The National Consumer Law Center, a consumer advocacy group, has published a list of the state consumer laws that are scheduled to go into effect this year.
While many of the laws have already been covered and a lot of them may not have much to do with the credit and collection industry, it is a good idea to always be aware of what laws and priorities are on the radar screens of consumer advocacy groups, especially large and active ones like the NCLC.
Among the laws that the NCLC is spotlighting for 2019:
- A new law in Massachusetts that went unto effect on Jan. 1 related to filing lawsuits involving credit card debt that outline specific provisions that must be filed with the complaint.
- A new law going into effect on May 24 that amends the Fair Credit Reporting Act related to how medical debts are reported for veterans.
- A new law going into effect on July 1 that regulates debt relief agencies in Mississippi.
On top of the laws mentioned in the report, there are a number of other statutes that are in the process of becoming law that the credit and collection industry will be monitoring. Those include the California Consumer Privacy Act. As well, there are likely to be a number of regulatory changes at the federal level, including a proposed debt collection rule issued by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and a proposed rule related to the Telephone Consumer Protection Act being issued by the Federal Communications Commission.
