Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 117 / Friday, June 17, 2022 / Notices 36469 

Las Cruces District Office, Upham and I– 

25 Parking Sites, Las Cruces, NM 

Designated Source of Supply: Tresco, Inc., 

Las Cruces, NM 

Contracting Activity: BUREAU OF LAND 

MANAGEMENT, BLM ALBUQUERQUE 

DISTRICT OFFICE 

The Committee finds good cause to 

dispense with the 30-day delay in the 

effective date normally required by the 

Administrative Procedure Act. See 5 

U.S.C. 553(d). The Federal customer 

contacted and has worked diligently 

with the AbilityOne Program to fulfill 

this service need under the AbilityOne 

Program. To avoid the possibility that 

the Bureau of Land Management will 

refer its business elsewhere, this 

addition must be effective on July 1, 

2022, ensuring timely execution for a 

July 1, 2022, start date while still 

allowing 14 days for comment. The 

Committee published a notice of 

proposed Procurement List addition in 

the Federal Register on February 25, 

2022, and did not receive any comments 

from any interested persons, including 

from the incumbent contractor. This 

addition will not create a public 

hardship and has limited effect on the 

public at large, but, rather, will create 

new jobs for other affected parties— 

people with significant disabilities in 

the AbilityOne program who otherwise 

face challenges locating employment. 

Moreover, this addition will enable 

Federal customer operations to continue 

without interruption. 

Deletions 

On 11/19/2022 and 12/23/2022, the 

Committee for Purchase From People 

Who Are Blind or Severely Disabled 

published notice of proposed deletions 

from the Procurement List. This notice 

is published pursuant to 41 U.S.C. 8503 

(a)(2) and 41 CFR 51–2.3. 

After consideration of the relevant 

matter presented, the Committee has 

determined that the product(s) listed 

below are no longer suitable for 

procurement by the Federal Government 

under 41 U.S.C. 8501–8506 and 41 CFR 

51–2.4. 

Regulatory Flexibility Act Certification 

I certify that the following action will 

not have a significant impact on a 

substantial number of small entities. 

The major factors considered for this 

certification were: 

1. The action will not result in 

additional reporting, recordkeeping or 

other compliance requirements for small 

entities. 

2. The action may result in 

authorizing small entities to furnish the 

product(s) and service(s) to the 

Government. 

3. There are no known regulatory 

alternatives which would accomplish 

the objectives of the Javits-WagnerO’Day Act (41 U.S.C. 8501–8506) in 

connection with the product(s) and 

service(s) deleted from the Procurement 

List. 

End of Certification 

Accordingly, the following product(s) 

are deleted from the Procurement List: 

Product(s) 

NSN(s)—Product Name(s): 8465–00–656– 

0816—Bag, Laundry, Self-Closing, 

Ropeless 

Designated Source of Supply: Ability 

Building Center, Inc., Rochester, MN 

Contracting Activity: DLA TROOP SUPPORT, 

PHILADELPHIA, PA 

NSN(s)—Product Name(s): MR 1023— 

Holder, Pot, Deluxe, Green 

Designated Source of Supply: Alphapointe, 

Kansas City, MO 

Contracting Activity: Military Resale-Defense 

Commissary Agency 

NSN(s)—Product Name(s): MR 1124—Basket, 

Suction, Sink, Steel 

MR 13035—Dispenser, Sugar, Plastic 

MR 13074—Set, Bowls, Glass, Prep, 4 Piece 

Designated Source of Supply: CINCINNATI 

ASSOCIATION FOR THE BLIND AND 

VISUALLY IMPAIRED, Cincinnati, OH 

Contracting Activity: Military Resale-Defense 

Commissary Agency 

Michael R. Jurkowski, 

Acting Director, Business Operations. 

[FR Doc. 2022–13084 Filed 6–16–22; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6353–01–P 

BUREAU OF CONSUMER FINANCIAL 

PROTECTION 

[Docket No. CFPB–2022–0038] 

Request for Information Regarding 

Employer-Driven Debt 

AGENCY: Bureau of Consumer Financial 

Protection. 

ACTION: Request for information. 

