zli12321/Bills huggingface dataset:
Seniors Fraud Prevention Act of 2013 - Directs the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to establish an office within the Bureau of Consumer Protection to advise the FTC on the prevention of fraud targeting seniors and to assist the FTC in monitoring the market for mail, television, Internet, and telemarketing fraud including recorded message telephone calls (robocalls) targeting seniors.

Requires the FTC, through such office, to: (1) disseminate to seniors and their families and caregivers information on the most common fraud schemes, including methods of reporting complaints either to the FTC's national toll-free telephone number or to the FTC's Consumer Sentinel Network, where complaints become immediately available to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), state attorneys general, and other appropriate law enforcement agencies; (2) provide, in response to a specific request about a particular entity or individual, publicly available information regarding the FTC's enforcement action; and (3) maintain a website as a resource for information on fraud targeting seniors.

Directs the FTC to establish procedures through such office to: (1) log and acknowledge the receipt of complaints by individuals who believe they have been a victim of such fraud in the Consumer Sentinel Network, and to make such complaints immediately available to federal, state, and local law enforcement authorities; and (2) provide individuals with information on such fraud as well as the most common schemes.

Date: 2013-05-13
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Safety)
Subject: Commerce
We Are Watching You Act of 2013 - Prohibits an operator of a video service from collecting visual or auditory information from the vicinity of the device used to display the video programming stream to the consumer unless the operator: (1) displays, as part of the stream, a message that reads, "We are watching you"; and (2) describes to the consumer the types of information that will be collected and how such information will be used.

Requires the description of information collection to be provided: (1) as part of the terms and conditions to which the consumer must agree before using the video service; and (2) in the case of a video service accessed through a device sold or provided to the consumer by the operator, as part of the written instructions and other materials accompanying such device.

Directs operators to offer an alternative video service that does not involve the collection of such information but is otherwise identical. Requires any devices provided in connection with such alternative service to be incapable of collecting such information.

Allows operators to disclose such information only with the express consent of the consumer or as required by a court order in connection with a law enforcement investigation.

Requires violations of this Act to be treated as unfair or deceptive acts or practices under the Federal Trade Commission Act.

Date: 2013-06-13
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Safety)
Subject: Commerce
(This measure has not been amended since it was reported to the House on September 25, 2013. The summary of that version is repeated here.)

Retail Investor Protection Act - Prohibits the Secretary of Labor from prescribing any regulation under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) defining the circumstances under which an individual is considered a fiduciary until 60 days after the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) issues a final rule governing standards of conduct for brokers and dealers under specified law.

(Sec. 3) Amends the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 to prohibit the SEC from promulgating a rule establishing an investment advisor standard of conduct as the standard of conduct of brokers and dealers before it has ascertained: (1) if retail customers are systematically harmed or disadvantaged owing to the operation of brokers or dealers under different standards of conduct than those that apply to investment advisors under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, and (2) whether adoption of a uniform fiduciary standard of care for brokers or dealers and investment advisors would adversely impact retail investor access or availability to personalized investment advice and recommendations.

Requires the SEC: (1) to publish in the Federal Register formal findings that such rules would reduce retail customer confusion regarding standards of conduct applicable to brokers, dealers, and investment advisors; and (2) in proposing such rules, to consider the differences in the registration, supervision, and examination requirements applicable to brokers, dealers, and investment advisors.

Date: 2013-06-14
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Safety)
Subject: Finance and financial sector
Consumer Financial Protection Commission Act of 2013 - Amends the Consumer Financial Protection Act of 2010 (title X of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act), to replace the position of Director of the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection with a five-member Commission whose members are appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate.

Prohibits the Chair of the Commission from making requests for estimates related to appropriations without prior Commission approval.

Date: 2013-06-17
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Safety)
Subject: Finance and financial sector
Black Box Privacy Protection Act - Amends the Automobile Information Disclosure Act to require manufacturers of new automobiles to disclose on the information label affixed to the window of the automobile: (1) the presence and location of an event data recorder (commonly referred to as a "black box"), (2) the type of information recorded and how such information is recorded, and (3) that the recording may be used in a law enforcement proceeding.

Sets forth similar requirements for motorcycle manufacturers.

Defines "event data recorder" as any device or means of technology installed in an automobile that records information such as automobile or motorcycle speed, seatbelt use, application of brakes, or other information pertinent to the operation of the automobile or motorcycle.

