zli12321/Bills huggingface dataset:
PACE Assessment Protection Act of 2011 - Requires the Director of the Federal Housing Agency (FHA) to direct the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae) and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac) to issue guidance providing that the levy of a PACE (property assessed clean energy) assessment and the creation of a PACE lien do not constitute a default on any loan secured by one of its uniform instruments, and do not trigger the exercise of remedies with respect to any provision of the instrument, if the PACE assessment and the PACE lien meet specified requirements. Lists as PACE improvements any qualified clean energy improvements, energy conservation and efficiency improvements, and water conservation and efficiency improvements. Prohibits the FHA Director, the Comptroller of the Currency, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA), the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, and all federal agencies and entities chartered or otherwise established under federal law from discriminating in any manner against state or local governments implementing or participating in a PACE program, or against any property that is obligated to pay a PACE assessment or is subject to a PACE lien. Specifies requirements a PACE program, and any related PACE assessment and PACE lien, must meet to be entitled to the protections of this Act. Details obligations of property owners with respect to PACE assessments, and requires the local government to disclose to the participating property owner the costs and risk associated with participating in the PACE program. Prescribes requirements for: (1) non-residential properties; and (2) qualifying PACE improvements, qualifying contractors, and financing terms for residential properties. Limits the total amount of PACE assessments for a property to 10% of its estimated value. Requires the property owner to have equity in the property of at least 15%.

Date: 2011-07-20
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Finance)
Subject: Housing and community development
Limiting Investor and Homeowner Loss in Foreclosure Act of 2011 - Authorizes a bankruptcy court to establish a loss mitigation program for the negotiation of consensual alternatives to avoid foreclosure between an individual debtor and the holder of a claim secured by a security interest in the debtor's principal residence.

Date: 2011-07-30
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Finance)
Subject: Finance and financial sector
Mortgage Credit Availability Act of 2011 - Requires the Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, for 2012-2014, to determine for each county witha population exceeding one million individuals whether a significant share of the county population resides, as of the commencement of each such year, in sub-areas of the county for which the median price for a one-, two-, three-, or four-family residence is more than three times the national median price for such a residence. Authorizes the Director, with respect to any such county, to increase the limitation on the maximum original principal obligation of a mortgage that may be purchased by the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae) and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac) for any size or sizes of residences for a contiguous, reasonably compact set of sub-areas within the county for which the median price exceeds three times the national price. Applies to an entire Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) any such increase in limitation if the county for which the limitation is increased is located in that MSA.

Date: 2011-10-03
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Finance)
Subject: Housing and community development
Family Foreclosure Rescue Corporation Act - Instructs the Secretary of the Treasury to establish the Family Foreclosure Rescue Corporation to acquire, via the sale of bonds, home mortgages, and other obligations and liens secured by real estate which are currently in default or at foreseeable risk of default.

Date: 2011-10-06
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Finance)
Subject: Housing and community development
Short Sale Transparency Act of 2011 - Directs the Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency to require the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae) and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac), in any case in which one or the other denies the purchase of a residential mortgage loan made to finance the purchase, under a short sale, of a covered dwelling on the basis that the purchase price involved is insufficient, to disclose promptly to the prospective seller the amount by which the purchase price was less than the minimum purchase price sufficient for approval of the purchase of such mortgage.

Date: 2011-10-12
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Finance)
Subject: Housing and community development
Creating Homeownership Opportunity Act of 2011 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to establish tax-exempt housing equity savings accounts to assist individual taxpayers under the age of 55 in paying the costs of acquiring, constructing, or reconstructing a principal residence. Allows: (1) a deduction from gross income for cash contributions to such accounts for the lesser of $10,000 or the compensation includible in the taxpayer's gross income for a taxable year, (2) an exclusion from gross income of amounts distributed from such accounts that are used by an account beneficiary to purchase a principal residence or make payments to such beneficiary's individual retirement account (IRA), and (3) a tax-free rollover into an IRA if an account beneficiary reaches age 55 or has maintained an account for 20 years without purchasing a residence.