SUMMARY: The Consumer Financial 

Protection Bureau (CFPB or Bureau) is 

charged with monitoring markets for 

consumer financial products and 

services to ensure that they are fair, 

transparent, and competitive. As part of 

this mandate, the CFPB is seeking input 

from the public on debt obligations 

incurred by consumers in the context of 

an employment or independent 

contractor arrangement. Areas of inquiry 

include prevalence, pricing and other 

terms of the obligations, disclosures, 

dispute resolution, and the servicing 

and collection of these debts. 

DATES: Comments must be received by 

Wednesday, September 7, 2022. 

ADDRESSES: You may submit responsive 

information and other comments, 

identified by Docket No. CFPB–2022– 

0038 by any of the following methods: 

• Federal eRulemaking Portal: http:// 

www.regulations.gov. Follow the 

instructions for submitting comments. 

• Email: employer-drivendebt@

cfpb.gov. Include Docket No. CFPB– 

2022–0038 in the subject line of the 

message. 

• Mail/Hand Delivery/Courier: 

Comment Intake—Employer-Driven 

Debt RFI, Consumer Financial 

Protection Bureau, 1700 G Street NW, 

Washington, DC 20552. Please note that 

due to circumstances associated with 

the COVID–19 pandemic, the Bureau 

discourages the submission of 

comments by hand delivery, mail, or 

courier. 

Instructions: The Bureau encourages 

the early submission of comments. All 

submissions must include the document 

title and docket number. Because paper 

mail in the Washington, DC, area and at 

the Bureau is subject to delay, 

commenters are encouraged to submit 

comments electronically. In general, all 

comments received will be posted 

without change to http://

www.regulations.gov. In addition, once 

the Bureau’s headquarters reopens, 

comments will be available for public 

inspection and copying at 1700 G Street 

NW, Washington, DC 20552, on official 

business days between the hours of 10 

a.m. and 5 p.m. Eastern time. At that 

time, you can make an appointment to 

inspect the documents by telephoning 

202–435–7275. 

All submissions in response to this 

Request for Information (RFI), including 

attachments and other supporting 

materials, will become part of the public 

record and subject to public disclosure. 

Proprietary information or sensitive 

personal information, such as account 

numbers or Social Security numbers, or 

names of other individuals, should not 

be included. Submissions will not be 

edited to remove any identifying or 

contact information. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Emma Oppenheim, Director’s Front 

Office, at (202) 297–7515. If you require 

this document in an alternative 

electronic format, please contact CFPB_

Accessibility@cfpb.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Background 

Employer-Driven Debt 

The CFPB has identified a potentially 

growing market of debt obligations 

incurred by consumers through 

employment arrangements. These debts 

(referred to here as employer-driven 


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1Through this Request for Information (RFI), the 

CFPB seeks information about employer-driven 

debt regardless of the legal status of the worker’s 

relationship to the employer. Throughout this 

document, the term ‘‘employer driven debt’’ will 

refer to the relevant kind of debt obligation, and the 

term ‘‘employee’’ will refer to the worker subject to 

the debt obligation, regardless of whether a worker 

is considered an employee under the Fair Labor 

Standards Act, an independent contractor, or 

whether they may have been misclassified. 

debts) appear to involve deferred 

payment to the employer or an 

associated entity for employermandated training, equipment, and 

other expenses. In this marketplace, the 

users of these financial products and 

services are workers or job seekers and 

the firms offering or providing these 

financial products or services are 

employers or associated entities.1

Though they may take other forms, 

employer-driven debt products appear 

to include: 

• Training Repayment Agreements 

that require workers to pay their 

employers or third-party entities for 

previously undertaken training 

provided by an employer or an 

associated entity if they separate 

voluntarily or involuntarily within a set 

time period. These trainings may have 

been required in order to obtain a job or 

a promotion and may be of dubious 

value outside of the company-specific 

setting. These agreements generally 

require payment when workers leave 

their employment arrangements. 

