Table of Contents

FCC should ban forced arbitration clauses in telecommunications services contracts
Advocacy groups responded to the FCC’s call for comment on proposed rulemaking on data breach reporting requirements and urged the agency to consider banning forced arbitration clauses in telecommunications service contracts with consumers, which allow corporations to avoid consequences for their wrongdoing.

Advocates blast so-called data privacy bill that would wipe out state consumer protections
Consumer advocates blasted a so-called data privacy bill, introduced by Representative Patrick McHenry (R-NC), that would actually roll back protections provided under state law while offering little or no real new federal protections.

Regulation urged to rein in excessive overdraft fees
A dozen advocacy organizations joined the Center for Responsible Lending in urging the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) to require that OCC-supervised banks reform their predatory overdraft fee programs.

Proposed legislation would require cash refunds for flight cancellations and significant delays
Consumer Action was among the endorsers of proposed legislation to give consumers the right to a full cash refund when airlines significantly delay or cancel their flight, or when the consumer cancels their flight at least 48 hours before the scheduled departure.

Don’t allow data brokers to profit off of consumers’ identifying personal information in credit reports
A half dozen consumer advocacy organizations, including Consumer Action, wrote to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) to urge the agency to use its authority under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) to rein in widespread harmful behavior by the data broker industry, which leverages the personal information of millions for profit without their consent.

Groups support CMS proposal to require a generic drug cost-sharing tier for standardized health plans
In a letter to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Consumer Action and its allies applauded the agencies’ efforts to standardize health plan choice by requiring generic drugs be placed on “generic” tiers and brand-name drugs on “brand-name” tiers—a step that would help consumers avoid confusion and save money.

Ensure borrowers understand their right to seek a second home appraisal; address bias in the re-appraisal request process
Advocates wrote to HUD supporting the agency’s plan to issue guidance on reconsiderations of value (ROV)—a mortgage borrower’s request for a new appraisal because they disagree with the appraiser’s initial valuation—but urging substantial improvement to the guidance to ensure that borrowers are aware of their ROV right and that bias in the appraisal process is addressed and tracked.

A call to end junk fees
In response to the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) call for comment regarding junk fees—added charges onto the cost of everything from event ticket purchases to hotel room rentals—Consumer Action joined allies in a letter encouraging the FTC to rein in the valueless, often-hidden fees.

Allies urge expansion of loss mitigation options under VA Home Loan Guaranty
Consumer, housing and veterans’ advocates wrote to the Department of Veterans Affairs urging the agency to expand the loss mitigation options available under the VA Home Loan Guaranty Program to help veteran borrowers avoid foreclosure.

Groups urge Federal Insurance Office to strengthen its proposed climate data collection
Consumer Action and 75 other consumer groups wrote to the Department of the Treasury to ask that the Federal Insurance Office strengthen its proposed climate data collection in an effort to ascertain how climate change is impacting access to affordable insurance for underserved communities.