Prohibits the manufacture, sale, offering for sale, or import into the United States of an automobile manufactured after 2015 (bearing a model year of 2016 or later) that is equipped with an event data recorder, unless the consumer can control the recording of information.

Requires the event data recorder in an automobile or motorcycle, and any data recorded, to be considered the property of the owner of the automobile or motorcycle. Makes the retrieval or downloading of recorded data by any other person unlawful, except: (1) with the owner's consent, (2) in response to a court order, or (3) by a dealer or automotive technician to service the vehicle.

Requires certain violations to be treated as unfair or deceptive acts or practices under the Federal Trade Commission Act.

Date: 2013-06-18
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Safety)
Subject: Commerce
Responsible Consumer Financial Protection Regulations Act of 2013 - Amends the Consumer Financial Protection Act of 2010, title X of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, to replace the position of Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) with a five-member Commission composed of the Vice Chairman for Supervision of the Federal Reserve System and four additional members appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, each to serve for a term of five years.

Prohibits the Chair of the Commission from making requests for estimates related to appropriations without the Commission's prior approval.

Makes technical and conforming amendments to related statutes.

Date: 2013-06-20
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Safety)
Subject: Finance and financial sector
Amends the Consumer Product Safety Act to remove from the definition of "consumer product" the exclusion for any article sold by a manufacturer, producer, or importer that would be subject to a firearms sales tax under the Internal Revenue Code for pistols, revolvers, and other firearms, including shells and cartridges, thereby permitting the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to issue safety standards for such articles.

Date: 2013-06-20
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Safety)
Subject: Commerce
End Discriminatory State Taxes for Automobile Renters Act of 2013 - Prohibits states or local governments from levying or collecting a discriminatory tax (generally, a tax or tax assessment that is applicable to the rental of motor vehicles or motor vehicle businesses or property, but not to the majority of other rentals of tangible personal property within a state or locality) on the rental of motor vehicles, motor vehicle rental businesses, or motor vehicle rental property.

Date: 2013-06-27
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Safety)
Subject: Taxation
(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary has been expanded because action occurred on the measure.)

Consumer Right to Financial Privacy Act of 2013 - (Sec. 1) Amends the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act to revise the prohibition against the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB)'s obtaining, from a covered person or service provider, any personally identifiable financial information about a consumer.

(Sec. 2) Prohibits the CFPB, in addition, from requesting, accessing, collecting, using, retaining, or disclosing nonpublic personal information about a consumer unless: (1) the CFPB clearly and conspicuously discloses to the consumer, in writing or in an electronic form, what information will be requested, obtained, accessed, collected, used, retained, or disclosed; and (2) the consumer informs the CFPB, before such information is requested, obtained, accessed, collected, used, retained, or disclosed, that such information may be requested, obtained, accessed, collected, used, retained, or disclosed.

 Subjects to the same restrictions and conditions any person directed or engaged by the CFPB to collect such information on its behalf.

(Sec. 3) Amends the Right to Financial Privacy Act of 1978 to repeal the exemption from its application for CFPB examination or disclosure of financial records or information in the exercise of CFPB authority with respect to a financial institution (thus applying the Act to CFPB examinations and disclosures).

Date: 2013-06-28
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Safety)
Subject: Finance and financial sector
Made in America Act of 2013 - Directs the Secretary of Commerce to establish: (1) a voluntary America Star Program under which manufacturers may have products certified as meeting the standards of labels that indicate to consumers the extent to which the products are manufactured in the United States; and (2) such America Star labels, including the content of the labels and the standards that a product shall meet in order to bear a particular label. Requires the labels to be consistent with public perceptions of the meaning of descriptions of the extent to which a product is manufactured in the United States.

Requires the Secretary, after receiving an application, to certify a product as meeting a label's standards, notify the manufacturer, conduct monitoring and compliance review to ensure that a product continues to meet such standards, notify a manufacturer of any corrective action needed, and withdraw certification of a product if such action is not taken. Provides for an expedited appeals procedure for actions that adversely affect a person.

Prohibits a person from placing an America Star label on a product, using such label in marketing such product, or in any other way representing that such product meets the standards of such label unless a certification by the Secretary is in effect. Bars the Secretary from certifying the product for a five-year period after determining that a manufacturer has violated the purposes of the Program.

Date: 2013-07-11
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Safety)
Subject: Commerce
Amends the Inspector General Act of 1978 and the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act to create an Inspector General for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB).

Requires the President, within 60 days after enactment of this Act, to appoint a CFPB Inspector General.

