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Financial Services Law Insights and Observations

Legislation Proposed to Require Study on Homeowners’ Privacy of Collected HMDA Information

Federal Issues Congress HMDA Privacy/Cyber Risk & Data Security

Federal Issues

On April 27, Reps. Randy Hultgren (R-Ill.) and Andy Barr (R-Ky.) reintroduced legislation to “protect against the misuse of consumers’ sensitive financial information” collected under the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA). According to a May 5 press release issued by Rep. Hultgren’s office, the Homeowner Information Privacy Protection Act (H.R. 2204) would require the Comptroller General of the United States to conduct a study to determine whether the data required to be published, made available, or disclosed under HMDA could result in: (i) exposing the mortgagor’s or applicant’s identity; (ii) exposing the mortgagor or applicant to identity theft or loss of personal, sensitive information; (iii) marketing or selling unfair, deceptive, or abusive financial products based on such information; (iv) personal financial loss or emotional distress resulting from the exposure to identify theft or the loss of sensitive personal financial information; and (v) “the potential legal liability facing the Bureau and market participants in the event the data required to be published, made available, or disclosed under the final rule leads or contributes to identity theft or the capture of sensitive personal financial information.” The bill further provides that the Comptroller will submit reports detailing the findings and conclusions as well as any recommendations for legislative and regulatory actions to the Committee on Financial Services of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs of the Senate. In addition, the bill proposes to delay the effective date of the new reporting requirements set forth in the 2015 HMDA rule to January 1, 2019.

As previously covered in InfoBytes Special Alerts (see here and here), the CFPB has proposed amendments to the 2015 HMDA rule, which clarifies the collection and reporting requirements for several data points, among other things.