Date: 2011-11-03
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Finance)
Subject: Taxation
Freddie Mac Debt Reduction Act of 2011 - Amends the Housing and Community Development Act of 1992 with respect to the exercise of options on mortgage-backed securities by the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac) or, during the term of any conservatorship or receivership of Freddie Mac, the Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA). Directs Freddie Mac (or FHFA as its conservator or receiver) to exercise any option on a mortgage-backed security with a clean-up call option Freddie Mac has issued if the residual holder of the security is willing to share at least 50% of any excess proceeds from the exercise of the option with FHFA as conservator or receiver, which would thereby reduce the liability of taxpayers. (A clean-up call option allows a transferor of assets, in this case mortgage assets, to buy them back after the outstanding asset values have been reduced substantially.) Defines mortgage-backed security with a clean-up call option as any mortgage-backed security under which there is an option or right to redeem all remaining classes of the security whenever the aggregate remaining principal of the mortgage would be less than the optional redemption or clean-up call percentage. Directs the Director to prohibit Freddie Mac and the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae) from issuing any mortgage-backed security with a clean-up call option. Directs the Director to ensure that any excess proceeds received as a result of the exercise of any clean-up call options be used only to reduce the budget deficit of the federal government.

Date: 2011-11-30
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Finance)
Subject: Housing and community development
Fairness in Foreclosures Act of 2011 - Declares that no action for a deficiency judgment arising from an obligation under a residential mortgage may be brought except in accordance with this Act. Declares that no such deficiency judgment may be issued unless the court has determined that the foreclosure sale for the property securing repayment was conducted in accordance with specified requirements. Specifies a formula for determining the total amount a plaintiff may recover in such a deficiency judgment. Declares that no action for a deficiency judgment may be brought if the (nonrecourse) mortgage terms prohibit recovery after: (1) the residential property securing repayment of such obligation is sold at foreclosure sale, or (2) the mortgage is foreclosed in the manner provided under the law of the state in which the property is located. Declares that if the mortgagor is a member of a low-income family: (1) no action may be brought for a deficiency judgment; and (2) a deficiency in recovery, from a foreclosure sale, of the full amount of the mortgage obligation may not be reported to any consumer reporting agency or disclosed to any person other than the mortgagor or the mortgagor's personal representative, unless such disclosure is otherwise required by law.

Date: 2011-12-06
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Finance)
Subject: Housing and community development
Mandatory Foreclosure Mediation Act - Prohibits a servicer from initiating a foreclosure action against a borrower unless the servicer has: (1) made a reasonable effort to initiate mediation proceedings to determine if the borrower is eligible for a loan modification or an alternative to foreclosure; and (2) offered the borrower, if eligible, such a modification or alternative. Requires a servicer to suspend a foreclosure action initiated before the enactment of this Act until the servicer: (1) completes such a mediation proceeding; and (2) offers the borrower, if eligible, a modification or alternative. Prohibits a servicer, during the suspension period, from: (1) sending the borrower a notice of foreclosure, (2) conducting or scheduling a sale of the real property securing the mortgage, or (3) causing final judgment to be entered against the borrower. Directs the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to establish such a mediation process. Declares that a servicer is not required to suspend a foreclosure action if the servicer makes a reasonable effort to schedule a mediation proceeding and documents that the borrower has not agreed to one. Makes a violation of this Act a bar to a foreclosure action. Allows a servicer in compliance with this Act, however, to bring or proceed with a foreclosure action, regardless of any prior violation.

Date: 2011-12-07
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Finance)
Subject: Housing and community development
Permanently Protecting Tenants at Foreclosure Act of 2011 - Amends the Protecting Tenants at Foreclosure Act of 2009 to repeal its sunset date December 31, 2012 (thus making the Act permanent). Establishes a private right of action to enforce compliance with such Act.