• Debt owed to an employer or thirdparty entity for the up-front purchase of 

equipment and supplies essential to 

their work or required by the employer, 

but not paid for by the employer. These 

products might be common in 

employment relationships in which 

workers are outsourced or classified as 

independent contractors. Workers may 

also owe deferred payments related to 

maintenance of equipment and 

supplies. 

Risks to Consumers 

Employer-driven debt, like other debt, 

could pose risks to consumers, 

including overextension of household 

finances, errors in servicing and 

collection, default, and inaccurate credit 

reporting. As with other debt, errors and 

misinformation can create heightened 

risks of consumer harm at each stage of 

the debt life cycle, from origination 

through servicing and default or payoff. 

The CFPB understands that, in addition 

to these general risks, employer-driven 

debt may also pose additional risks to 

consumers: consumers may not 

understand whether these arrangements 

involve an extension of credit, whether 

they have the ability to comparison 

shop for credit offered by others, or 

whether entering into the debt 

agreement is a condition of 

employment. Additional risks specific 

to the employment context may include 

whether default on the debt threatens 

continued or future employment, or 

whether the status of the debt is 

impacted by a decision to seek 

alternative employment. These risks 

might limit competition and 

transparency in this market for 

consumer financial products and 

services. 

II. Request for Comment 

This request seeks information from 

the public on how employer-driven debt 

has impacted consumers. The CFPB is 

particularly interested in hearing from 

consumers, worker organizations and 

labor unions, employers (including 

employers trying to compete with other 

employers using employer-driven debt), 

social services organizations, consumer 

rights and advocacy organizations, legal 

aid attorneys, academics and 

researchers, small businesses, financial 

institutions, and state and local 

government officials. 

The CFPB welcomes the submission 

of descriptive information about 

experiences faced by people 

participating in the market, as well as 

quantitative data about employer-driven 

debt. The CFPB is interested in 

receiving comments relating to debt 

incurred to an employer or an 

associated entity, taken on in pursuit or 

in the course of employment. 

Commenters need not answer all or any 

of the specific questions posed. The 

CFPB anticipates analyzing this 

information in the service of better 

understanding the relationship between 

labor practices and the market for 

consumer financial products or services 

and identifying priority areas for future 

action. 

Market-Level Inquiries 

For commenters with information 

about employer-driven debt at a market 

level, please share research or findings 

relevant to any part of the originationto-collections lifecycle, including: 

1. What is the total debt burden 

attributable to employer-driven debt? 

What data and evidence exist about the 

scope of employer-driven debt, 

including how many workers are subject 

to related practices? 

2. What effect does employer-driven 

debt and related practices have on 

workers and their families? How does it 

affect household decision-making and 

balance sheets? 

3. What firms or sectors are associated 

with employer-driven debt? 

4. Is there any relationship between 

market concentration in particular 

industries and the use of employerdriven debt? 

5. What are the effects of employerdriven debt on employers who impose 

it, or facilitate it being imposed, on their 

employees? 

6. What are the effects of employerdriven debt on employers who do not 

impose it, but compete for labor with 

employers who do? 

7. To what extent do these debts 

increase employee retention or limit 

worker mobility? 

8. To what extent do employers or 

related third parties obtain state licenses 

for any financial products provided to 

employees? 

9. How might the CFPB use its 

supervision, enforcement, research, 

rulemaking, and consumer complaint 

functions with respect to employerdriven debt? 

Pre-Origination 

1. Prior to creating the debt obligation, 

do employers or their agents evaluate 

likelihood of repayment on the part of 

the employee? 

2. If yes, what information is used to 

evaluate likelihood of repayment? 

3. What information, if any, do 

employers or their agents use to inform 

whether or not they impose the debt 

obligation and its terms? For what 

purposes are employer-driven debts 

incurred? 

Origination 

1. Are these debts incurred before or 

after an employee accepts employment? 

2. For what purposes are employerdriven debts incurred? 

3. How are the extensions of credit 

structured? 

4. What are the typical terms of the 

extension of credit? 

a. How is the amount of the debt 

determined? 

b. Does the amount include interest 

and fees? 

5. Do employers contract with third 

parties to offer credit to workers? 

