Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC); Transportation, Dept of (DOT); Federal Trade Commission (FTC); Natl Credit Union Administration (NCUA); Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC); SENATE; Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC); Natl Telecommunications & Information Administration (NTIA); Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC); Treasury, Dept of; Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC)

Bills named: H.R. 982 (113th), H.R. 532 (113th)

Consumer Issues/Safety/Products CSP

1) Oppose efforts such as the REINS Act, S 15, to hamstring consumer health and safety agencies with layers of bureaucracy. Oppose a variety of similar bills designed to cripple agency rulemaking or impose duplicative brudensome requirements on independent agencies, including the Unfunded Mandates Information and Transparency Act (H.R. 899), the Sunshine for Regulatory Decrees and Settlements Act (H.R. 1493), the Regulatory Flexibility Improvements Act (RFIA) (H.R. 2542), the Regulatory Accountability Act (RAA) (H.R. 2122), the All Economic Regulations are Transparent (ALERT) Act (H.R. 2804), a package of several of these bills rolled together. (2) Urge Office of Management and Budget to complete their work on the delayed Department of Transportation (DOT) Enhancing Consumer Protections III air passenger rulemaking. (3) Urge FTC to enforce all privacy settlements, including Facebook "Sponsored Stories" settlement. (4) Urge FCC to protect privacy, including of CPNI and E911 calls. (5) Oppose efforts such as as H.R. 4106, the so-called Saving Lives, Saving Costs Act to unwisely make it harder for consumer-victims to obtain redress for medical malpractice. Oppose any efforts to similarly immunize special interest wrongdoers by raising pleading standards, eliminating private rights of action or otherwise raising barriers to justice. (6) Support H.R.4361, the Sunshine in Litigation Act of 2014 and similar efforts. (7) Oppose H.R. 4156, The (so-called) Transparent Airfares Act of 2014, (8) Urge CPSC to support strong magnet safety standards, strong window blind anti-strangulation rules. (9) Urge regulators (FCC, DOJ, FTC) to reject anti-competitive mergers, such as Comcast/TWC, (10) Urge FCC to protect network neutrality, not allow two-tiered Internet w/ fast/slow lanes. (11) Urge administration to nominate and Senate to confirm strong pro-consumer commissioners to CPSC, (12) Urge passage of Child Nicotine Poisoning Prevention Act of 2014. (13) Urge strong privacy protections for consumer data and metadata held by telecommunications firms. (14) Oppose all efforts to use Appropriations bill line items or riders to weaken any agency's ability to protect consumer, worker and community health, safety or finances. (15) Urge FCC to oppose efforts to weaken the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, especially its privacy protections.

Contacted: Commerce, Dept of (DOC); Federal Reserve System; Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC); State, Dept of (DOS); Food & Drug Administration (FDA); Transportation, Dept of (DOT); U.S. Trade Representative (USTR); SENATE; Natl Economic Council (NEC); Natl Credit Union Administration (NCUA); Federal Communications Commission (FCC); Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC); Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC); Defense, Dept of (DOD); Justice, Dept of (DOJ); Federal Trade Commission (FTC); Labor, Dept of (DOL); HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; Education, Dept of; Natl Telecommunications & Information Administration (NTIA); Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC); Treasury, Dept of; Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC)

Bills named: H.R. 2122 (113th), H.R. 899 (113th), H.R. 4106 (113th), H.R. 4156 (113th), H.R. 2804 (113th), H.R. 2542 (113th), H.R. 1493 (113th), H.R. 4361 (113th)

Government Issues GOV

Campaign Finance Reform, specifically H.R.20. "Government by the People Act"- lobbying for small donor public financing system. HJ Res 119 - lobbying for amendment that authorizes Congress and the states to set reasonable limits on the raising and spending of money by candidates and others to influence elections.Government transparency in civil settlements; Truth in Settlements Act (S. 1898, HR 4324).

Contacted: Defense, Dept of (DOD); Transportation, Dept of (DOT); Federal Reserve System; SENATE; Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC); Labor, Dept of (DOL); Education, Dept of; Federal Communications Commission (FCC); Federal Trade Commission (FTC); Food & Drug Administration (FDA); Natl Economic Council (NEC); Commerce, Dept of (DOC); State, Dept of (DOS); Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC); Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC); U.S. Trade Representative (USTR); Justice, Dept of (DOJ); HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC); Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC); Treasury, Dept of; Natl Telecommunications & Information Administration (NTIA); Natl Credit Union Administration (NCUA)

Bills named: H.J.Res. 119 (113th), H.R. 4324 (113th), H.R. 20 (113th), S. 1898 (113th)

Taxation/Internal Revenue Code TAX

Incorporation Transparency and Law Enforcement Assistance Act (S.1465, H.R. 3331)

Contacted: Labor, Dept of (DOL); Federal Trade Commission (FTC); Transportation, Dept of (DOT); Natl Telecommunications & Information Administration (NTIA); Natl Credit Union Administration (NCUA); Treasury, Dept of; Defense, Dept of (DOD); Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC); Justice, Dept of (DOJ); Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC); Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC); Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC); Federal Communications Commission (FCC); Federal Reserve System; Food & Drug Administration (FDA); Natl Economic Council (NEC); U.S. Trade Representative (USTR); Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC); Education, Dept of; HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES; Commerce, Dept of (DOC); SENATE; State, Dept of (DOS)

Bills named: S. 1465 (113th), H.R. 3331 (113th)