Date: 2013-07-22
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Safety)
Subject: Finance and financial sector
Decrease Unsafe Toxins Act - Amends the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 to ban as a hazardous substance under the Federal Hazardous Substances Act any children's cushioned product manufactured on or after the date that is one year after enactment of this Act that contains more than 1,000 parts per million flame retardant chemical by weight in the filling material used to make such product.

Defines: (1) "children's cushioned product" as a children's product under the Consumer Product Safety Act containing resilient filling materials, such as high chairs, strollers, infant walkers, booster seats, car seats, changing pads, floor play mats, highchair pads, highchairs, infant swings, bassinets, infant seats, infant bouncers, nursing pads, playards, playpen side pads, infant mattresses, infant mattress pads, and portable hook-on chairs; and (2) "flame retardant chemical" as an organohalogen or organophosphorous compound.

Date: 2013-08-01
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Safety)
Subject: Commerce
Amends the Consumer Financial Protection Act of 2010 to direct the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) to: (1) disclose to a consumer all information (and their sources) held by the CFPB with respect to that consumer, including any person or other federal department or agency to which the CFPB disclosed the information; and (2) truncate in the disclosure the first five digits of the consumer's Social Security number (or similar identification number), if the consumer so requests and the CFPB has received appropriate proof of the requester's identity.

Permits consumers to request such a disclosure: (1) online, with a link prominently displayed on the CFPB website; (2) via U.S. mail; and (3) via a toll-free telephone number.

Date: 2013-09-25
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Safety)
Subject: Finance and financial sector
Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection Accountability Act of 2013 - Amends the Consumer Financial Protection Act of 2010 to subject the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) to regular appropriations.

Repeals the requirement of an annual transfer to the CFPB of funds from the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. Subjects the CFPB to the regular authorization, budget, and appropriations process of the Department of the Treasury.

Repeals establishment of the CFPB Fund.

Replaces the authorization of appropriations for FY2010-FY2014 with an authorization for FY2015 only.

Date: 2013-09-26
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Safety)
Subject: Finance and financial sector
Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection Judicial Fairness Act - Amends the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act to repeal the requirement that the deference that a court affords to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) regarding the meaning or interpretation of any federal consumer financial law be applied as if it were the only agency authorized to apply, enforce, interpret, or administer federal consumer financial law.

Date: 2013-09-26
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Safety)
Subject: Finance and financial sector
Annuity Safety and Security Under Reasonable Enforcement Act of 2013 or the ASSURE Act of 2013 - Amends the Truth in Lending Act to direct the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection (CFPB) to issue regulations requiring any payment to a recipient of a federal or military pension (a benefit recipient) that diminishes the benefit recipient's ability to control payments from such pension to be treated as an extension of credit.

Requires financial institutions to include the terms of such credit in consumer information disclosures.

Prohibits the annual percentage rate of interest on such arrangements from exceeding the federal funds rate plus 6% or an equivalent aggregate amount of cash and property.

Specifies conditions under which payment of consideration in exchange for the retired pay of enlisted military members is prohibited from assignment under veterans' benefits laws.

Prohibits individuals from making allotments or assignments from annuities under the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) or the Federal Employees' Retirement System (FERS), including any agreement under which another person acquires for consideration the right to receive payment from such annuities as well as any arrangement for collateral for security for such an agreement. Exempts union dues or payments to employee organizations from such prohibitions.

Authorizes benefit recipients, individuals entitled to military retired pay, and annuity recipients to bring a private legal action in federal or state court against an assignee engaging in prohibited assignments.

Amends the Consumer Financial Protection Act of 2010 to direct the CFPB to issue regulations requiring persons offering federal or military pension-related products to provide additional disclosures when advertising or selling such products to allow consumers to understand how their pension relates to the product.

Date: 2013-10-23
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Safety)
Subject: Finance and financial sector
CFPB Slush Fund Elimination Act of 2013 - Amends the Consumer Financial Protection Act of 2010 to repeal the Consumer Financial Civil Penalty Fund, into which are deposited any civil penalties paid in judicial or administrative actions under federal consumer financial laws.

 Requires the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System to deposit all such civil penalties, and all amounts currently in the Civil Penalty Fund, into the Treasury's general fund.

Date: 2013-10-30
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Safety)
Subject: Finance and financial sector
Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection Accountability Act and Transparency Act of 2013 - (Sec. 2) Amends the Consumer Financial Protection Act of 2010 to: (1) rename the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) the Financial Product Safety Commission (FPSC) , (2) remove it from the Federal Reserve System, and (3) repeal the authority of the FPSC Director to establish regional offices in cities in which either Federal Reserve Banks or their branches are located.