Date: 2011-12-08
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Finance)
Subject: Housing and community development
Amends the Truth in Lending Act, as amended by the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, to make an exemption from the requirement that a creditor in a non-credit card consumer credit transaction secured by a first lien on the principal dwelling (other than a reverse mortgage) establish an escrow or impound account for mandatory periodic payments or premiums (including taxes, insurance, and ground rents). Exempts a creditor with less than $1 billion in assets from: (1) this requirement when the consumer credit transaction has an annual percentage rate exceeding the average prime offer rate for a comparable transaction as of the date the interest rate is set by 1.5 or more percentage points; and (2) any other provision of such Act that requires the creditor to establish an escrow or impound account with respect to such a transaction.

Date: 2011-12-13
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Finance)
Subject: Finance and financial sector
Affordable Mortgage for Homeowners Act of 2011 - Directs the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae) and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac) each to carry out a program to provide for the reduction of the interest rates on qualified mortgage mortgages (other than fixed-rate or adjustable-rate mortgages) on single-family housing owned or guaranteed by such enterprises, in accordance with policies and procedures that the Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) shall establish. Requires each program to provide a procedure for mortgagors to opt-out of an interest rate reduction.

Date: 2011-12-19
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Finance)
Subject: Housing and community development
Regulation of Mortgage Servicing Act of 2012 - Requires a mortgage servicer to assign one case manager to each borrower that seeks a mortgage loan modification or an alternative to foreclosure. Requires the case manager to: (1) manage the communication between the servicer and the borrower, and (2) make decisions about the borrower's eligibility for a loan modification or an alternative to foreclosure. Prohibits a servicer from initiating a covered foreclosure action against a borrower unless the servicer has performed specified tasks related to offering the borrower, if eligible, a loan modification or an alternative to foreclosure. Requires a servicer to suspend a covered foreclosure action initiated before the enactment of this Act until such tasks have been performed. Prohibits a servicer, during the suspension period, from: (1) sending the borrower a notice of foreclosure, (2) conducting or scheduling a sale of the real property securing the mortgage, or (3) causing final judgment to be entered against the borrower. Prescribes requirements a servicer must meet in order to be deemed to have made a reasonable effort to obtain necessary information to determine a borrower's eligibility for a loan modification or an alternative to foreclosure. Requires a servicer, before notifying a borrower of his or her ineligibility for a loan modification or an alternative to foreclosure, to obtain the services of an independent reviewer to review the borrower's file and determine whether or not the borrower is eligible. Makes a violation of this Act a bar to a covered foreclosure action. Allows a servicer in compliance with this Act, however, to bring or proceed with a foreclosure action, regardless of any prior violation. Makes any servicer that fails to comply with any requirement of this Act liable to a borrower in the same manner that a creditor who fails to comply with any requirement is liable to a person.

Date: 2012-01-18
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Finance)
Subject: Housing and community development
Work Force Housing Act of 2011 - Amends the National Housing Act to exempt a work force residential housing property from the prohibition against the use of multifamily housing under a federally insured mortgage for transient or hotel purposes (thus authorizing such use). Defines "work force residential housing property" as multifamily housing: (1) whose dwelling units are rented for a minimum stay of seven days, and (2) that does not provide retail hotel amenities.

Date: 2012-01-25
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Finance)
Subject: Housing and community development
Principal Reduction Act of 2012 - Directs the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae) and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac) (government sponsored enterprises or GSEs) each to carry out a program to reduce the outstanding principal balances on qualified mortgages on single-family housing they own or guarantee. Directs a GSE, under its program, to: (1) reduce the principal of a mortgage to an amount resulting in a mortgage loan-to-value ratio of not more than 90%; (2) require a mortgagor, if the dwelling for which the mortgage principal has been reduced is sold by any process other than a foreclosure sale or short sale, to pay the GSE at least one-third of any appreciation in value; and (3) recover from the mortgagor, if a mortgage whose principal has been reduced subsequently enters foreclosure, the difference between the foreclosure sales price and the outstanding principal balance on the mortgage immediately before the principal reduction. Prohibits the charging of borrowers fees by either a GSE or a servicer conducting a principal reduction on behalf of a GSE. Requires a GSE to pay any servicer a fee of up to $1,000 for reducing a mortgage principal under the program. Directs the Director of Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) to encourage the modification of second liens on dwellings on which the mortgage principal is reduced under this Act. Prohibits the Director from approving bonus compensation that exceeds the base compensation that exceeds the base compensation for any GSE executive or senior executive unless the aggregate number of qualified mortgages for which principal reductions have been taken pursuant to the program under this Act exceeds 1 million.