6. How do employers or their 

associated entities market to workers, 

and what statements are made as to the 

value of the employer-driven debt to the 

workers’ earnings? 

7. How are the terms and conditions 

of the extensions of credit 

communicated to workers? 

8. Are the terms of the extensions of 

credit offered on a take-or-leave basis, or 

are workers able to negotiate the terms? 

9. Are workers provided any 

information about other financing 

alternatives? 

10. What triggers the worker’s 

obligation to pay? 


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11. What are the circumstances, if 

any, under which a worker need not 

pay? 

12. What is the duration of the credit 

agreement? If there are circumstances 

under which a worker need not pay, 

how long does the credit agreement last? 

If a worker’s obligation to pay is 

triggered, how long is the repayment 

period? 

13. What types of contracts or 

promissory notes do employees sign to 

enter into these agreements? 

14. Are the extensions of credit ever 

assigned, sold, transferred, or otherwise 

conveyed to a party other than the 

originator? If so, at what point and to 

whom? For what purposes are 

employer-driven debts incurred? 

Servicing and Collections 

1. How are payments collected? 

2. What collection practices are used 

by employers collecting employerdriven debt? 

3. Are employers collecting employerdriven debt engaging in collection 

activities in-house or through thirdparty debt collection companies or 

finance companies? 

4. If employers engage third-party 

debt collection companies, what type of 

oversight are they conducting? 

5. Do employers or their agents 

threaten or engage in debt collection 

lawsuits to collect these debts? 

6. Do employers or their agents cease 

collection efforts when a worker files for 

bankruptcy? Do employers or their 

agents cease collection efforts when a 

worker obtains bankruptcy discharge? 

How are payments collected? 

Disputes 

1. Do employers who impose 

employer-driven debt have processes, 

policies, and procedures for taking and 

handling disputes about the debt? 

2. Following disputes, do employers 

modify the terms of debt instruments, 

cease collections, or cease or modify any 

consumer reporting? 

Credit Reporting 

1. To what extent do employers or 

related third parties furnish information 

to credit reporting companies regarding 

these debts? 

2. What information do employers or 

related third parties furnish to credit 

reporting companies regarding the debt? 

3. Do employers or related third 

parties furnish information to other 

consumer reporting companies, such as 

employment screening companies? 

4. Are employers engaging in 

furnishing activities in-house or through 

third parties? 

5. Do employers who impose 

employer-driven debt have processes, 

policies, and procedures for taking and 

handling disputes about reporting of the 

debt? 

Transaction-Level Inquiries 

For commenters with experiences 

pertaining to employer-driven debt, 

please share your experiences relevant 

to any part of the origination-tocollections lifecycle, including: 

Pre-Origination 

1. Did your employer or an agent 

evaluate your likelihood of repaying 

before originating the debt? 

2. If yes, how did they evaluate your 

likelihood of repaying? 

3. Did your employer collect any 

financial information from you before 

originating the debt? 

4. Did your employer obtain a credit 

report or consumer report on you before 

originating the debt? 

Origination 

1. What is the name of the employer 

and/or third party associated entity 

originating the debt? 

2. Was the debt incurred: 

a. To a prospective employer or third 

party in order to get a job with that 

employer; 

b. To a current employer or associated 

entity in order to maintain employment 

or become eligible for better wages, 

more complex duties, more hours, or a 

formal promotion; 

c. Or both? 

3. What was the debt for? 

4. What was the amount of the debt? 

5. Were you charged any fees, 

penalties, or interest charges? If so, how 

were they disclosed? 

6. Were there any other terms or 

conditions? If so, how were they 

disclosed? 

7. Was the training, equipment, or 

other item, or the financing of that item, 

marketed to you? If so, how? 

8. Was the training required for a 

professional license or credential, such 

as from a state licensing agency or 

professional body? Did you already have 

educational or other professional 

qualifications related to the 

employment? 

9. Do you believe the cost you 

incurred for the training, equipment, or 

other item fairly reflects its value? 

10. If you were required to obtain 

training, equipment, or some other item 

in order to obtain or advance your 

employment, were you given choices in 

how to finance it, and where or from 

what firm to obtain the training, 

equipment, or other item? 