Repeals the requirement that not fewer than six members of the Consumer Advisory Board be appointed to it by the FPSC Director on a rotating basis upon the recommendation of the regional Federal Reserve Bank Presidents. (Sec. 3) Repeals the mandatory annual transfer of funds to the CFPB from the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. Subjects the FPSC to the regular authorization, budget, and appropriations process of the Department of the Treasury. Eliminates the Consumer Financial Protection Fund. Authorizes appropriations for each of FY2014 and FY2015. (Sec. 4) Deems any reference in any record of the United States to the CFPB to be a reference to the FPSC.

Date: 2013-11-18
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Safety)
Subject: Finance and financial sector
Amends the Energy Policy and Conservation Act to exempt decorative hearth products from consideration as direct heating equipment subject to the Act's energy efficiency standards.

Defines a "decorative hearth product" as a vented gas fireplace, stove, gas fireplace insert, or gas log set that: (1) is not certified to the ANSI Z21.88 standard and, in the case of vented gas fireplaces, fireplace inserts, or stoves, is certified to the ANSI Z21.50 standard; (2) is sold without a thermostat and with a warranty provision expressly voiding manufacturer warranties in the event the product is used with a thermostat; and (3) contains no energy efficiency representations other than P.4 efficiencies required for products sold in Canada.

Adds the product category "vented hearth heater," defined as a vented gas fireplace, fireplace insert, or stove: (1) for which any AFUE (annual fuel utilization efficiency) representation, or representation with respect to P.4 efficiencies required for products sold in Canada, is made in any manufacturer advertising or literature; (2) certified to the ANSI Z21.88 standard or identified in any manufacturer literature or advertising as a "heater-rated" product; or (3) equipped by the manufacturer with a thermostatic control.

Deems a vented gas fireplace, fireplace insert, stove, or gas log set that is not a decorative hearth product to be direct heating equipment for purposes of the Act.

Date: 2013-12-12
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Safety)
Subject: Energy
Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection-Inspector General Reform Act of 2013 or CFPB-IG Act of 2013 - Amends the Inspector General Act of 1978 to repeal the authority of the Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (Board) to appoint the Inspector General of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB).

 Amends the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act to create an Inspector General for the CFPB.

Requires the President, within 60 days after enactment of this Act, to appoint a CFPB Inspector General.

Date: 2013-12-12
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Safety)
Subject: Finance and financial sector
(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary of that version is repeated here.)

Transparent Airfares Act of 2014 - Declares that it shall not be an unfair or deceptive practice for an air carrier or other covered entity to state the base airfare in an advertisement or solicitation for passenger air transportation if it clearly and separately discloses: (1) the government-imposed taxes and fees for the air transportation, and (2) its total cost.

Defines "base airfare" to mean the cost of passenger air transportation, excluding government-imposed taxes and fees.

Defines "covered entity" as an air carrier, including an indirect air carrier, foreign carrier, ticket agent, or other person offering to sell tickets for passenger air transportation or a tour or tour component that must be purchased with air transportation.

Date: 2014-03-06
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Safety)
Subject: Transportation and public works
(This measure has not been amended since it was reported to the House on July 24, 2014. The summary of that version is repeated here.)

Sunscreen Innovation Act - (Sec. 2) Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to establish a process for the review and approval of over-the-counter (OTC) sunscreen active ingredients.

Allows any person to request that the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) determine whether an OTC sunscreen active ingredient or combination of ingredients is safe and effective.

Requires the Secretary to review any request regarding a sunscreen active ingredient or combination of ingredients that has been in use and that is not included in the stayed sunscreen monograph published by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Directs the Secretary to invite the sponsor of the request to provide data and other information on the safety and efficacy of the sunscreen active ingredient or combination of ingredients. Requires the Secretary to determine whether the provided information is sufficient to conduct a review, and if so, file the request, and if not, explain to the sponsor why the provided information is insufficient.

Requires the Director of the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research to complete a review of a filed request and determine the safety and efficacy of the sunscreen active ingredient or combination of ingredients within 300 days for new requests or a shorter timeframe for requests pending before enactment of this Act. Directs the Commissioner of Food and Drugs to make the determination if the Director does not make a determination in the allowed timeframe.

Allows sunscreen active ingredients that are determined to be safe and effective to be used in OTC sunscreen products.

