The District of Columbia’s Medical Debt Mitigation Amendment Act of 2026 is now law, even without the mayor’s blessing. According to a post by Accounts Recovery, Mayor Muriel Bowser returned Bill 26-0438 to Council Chairman Phil Mendelson unsigned, but the bill passed into law automatically upon her refusal to sign it.
In this episode of FCRA Focus, host Dave Gettings is joined by Partners Brooke Conkle and Ethan Ostroff to break down the Tenth Circuit’s landmark decision in Ward v. National Credit Systems, Inc., which reversed a $500,000 jury verdict and confirmed that reported information is only actionably inaccurate under Section 1681s-2(b) of the FCRA if it is “objectively and readily verifiable” as inaccurate. The team discusses how Ward fits into a growing circuit court consensus, what it means for furnishers defending identity theft claims at summary judgment, and why consumers will need to bring more than just an FTC identity theft report to support their disputes going forward.
As we previously discussed here, the New York City Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) delayed the effective date of its amended debt collection regulations, known as the SHIELD Rule, from September 1, 2026 to January 1, 2027, to provide regulated entities additional time to make operational adjustments and to allow the agency to address outstanding questions from industry stakeholders.
In this solo episode of The Consumer Finance Podcast, Chris Willis, co-leader of Troutman Pepper Locke’s Consumer Financial Services Regulatory practice, walks through the recent wave of federal regulatory guidance addressing the role of immigration status in consumer lending and explains why the practical impact on lenders may be far more limited than the public discourse suggests. Chris breaks down what each piece of guidance says, including the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s reminder that Regulation B permits immigration status considerations in ability-to-repay analyses for mortgages and credit cards, and the banking regulators’ safety and soundness and concentration risk warnings. He also addresses the competing litigation risks that complicate a simple return to restrictive eligibility policies. He then turns to the critical practical question: what, if anything, should lenders actually do?
On July 20, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit reversed a $500,000 jury verdict against a debt collection furnisher, holding that a consumer cannot prevail on a Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) unreasonable investigation claim without first demonstrating that the disputed information was “objectively and readily verifiable” as inaccurate. In Ward v. National Credit Systems, Inc., the court joined the Second, Fourth, Fifth, and Eleventh Circuits in adopting this standard, resolving a previously open question in the Tenth Circuit and delivering an important victory for furnishers facing FCRA claims rooted in identity theft allegations.
It has been reported that the New York City Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) has pushed back the effective date of its amended debt collection regulations, known as the SHIELD Rule, from September 1, 2026 to January 1, 2027. The delay, which has not yet been confirmed on the DCWP’s official website, was announced to provide regulated entities additional time to make operational adjustments and to allow the agency to address outstanding questions from industry stakeholders.
The Consumer Data Industry Association (CDIA) and the Metro 2 Task Force announced that they have approved a new Special Comment Code, DS — Debt Settlement, in response to industry requests for clearer identification of consumer debt settlement activity in credit reporting. An implementation date has not yet been established, but CDIA anticipates that furnishers will be able to begin reporting the DS code in Q2 2027.
The New York City Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) recently published new compliance resources for its amended debt collection regulations, known as the SHIELD Rule, which are scheduled to take effect on September 1, 2026.
Virginia is implementing a new Business Screening Services (BSS) program that will significantly change how private background screening companies handle Virginia criminal and traffic history records.
In this episode of FCRA Focus, hosts Kim Phan and Dave Gettings are joined by colleague Tim St. George to unpack major legislative developments impacting employment background screening. They discuss New York’s new statewide ban on the use of consumer credit history in most hiring and employment decisions, Virginia’s upcoming requirements for background screening businesses, and emerging federal proposals that could reshape FCRA liability, reseller obligations, and the reporting of criminal and credit information. The conversation highlights notable litigation trends, preemption and First Amendment issues, and practical steps for employers, CRAs, and resellers navigating rapidly evolving state and federal requirements.