11. What is the name of the company 

or entity from which you received the 

training, equipment, or any other item 

in order to obtain or advance your 

employment? 

12. What is the name of the company 

or entity that financed the debt? 

13. If you feel comfortable doing so, 

please share any documents or 

communications, including any 

marketing, advertisements, contracts, or 

disclosures, associated with the 

employer-driven debt. 

Servicing and Collections 

1. If you took out employer-driven 

debt, have you had to pay your 

employer back? 

2. If you have not had to pay your 

employer back, why not? 

3. Did any specific conditions trigger 

a requirement that you pay back your 

employer (for example: leaving your 

job)? 

4. How have you made your payments 

(e.g., via payroll withholding, ACH, 

sending checks, etc.)? 

5. Did you have a choice in how to 

make your payments? 

6. What collection tactics were used if 

you fell behind in your payments or 

defaulted? 

7. Did your employer or their agent 

initiate a lawsuit against you in order to 

collect the debt? 

8. If you feel comfortable doing so, 

please share any documents associated 

with the servicing or collection of the 

employer-driven debt, including billing 

notices, collection notices, etc. 

9. If you have declared bankruptcy, 

did your employer or their affiliate stop 

trying to collect the debt? 

Disputes 

1. Have you disputed any aspect of 

the debt with your employer, the 

finance company, or any other third 

party associated with the debt? 

2. What was the nature of your 

dispute? 

3. To whom did you make your 

dispute? 

4. How did the recipient of the 

dispute respond? 

5. Was any element of your debt, 

including whether you would have to 

make any payments, altered following 

your dispute? 

Credit Reporting 

1. Has your employer, the finance 

company, or any other third party 

associated with the debt told you that 

they may furnish negative credit 

reporting information about you? 

2. Has your employer, the finance 

company, or any other third party 

associated with the debt furnished 

negative credit reporting information 

about you? 

3. The name of the employer, finance 

company, or other third party that said 


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they would furnish or did furnish 

negative credit reporting information 

about you? 

4. Have you filed a dispute regarding 

furnished information about your debt 

to the furnisher or a consumer reporting 

agency? How was the dispute handled? 

5. Do you believe information about 

your debt has affected your ability to get 

subsequent employment, obtain credit, 

rental housing, or other problems? 

Financial Health 

1. What the effects of employer-driven 

debt were on your finances, 

employment experience, professional 

mobility, workplace health and safety, 

and compensation? 

2. What the effects of employer-driven 

debt were on your family’s well-being? 

Rohit Chopra, 

Director, Consumer Financial Protection 

Bureau. 

[FR Doc. 2022–13030 Filed 6–16–22; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4810–AM–P 

CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY 

COMMISSION 

Sunshine Act Meetings 

TIME AND DATE: Wednesday, June 22, 

2022; 2:00 p.m. 

PLACE: The meeting will be held 

remotely. 

STATUS: Commission Meeting—Open to 

the Public. 

MATTER TO BE CONSIDERED: Decisional 

Matter: Notice of Proposed Rulemaking: 

Safety Standard for Recreational OffHighway Vehicle and Utility Task/ 

Terrain Vehicle Debris Penetration 

Hazards. 

All attendees should pre-register for 

the Commission meeting using the 

following link: https://cpsc.webex.com/ 

cpsc/onstage/g.php?MTID=

e4deb22642fc939114f31638cbcb5057e. 

After registering you will receive a 

confirmation email containing 

information about joining the meeting. 

TIME AND DATE: Wednesday, June 22, 

2022; 2:00 p.m. (immediately following 

the conclusion of the Public 

Commission Meeting). 

PLACE: The meeting will be held 

remotely. 

STATUS: Commission Meeting—Closed 

to the Public. 

MATTER TO BE CONSIDERED: Briefing 

Matter: Commission staff will brief the 

Commission on a compliance matter. 

CONTACT PERSON FOR MORE INFORMATION: 

Alberta E. Mills, Office of the Secretary, 

U.S. Consumer Product Safety 

Commission, 4330 East-West Highway, 

Bethesda, MD 20814, 301–504–7479 

(Office) or 240–863–8938 (Cell). 