Directs the Comptroller General (GAO) to report on the progress of the Secretary in establishing this process and the role of the Commissioner of Food and Drugs in issuing determinations on pending requests. Requires the Secretary to report on the decisions made about the safety and efficacy of sunscreen active ingredients, the amount of time between submission and decision for each request, the cost of the review process, and recommended improvements to the review process.

Date: 2014-03-13
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Safety)
Subject: Health
Bureau Advisory Commission Transparency Act - Amends the Consumer Financial Protection Act of 2010 to make the Federal Advisory Committee Act applicable to each advisory committee of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB).

Date: 2014-03-14
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Safety)
Subject: Finance and financial sector
Truth in Advertising Act of 2014 - Directs the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to submit a report to Congress that contains: (1) a strategy to reduce the use, in advertising and other media for the promotion of commercial products, of images that have been altered to materially change the physical characteristics of the faces and bodies of the individuals depicted; and (2) recommendations for a risk-based regulatory framework with respect to such use.

Requires the FTC to solicit input from external stakeholders and experts including, to the extent practicable, from: (1) stakeholders that are geographically and culturally diverse; and (2) experts from physical and mental health, business, and consumer advocacy communities.

Date: 2014-03-27
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Safety)
Subject: Commerce
Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection Small Business Advisory Board Act - Amends the Consumer Financial Protection Act of 2010 to direct the Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) to establish a Small Business Advisory Board to: (1) advise and consult with the Bureau in the exercise of the Bureau's functions under the federal consumer financial laws applicable to eligible financial products or services; and (2) provide information on emerging practices of small businesses that provide eligible financial products or services, including regional trends, concerns, and other relevant information.

Requires the Director to appoint at least 12 members to such Board.

Date: 2014-04-03
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Safety)
Subject: Finance and financial sector
Dangerous Products Warning Act - Amends the federal criminal code to impose a fine and/or prison term of up to 5 years on any business entity or product supervisor with respect to a product or business practice who knows of a serious danger associated with such product or business practice and knowingly fails within 15 days after discovering such danger to inform an appropriate federal agency in writing, warn affected employees in writing, and inform other affected individuals.  Imposes a fine and/or prison term of up to 1 year on any individual who intentionally discriminates against an employee who informs a federal agency or warns employees of a serious danger associated with a product or business practice. 

Date: 2014-04-10
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Safety)
Subject: Crime and law enforcement
Tax Refund Protection Act of 2014 - Amends the Consumer Financial Protection Act of 2010 to require the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) to: (1) regulate refund anticipation payment arrangements, (2) establish a licensing or certification program governing tax return preparers subject to this Act, (3) regulate such preparers, and (4) require applicants to demonstrate qualifications and competency to perform tax return preparation sevices.

Authorizes the CFPB to impose a licensing or certification fee.

Directs the CFPB to require such preparers to make prescribed disclosures to a consumer, including: (1) a fee schedule for preparing or filing a federal income tax return, or executing a refund anticipation payment arrangement; and (2) the consumer's responsibility to pay any fees and interest associated with a refund anticipation payment arrangement even if the consumer does not receive a tax refund or the refund's amount is less than anticipated under the arrangement.

Empowers the CFPB to take enforcement action against a preparer for specified violations.

Amends the Internal Revenue Code to permit a federal income tax refund, on taxpayer request, to be split between the taxpayer and the preparer. Prohibits treatment of such a split as disreputable conduct merely because the taxpayer requested the split.

Date: 2014-04-10
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Safety)
Subject: Taxation
Cleaning Product Right to Know Act of 2014 - Requires a cleaning product manufactured or offered for sale, distributed in commerce, or imported into the United States to bear a label listing each of its ingredients: (1) by the name assigned by the International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients or, if there is no such name, by the name assigned by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry or, if there is none, by its common chemical name; and (2) in descending order of predominance by weight, except that ingredients that constitute less than 1% of the product can be listed at the end in any order.

Allows the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to exempt from such labeling requirement: (1) an ingredient that is present in a product at such low levels that detection is not technologically feasible; or (2) for five-year periods, an ingredient that a manufacturer demonstrates to be a trade secret. Sets forth required disclosures for, and limitations to, a manufacturer's claim that an ingredient is a trade secret.

Requires a product that is not in conformity with the labeling requirements and not exempt to be treated as a misbranded hazardous substance under the Federal Hazardous Substances Act (FHSA). Increases penalties for violations of FHSA.

