Ask Reggi Your Question Now
Can you summarize 15 USC Chapter 41, Subchapter III?
CONSUMER CREDIT PROTECTION > CREDIT REPORTING AGENCIES
Short Summary
These legal documents govern various aspects of consumer reporting agencies, consumer credit protection, credit reporting agencies, and related topics. They establish the framework and terminology for the regulation of consumer credit reporting agencies, define key terms, and outline the permissible purposes for which consumer reports can be furnished. The documents also specify the requirements for information contained in consumer reports, including exclusions and exemptions. They address identity theft prevention, fraud alerts, and active duty alerts, as well as the block of information resulting from identity theft. The documents establish civil liability for noncompliance and negligent noncompliance, and provide jurisdiction and limitation of actions for enforcement. They also cover obtaining information under false pretenses, unauthorized disclosures by officers or employees, and enforcement by the Federal Trade Commission. The documents address information on overdue child support obligations, responsibilities of furnishers of information, affiliate sharing, relation to State laws, disclosures to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, disclosures to government agencies for counterterrorism purposes, proper disposal of records, and corporate and technological circumvention. The documents apply to consumer reporting agencies, consumers, information furnishers, government agencies, financial institutions, creditors, debt collectors, resellers, check services companies, officers or employees of consumer reporting agencies, persons subject to the subchapter, nationwide consumer reporting agencies, entities possessing consumer information derived from consumer reports, entities subject to the enforcement authority of the Federal Trade Commission, the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, the Federal banking agencies, and the National Credit Union Administration. Specific exemptions are mentioned for certain types of information, end users who are government agencies, certain persons or classes of persons from the proper disposal of records regulations, agencies or departments of the United States Government seeking consumer reports for employment purposes if a written finding is made by the head of the agency or department, certain situations such as pre-existing business relationships, communications initiated by the consumer, and compliance with State insurance laws pertaining to unfair discrimination. The documents provide for civil penalties, actual damages, punitive damages, costs of the action, fines, imprisonment, and attorney’s fees as penalties for noncompliance or violation of their provisions.
Whom does it apply to?
Consumer reporting agencies, consumers, information furnishers, government agencies, financial institutions, creditors, debt collectors, resellers, check services companies, officers or employees of consumer reporting agencies, persons subject to the subchapter, nationwide consumer reporting agencies, entities possessing consumer information derived from consumer reports, entities subject to the enforcement authority of the Federal Trade Commission, the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, the Federal banking agencies, and the National Credit Union Administration
What does it govern?
Consumer reporting agencies, consumer credit protection, credit reporting agencies, disclosure of investigative consumer reports, compliance procedures for consumer reporting agencies, disclosures to governmental agencies, disclosures to consumers, information contained in consumer reports, identity theft prevention, fraud alerts, and active duty alerts, block of information resulting from identity theft, civil liability for noncompliance, civil liability for negligent noncompliance, jurisdiction of courts, obtaining information under false pretenses, unauthorized disclosures by officers or employees, enforcement by the Federal Trade Commission, information on overdue child support obligations, responsibilities of furnishers of information, affiliate sharing, relation to State laws, disclosures to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, disclosures to government agencies for counterterrorism purposes, proper disposal of records, corporate and technological circumvention
What are exemptions?
Exemptions are mentioned for certain types of information, end users who are government agencies, certain persons or classes of persons from the proper disposal of records regulations, agencies or departments of the United States Government seeking consumer reports for employment purposes if a written finding is made by the head of the agency or department, certain situations such as pre-existing business relationships, communications initiated by the consumer, and compliance with State insurance laws pertaining to unfair discrimination
What are the Penalties?
Civil penalties of up to $2,500 per violation for knowing violations constituting a pattern or practice of violations, actual damages sustained by the consumer ranging from $100 to $1,000 or actual damages sustained by the consumer or $1,000, whichever is greater, punitive damages, costs of the action including reasonable attorney's fees, fines, imprisonment for not more than 2 years, or both
Jurisdiction
U.S. Federal Government