Dated: June 15, 2022. 

Alberta E. Mills, 

Commission Secretary. 

[FR Doc. 2022–13254 Filed 6–15–22; 4:15 pm] 

BILLING CODE 6355–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE 

Defense Acquisition Regulations 

System 

[Docket Number DARS–2022–0012] 

Department of Defense Contract 

Finance Study 

AGENCY: Defense Acquisition 

Regulations System, Department of 

Defense (DoD). 

ACTION: Request for information. 

SUMMARY: The DoD Contract Finance 

Study is the first comprehensive 

contract finance study since publication 

of the Defense Financial and Investment 

Review in June 1985. DoD is committed 

to transparency and is interested in 

obtaining the perspective of companies 

of all sizes as well as individuals on a 

number of relevant topics to contribute 

to this important study. 

DATES: Interested parties should submit 

written comments to the address shown 

in ADDRESSES on or before July 18, 2022 

to be considered in the Contract Finance 

Study. 

ADDRESSES: Submit comments to the 

questions provided below, using any of 

the following methods: 

Æ Federal eRulemaking Portal: 

https://www.regulations.gov. Search for 

‘‘Docket Number DARS–2022–0012.’’ 

Select ‘‘Comment’’ and follow the 

instructions to submit a comment. 

Please include your name, company 

name (if any), and ‘‘Docket Number 

DARS–2022–0012’’ on any attached 

document(s). 

Æ Email: osd.pentagon.ousd-as.mbx.dpc-pcf@mail.mil. Include ‘‘DoD 

Contract Finance Study’’ in the subject 

line of the message. 

Comments received generally will be 

posted without change to https://

www.regulations.gov, including any 

personal information provided. To 

confirm receipt of your comment(s), 

please check https://

www.regulations.gov, approximately 

two to three days after submission to 

verify posting. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. 

Sara Higgins, telephone 703–614–1255. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

A. Background 

The Government Accountability 

Office (GAO) Final Report, GAO–19– 

406, ‘‘CONTRACT FINANCING: DoD 

Should Comprehensively Assess How 

Its Policies Affect the Defense 

Industries,’’ dated June 27, 2019, 

recommended a comprehensive 

assessment of the effect that DoD’s 

contract financing and profit policies 

have on the defense industry. DoD 

concurred with this recommendation. 

The Defense Contract Finance Study 

is being headed by the Defense Pricing 

and Contracting’s Director of Price, Cost 

and Finance. The study is comprised of 

two phases with multiple parts and 

participants. The first phase includes 

data collection, research, and analysis 

focused on areas of study that include 

the financial health of the Defense 

Industrial Base, commercial financing 

trends, the effectiveness of current 

methods of DoD contract financing, and 

other aspects of contract financing. The 

second phase will commence upon 

completion of the analysis of inputs 

from the first phase and may include 

policy recommendations. Through 

initiatives such as the Defense Contract 

Finance study, DoD remains committed 

to enabling the delivery and 

sustainment of capability to our 

Warfighters and maintaining a resilient 

Defense Industrial Base. 

This notice requests comments and 

information from the public, specifically 

companies currently in the Defense 

Industrial Base, to assist DoD with this 

complex and significant study. 

B. Topics 

DoD is particularly interested in 

comments and information with regard 

to contract finance policies as they 

affect all levels of the defense sector. 

Note that for the purpose of 

understanding financial health over 

time, the DoD Contract Finance Study is 

not covering impacts of the coronavirus 

disease 2019 (COVID–19) pandemic. 

Therefore, unless specifically asked, 

responses should exclude the period 

after the presidential declaration of a 

national emergency concerning the 

COVID 19 pandemic (March 13, 2020). 

DoD is seeking input from all business 

sizes, as identified below, on the 

following topics: 

1. Financial Health 

a. What is your view of the financial 

health of the Defense Industrial Base? 

Has it improved over the last decade or 

two? Please provide your reasons and a 

description of any financial metrics that 

you think are relevant to answering 

these questions. 


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