Authorizes any person to petition the CPSC to investigate claims that a product does not satisfy the labeling requirements.

Requires: (1) each cleaning product manufacturer to make available on its website a complete list of ingredients for each product, including any potential adverse health effect of each ingredient; and (2) CPSC to provide on its website aggregated information that allows users to compare products made by different manufacturers.

Date: 2014-04-10
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Safety)
Subject: Commerce
Bureau Research Transparency Act - Amends the Consumer Financial Protection Act of 2010 to require the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), any time it issues a research paper available to the public, to accompany it with all studies, data, and other analyses on which it was based.

Date: 2014-05-01
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Safety)
Subject: Finance and financial sector
CFPB Data Collection Security Act - Amends the Consumer Financial Protection Act of 2010 to direct the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) to: (1) establish an opt-out list of consumers who have notified the CFPB that they do not wish to allow it to collect personally identifiable information about them, and (2) give consumers a method of adding and removing their names from the opt-out list via telephone or the CFPB website.

Prohibits the CFPB from collecting: (1) personally identifiable information about a consumer listed on the opt-out list (except in the case of consumer complaints), or (2) any data or performing any market monitoring unless it has a Senate-confirmed Director.

Prescribes time limitations for the holding of data by the CFPB.

Directs the CFPB, if it experiences a data breach that exposes personally identifiable information about a consumer, to give that consumer one year of free credit monitoring. Requires the CFPB to notify consumers publicly of such a breach on the front page of its website.

 Prohibits CFPB employees from accessing personally identifiable information collected by the CFPB unless they hold a "confidential" security clearance.

Date: 2014-05-07
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Safety)
Subject: Government operations and politics
Bureau Advisory Opinion Act - Amends the Consumer Financial Protection Act of 2010 to require the Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) to: (1) establish a procedure to respond to specific inquiries by a covered person concerning conformance of prospective conduct with federal consumer financial law, and (2) issue an opinion in response to the inquiry within 90 days (with a single allowable extension of another 45 days).

(A "covered person" under the Act is: (1) any person that engages in offering or providing a consumer financial product or service, and (2) any affiliate of that person if the affiliate acts as a service provider to the person.)

Creates a rebuttable presumption in any action brought under federal consumer financial law that any conduct for which the Director has issued an opinion that it is in conformity with the opinion is indeed in compliance with federal consumer financial law.

Exempts such inquiries and advisory opinions from disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act.

Date: 2014-05-15
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Safety)
Subject: Finance and financial sector
Bureau Guidance Transparency Act - Amends the Consumer Financial Protection Act of 2010 to direct the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), before issuing any guidance, to: (1) provide for a public notice and comment period before issuing the guidance in final form; and (2) make available to the public, when issuing guidance in final form, all studies, data, and other analysis relied upon by the CFPB in preparing and issuing such guidance.

Date: 2014-05-20
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Safety)
Subject: Finance and financial sector
Bureau Arbitration Fairness Act - Amends the Consumer Financial Protection Act of 2010 to repeal the authority of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) to prohibit or restrict the use of an agreement between persons under its jurisdiction and a consumer in connection with the offering or providing of a consumer financial product or service that provides for mandatory pre-dispute arbitration of any future dispute between the parties.

Date: 2014-05-22
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Safety)
Subject: Finance and financial sector
Robin Danielson Act of 2014 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to provide for the conduct or support of research on the extent to which components, including contaminants and substances used as fragrances, in feminine hygiene products pose any risks to the health of women or the health of the children of women who use those products during or before the pregnancies involved.

Date: 2014-05-28
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Safety)
Subject: Health
Bureau Examination Fairness Act - Amends the Consumer Financial Protection Act of 2010 to prohibit the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) from including enforcement attorneys when examining entities under its jurisdiction.

Requires the CFPB, when requesting data from such entities, to: (1) ensure that the different divisions of the CFPB coordinate with each other before the data is requested, (2) accompany each request with a written statement of its intended use, and (3) use peer-reviewed data sampling based upon limited data sets rather than requesting full data sets (unless the Director determines, in writing, that requesting full data sets is necessary).

Directs the CFPB also, with respect to a data request whose cost of compliance is anticipated to exceed $50,000 per company, to give the entity the Director's written approval for the request.

Requires the CFPB to: (1) complete examination field work and conduct an exit interview with the entity being examined within 60 days after the examination begins, and (2) produce a report of examination or supervisory letter within 120 days after the examination is completed.