Date: 2012-01-31
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Finance)
Subject: Housing and community development
Preserving Access to Manufactured Housing Act - Amends the S.A.F.E. Mortgage Licensing Act of 2008 to exclude a seller of manufactured homes from the definition of loan originator subject to such Act, unless such individual or entity is engaged in the business of a loan originator or receives compensation or gain for engaging in certain residential mortgage loan activities in excess of any compensation or gain received in a comparable cash transaction. Amends the Truth in Lending Act, as amended by the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, to revise the definition of "high cost mortgage."

Date: 2012-01-31
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Finance)
Subject: Housing and community development
FHA Enhanced Oversight Act of 2012 - Amends the National Housing Act to require semiannual independent studies during any period that the Mutual Mortgage Insurance Fund does not meet minimum capital ratio requirements.

Date: 2012-01-31
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Finance)
Subject: Housing and community development
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend through 2013 the tax deduction for mortgage insurance premiums.

Date: 2012-02-09
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Finance)
Subject: Taxation
Amends the Truth in Lending Act to deny any construction of the prohibition against residential mortgage loan originator steering incentives as prohibiting a creditor or mortgage originator from reducing compensation to an employee mortgage originator if, after the employee mortgage originator has made the consumer an initial annual percentage rate (APR) offer, the employee mortgage originator makes a subsequent offer to the consumer that: (1) consists only of a reduction in the APR, and (2) is made in response to a lower APR offer to the consumer by another creditor or mortgage originator.

Date: 2012-02-17
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Finance)
Subject: Housing and community development
Restoring America's Commitment to Consumers Act of 2012 - Amends the Truth in Lending Act to prohibit the annual percentage rate (APR) applicable to an extension of credit on a credit card account under an open end consumer credit plan from exceeding 16%. Includes in an APR any compensation fee (including a membership fee or an annual fee) for: (1) opening or maintaining the account; (2) granting an extension of credit; or (3) making available a line of credit. Authorizes the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (Board) to make adjustments to the maximum APR limitation; but creates the presumption that any increase by the Board to the maximum limitation is not in the public interest unless severe economic conditions justify the increase. Prohibits construction of this Act as an endorsement by Congress of a 16% APR. Declares the intention of Congress that: (1) such maximum APR limitation should merely serve as a ceiling on consumer credit cards and few, if any, consumer credit card accounts would ever bear the maximum rate; and (2) consumer credit card issuers should strive to maintain APRs most advantageous to borrowers. Treats as an unfair or deceptive act or practice a credit card account which, as of February 8, 2012, bears an APR that is less than 16%, and subsequently increases it between February 8, 2012, and 60 days after enactment of this Act. Imposes a $15 cap upon certain credit card account fees, including fees (such as late fees, overdraft fees, or over-the-limit transaction fees) for borrower default or breach of any condition upon which credit was extended.

Date: 2012-02-17
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Finance)
Subject: Finance and financial sector
Preserving Consumer's Mortgage Origination Choices Act of 2012 - Amends the Truth in Lending Act with respect to the prohibitions against: (1) steering incentives in connection with residential mortgage loan origination; and (2) the restructuring of a financing origination fee, except in certain circumstances. Declares that nothing in such prohibitions shall be construed as prohibiting a mortgage originator who receives compensation directly from a consumer from compensating another mortgage originator employee, mortgage originator agent, or mortgage originator contractor based on the principal amount of the loan, provided that the amount of compensation received by such employee, agent, or contractor may not vary based on any other terms of the loan. Allows a mortgage originator, at the consumer's request, to reduce the amount of compensation the originator is receiving to offset permitted settlement charges (other than those the originator controls) that exceed the amounts previously disclosed on the good faith estimate of the settlement charges given to that consumer, provided that the originator's compensation may not increase.

