Items in the news
By: Jeffrey Lapin On February 16, 2012, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) announced a proposed rule to identify the debt collectors and consumer reporting agencies will fall within its nonbank supervision program. Before it can began to monitor these entitieis, it has to define who is a “larger participant” within these areas. Currently, debt
By: Jeffrey Lapin On February 16, 2012, U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Secretary Ray LaHood announced the first-ever federally proposed guidelines to encourage automobile manufacturers to limit the distraction risks posed by in-vehicle electronics. The guidelines, which would be voluntary, would apply to most non-commercial vehicles. The goal is to limit the number of injuries
By: Jeffrey Lapin FCC’S NEW RULES On February 15, 2012, the Federal Communications Commission (“FCC”) announced new consumer protections against telemarketing robocalls. A “robocall”, also called an “autodialed call”, is a call which has a pre-recorded message made using an automatic telephone dialing system. The Telephone Consumer Protection Act (“TCPA”) already places limits on unsolicited
By: Jeffrey Lapin In a victory for consumers the co-sponsors of H.R. 3035 (The Mobile Information Caller Act of 2011) withdrew the bill from further consideration. The bill would have made significant changes to the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), the most significant of which would have permitted businesses, including debt collectors, to use automatic
New opposition has arisen against H.R. 3035, the Mobile Informational Call Act of 2011. Attorney Generals in 48 states signed a letter urging Congress to reject the bill. The proposed Act, among other things, would amend the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) by changing the definition of “prior express consent” and permit debt collectors to
H.R. 3035 – The Mobile Informational Call Act of 2011 In a previous post, Proposed Act Would Permit Debt Collectors to Use Auto-Dialers to Call Cellular Telephones, H.R. 3035, the Mobile Informational Call Act of 2011, was discussed and how, if passed, would likely harm consumers. The Act, among other things, would amend the Telephone
Drivers need to be extra cautious when driving in certain areas as the majority of collisions between motor vehicles and deer occur in October and November especially in Nebraska. There are a few reasons for this. First, these are the months that prime harvesting months and crop and cover patters change quickly. In addition, there
According to a October article published in the American Journal of Public Health, Vulnerability of Female Drivers Involved in Motor Vehicle Crashes: An Analysis of US Population at Risk, even when both use seat-belts, women are much more likely to sustain a severe injury in vehicles crashes than men. The study reviewed “national crash data
Consumers will hopefully receive more protection from the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), which was created as a part of the Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h111-4173) has recently opened its doors. The new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) is assuming responsibility for rules and regulating the business of debt collection
Representatives Lee Terry (R-NE) and Edolphus Towns (D-NY), recently introduced the Mobile Informational Call Act of 2011 (H.R. 3035, 112nd Cong., 1st Sess. (2011)), in the House of Representatives that contains sweeping changes to the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), the most significant of which would permit debt collectors to use automatic telephone dialing systems