Restricts the CFPB to performing only one limited-scope examination of an entity at any one time.

Date: 2014-06-05
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Safety)
Subject: Finance and financial sector
Bureau Guidance Transparency Act - Amends the Consumer Financial Protection Act of 2010 to direct the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), when issuing guidance, to: (1) provide for a public notice and comment period before issuing the guidance in final form, (2) make publicly available all information relied on by the CFPB, and (3) redact any information that is exempt from disclosure under specified provisions of the Freedom of Information Act.

 Declares without force or effect CFPB Bulletin 2013-02 (Indirect Auto Lending and Compliance with the Equal Credit Opportunity Act), published March 21, 2013.

Date: 2014-06-09
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Safety)
Subject: Finance and financial sector
(This measure has not been amended since it was passed by the House on July 29, 2014. The summary of that version is repeated here.)

 Examination and Supervisory Privilege Parity Act of 2014 - Amends the Consumer Financial Protection Act of 2010, with respect to the supervision of nondepository covered persons, to include state agencies that licence, supervise, or examine the offering of consumer financial products or services among the regulatory agencies with which the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) is required to coordinate its supervisory activities.

Declares that the sharing of information with such regulators, authorities, and agencies shall not be construed as waiving, destroying, or otherwise affecting any privilege or confidentiality claimed by nondepository covered persons under federal or state law regarding such information as to any person or entity other than the CFPB, agency, supervisor, or authority.

Date: 2014-07-10
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Safety)
Subject: Finance and financial sector
Amends the Consumer Financial Protection Act of 2010 to require the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) to develop a model form for a disclosure notice to be used by depository institutions and credit unions to inform consumers before they open a checking account.

Exempts from the requirement to use such a form any depository institutions or credit unions with total assets of less than $2 billion.

Date: 2014-07-24
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Safety)
Subject: Finance and financial sector
Reforming CFPB Indirect Auto Financing Guidance Act - Declares without force or effect Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) Bulletin 2013-02 (Indirect Auto Lending and Compliance with the Equal Credit Opportunity Act), published March 21, 2013.

Amends the Consumer Financial Protection Act of 2010 to direct the CFPB, when proposing and issuing guidance primarily related to indirect auto financing, to:

 provide for a public notice and comment period before issuing the guidance in final form; make publicly available all information relied on by the CFPB; redact any information exempt from disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act; consult with the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), and the Department of Justice (DOJ); and study the costs and impacts of the guidance to consumers and women-owned, minority-owned, and small businesses.

Date: 2014-09-08
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Safety)
Subject: Finance and financial sector
Child Nicotine Poisoning Prevention Act of 2014 - Directs the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to promulgate a rule requiring liquid nicotine containers to be designed with special packaging that is difficult for children under five years of age to open or to obtain harmful contents from.

Date: 2014-09-16
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Safety)
Subject: Commerce
Protecting Students from Worthless Degrees Act - Makes any institution of higher education (IHE) postsecondary program designed to prepare students for a recognized occupation or profession requiring licensing or other entry pre-conditions ineligible to participate in a federal financial assistance program, unless it meets specified student consumer protection requirements.

Requires each program to: (1) fully prepare students to satisfy those entry pre-conditions in the metropolitan statistical areas and states in which the students reside and in any state the program claims a successful program graduate will be prepared to work in the particular occupation or profession involved; and (2) provide timely placement of students in required pre-licensure positions, such as clinical placements, internships, or apprenticeships.

Directs the Secretary of Education to promulgate regulations regarding pre-accredited IHE programs to: (1) impose consumer protection requirements on such programs that are consistent with those this Act imposes on accredited programs, and (2) condition an IHE's participation in any federal financial assistance program on the IHE signing a loan discharge agreement with each of their students who is enrolled in any pre-accredited program.

Date: 2014-09-18
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Safety)
Subject: Education
Responsible Consumer Financial Protection Regulations Act of 2013 - Amends the Consumer Financial Protection Act of 2010 (title X of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act) to replace the position of Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) with a five-member Commission whose members are appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate.

Prohibits the Chair of the Commission from making requests for estimates related to appropriations without the prior approval of the Commission.

Revises procedures for funding the CFPB. Eliminates the Consumer Financial Protection Fund and the requirement that the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System transfer funds to the CFPB from the combined earnings of the Federal Reserve System. Authorizes appropriations for FY2013-FY2014.

Directs the CFPB, in prescribing a rule under the federal consumer financial laws, to consider the rule's impact on the financial safety or soundness of an insured depository institution.