Date: 2012-03-07
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Finance)
Subject: Housing and community development
Second Chance at Homeownership Act of 2012 - Amends the National Housing Act to establish in the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) a Second Chance at Homeownership Program to: (1) create a voluntary FHA program to provide lenders for qualified second-chance borrowers and support long-term, sustainable homeownership; (2) target mortgage assistance to enable families to become homeowners of a one- to four-family principal residence; and (3) ensure the Program remains in effect only for as long as necessary to provide stability to the housing market. Authorizes the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to insure mortgages meeting specified criteria under the Program. Defines a "second-chance borrower" as any mortgagor who has not been: (1) the mortgagor under any other mortgage or had any present ownership interest in any residence after January 1, 2011, unless the Secretary makes exceptions for a mortgagor who has inherited a property; (2) delinquent with respect to any of the most recent 12 monthly rental payments due for the rental of the mortgagor's principal residence; or (3) convicted under federal or state law for fraud during the 10-year period before insurance of the mortgage under the Program. Requires the borrower's net worth to be $1 million or less.

Date: 2012-03-08
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Finance)
Subject: Housing and community development
Consumer Protection Home Inspection Counseling Act of 2012 - Amends the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act to direct the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to publish a Mortgagee Letter informing mortgagees of their obligation to provide prospective homebuyers with specified HUD public outreach publications concerning the importance of obtaining independent home inspections. Requires persons providing housing counseling for HUD-approved counseling agencies to: (1) be trained through a certain voluntary home inspection training module, and (2) distribute and explain certain counseling aids. Requires any homeownership counseling program under HUD auspices or administration to be provided only by organizations or counselors HUD-certified as competent to provide voluntary home inspection counseling. Authorizes HUD to withhold, withdraw, or suspend housing counseling certifications for any non-compliant housing counselor or counseling entity. Requires HUD to establish a comprehensive program to train HUD staff, contractors, individuals, and entities that provide housing counseling under specified HUD-funded programs also to provide counseling to consumers on voluntary home inspection. Requires such training program to include development of a training module to: (1) train counselors as well as counseling aids for use by housing counselors and suitable for distribution to consumers; and (2) be comprehensible to untrained consumers with or without ongoing assistance from housing counselors. Requires HUD, at the Secretary's discretion, to develop a new independent protocol, or amend existing protocols, to certify that such housing counselors have successfully completed training using the voluntary home inspection training module and counseling aids established under this Act.

Date: 2012-03-20
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Finance)
Subject: Housing and community development
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend through 2015 the exclusion from gross income of income attributable to the discharge of indebtedness on a principal residence.

Date: 2012-03-22
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Finance)
Subject: Taxation
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend through 2013 the exclusion from gross income of income attributable to the discharge of indebtedness on a principal residence.

Date: 2012-03-29
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Finance)
Subject: Taxation
Fair Debt Collection Practices Clarification Act of 2012 - Amends the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act to revise the disclaimer of liability for any act done or omitted in good faith in conformity with any advisory opinion of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). Exempts from liability, in addition, acts done or omitted in good faith in compliance with any rule, regulation, or interpretation of the CFPB, or in conformity with any interpretation or approval by a CFPB official or employee duly authorized to issue such interpretations or approvals. Permits a debt collector to leave messages for a consumer regarding the collection of a debt on the consumer's answering machine, voice messaging system, or similar device, including in an initial communication with the consumer, so long as the message complies with regulations prescribed by the CFPB to ensure the preservation of consumer privacy and other rights, including restrictions on communications with third parties. Prohibits a debt collector from initiating a legal action on a debt in an arbitration setting, or requiring the consumer to resolve by arbitration a collection-related dispute on the debt, unless the consumer has agreed in writing to resolution by arbitration after collections activities have been initiated and a legal action or dispute has arisen.