Date: 2013-01-31
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Safety)
Subject: Finance and financial sector
Swaps Regulatory Improvement Act - Amends the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act with respect to the prohibition against certain federal assistance to swaps entities, namely the use of any advances from specified Federal Reserve credit facilities or discount windows, or Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) insurance or guarantees, for the purpose of: (1) making any loan to, or purchasing any stock, equity interest, or debt obligation of, any swaps entity; (2) purchasing the assets of any swaps entity; (3) guaranteeing any loan or debt issuance of any swaps entity; or (4) entering into any assistance arrangement (including tax breaks), loss sharing, or profit sharing with any swaps entity.

Extends to any major swap participant or major security-based swap participant that is an uninsured U.S. branch or agency of a foreign bank the exemption from the prohibition against federal assistance to swaps entities which is currently limited to any major swap participant or major security-based swap participant that is an FDIC-insured bank or savings association.

Designates both uninsured U.S. branches or agencies of a foreign bank and insured depository institutions as "covered depository institutions."

Requires any covered depository institution exempted from the prohibition to limit its swap and security-based swap activities to hedging and similar risk mitigating activities (as under current law), non-structured finance swap activities, or certain structured finance swap activities. (Defines "structured finance swap" as a swap or security-based swap based on an asset-backed security [or group or index primarily composed of asset-backed securities].)

Qualifies a structured finance swap activity for the exemption if: (1) it is undertaken for hedging or risk management purposes, or (2) each asset-backed security underlying the structured finance swap is of a credit quality and of a type or category with respect to which the prudential regulators have jointly adopted rules authorizing such a swap or security-based swap activity by covered depository institutions.

Repeals the exemption from the prohibition for any insured depository institution that limits its swap and security-based swap activities to acting as a swaps entity for: (1) swaps or security-based swaps involving rates or reference assets that are permissible for investment by a national bank; or (2) credit default swaps, including those referencing the credit risk of asset-backed securities unless they are cleared by a derivatives clearing organization or a clearing agency registered, or exempt from registration, under the Commodity Exchange Act or the Securities Exchange Act.

Date: 2013-03-06
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Safety)
Subject: Finance and financial sector
Identity Theft and Tax Fraud Prevention Act of 2013 - Requires the Secretary of the Treasury to: (1) establish a plan to reduce the administrative time required to process and resolve cases of tax-related identity theft, (2) ensure that taxpayers who have been adversely affected by identity theft have a single point of contact at the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), (3) issue a personal identification number to identity theft victims after their true identity has been established and verified, (4) implement a program to prevent the processing of a tax return by an identity thief, (5) issue regulations that restrict the delivery or deposit of multiple tax refunds to the same individual in the same tax year, and (6) submit a report on options for creating a tax system that reduces burdens on taxpayers and decreases tax fraud through information matching. Imposes restrictions on the use of prepaid debit cards for tax refunds.

Prohibits the Secretary of Commerce from disclosing information contained on the Death Master File relating to a deceased individual to persons who are not certified to access such information.

Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to: (1) establish and implement procedures to eliminate the unnecessary collection, use, and display of social security account numbers of Medicare beneficiaries; (2) ensure that newly-issued Medicare identification cards meet certain security standards; and (3) establish a pilot program to evaluate the applicability of smart card technology to Medicare beneficiaries or providers and whether such cards would be effective in preventing Medicare fraud.

Amends the federal criminal code to prohibit the display, sale, or purchase of social security numbers without the consent of the account holder. Imposes criminal penalties for obtaining a social security number for purposes of locating or identifying an individual with the intent to physically injure, harm, or use the identity of an individual for any illegal purpose. Allows civil remedies to enjoin and recover losses from violations of this Act and sets forth civil penalties for such violations.

Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) impose a criminal penalty for willful misappropriation of another person's taxpayer identity, and (2) increase the civil and criminal penalties for unauthorized disclosure of taxpayer information by paid tax return preparers.

Authorizes the IRS Commissioner to transfer appropriated funds to be used solely to prevent and resolve potential cases of tax fraud.

Directs the Commissioner to establish in the Criminal Investigation Division of the IRS the position of Local Law Enforcement Liaison to coordinate the investigation of tax fraud with state and local law enforcement agencies.

Grants the Secretary of the Treasury access to information in the National Directory of New Hires for purposes of administering the tax code.

Date: 2013-04-09
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Safety)
Subject: Taxation