Date: 2012-05-17
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Finance)
Subject: Finance and financial sector
Saving Taxpayers from Unnecessary GSE Bulk Sale Programs Act of 2012 - Prohibits the Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency from: (1) disposing of any real estate owned by it, by the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae), or by the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac) located in California under any initiative for bulk sales of such real estate; and (2) carrying out such initiative.

Date: 2012-05-17
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Finance)
Subject: Housing and community development
Homeownership Preservation Education Act of 2012 - Directs the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to carry out a pilot program to evaluate the effectiveness, in reducing defaults on residential mortgages, of reducing up-front premiums for mortgage insurance made available by the Secretary pursuant to the National Housing Act for first-time homebuyers who complete a homeownership counseling program providing for one-on-one prepurchase counseling. Requires reduced premiums for mortgages secured by a 1- to 4-family dwelling that is an obligation of the Mutual Mortgage Insurance Fund for a first-time homebuyer who completes a HUD-approved program of counseling on the responsibilities and financial management involved in homeownership that provides for one-on-one prepurchase counseling of the homebuyer by a HUD-approved nonprofit housing counseling agency.

Date: 2012-06-01
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Finance)
Subject: Housing and community development
Preserving American Homeownership Act of 2012 - Requires the Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency and the Federal Housing Commissioner each to establish a pilot program to encourage, through assistance provided under the Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP) under the Secretary of the Treasury's Making Home Affordable initiative, the use of shared appreciation mortgage modifications that: (1) are designed to return greater cash flow to investors than other loss-mitigation activities, including foreclosure; and (2) result in positive net present value for the investor. Requires a shared appreciation mortgage modification to: (1) reduce by specified action the loan-to-value ratio of a covered mortgage to 115% immediately upon modification and to 95% within 3 years; (2) reduce the interest rate if such a principal reduction would not result in an affordable reduced monthly payment; (3) reduce to a specified amount any periodic payment the homeowner is required to make; (4) require the homeowner to pay the investor, after refinancing or selling the real property securing a covered mortgage, up to 50% of the amount of any increase in the value of the real property during a specified period; and (5) result in a positive net present value for the investor after taking into account the principal reduction and, if necessary, any interest rate reduction. Requires the Director to: (1) provide that an enterprise may negotiate regarding a shared appreciation mortgage modification of a covered mortgage with any mortgage insurance provider for a mortgage on the subject property, and (2) allow advanced claim agreements with respect to such mortgage insurance policies.

Date: 2012-06-08
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Finance)
Subject: Housing and community development
Ban the Use of Credit Scores in Auto Insurance Act - Amends the Fair Credit Reporting Act to prohibit: (1) a consumer reporting agency from furnishing a consumer report or consumer information to any person for use in making a decision to underwrite or rate auto insurance, and (2) any person from either using or obtaining a consumer report or consumer information in connection with the underwriting or rating of any consumer regarding an auto insurance transaction. Exempts from this ban property loss data regarding auto insurance as well as information on driver history, such as accidents or moving violations.

Date: 2012-07-13
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Finance)
Subject: Finance and financial sector
Fast Help For Homeowners Act - Amends the Truth in Lending Act to require the servicer of a federally related mortgage, upon request by the mortgagor for a short sale of the dwelling or residential real property under the mortgage, to notify in writing each holder of a subordinate lien on the property securing the loan of such request, together with a copy of it. Requires a subordinate lien holder that is so notified to respond in writing to the servicer within 45 days after receiving the notification. Considers the request approved by the holder if the holder does not respond within the 45 days.

Date: 2012-07-19
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Finance)
Subject: Housing and community development
Protecting Independence in the Education of Loan Originators Act of 2012 - Amends the S.A.F.E. Mortgage Licensing Act of 2008 to prohibit the courses offered by lenders for their own employees from satisfying the pre-licensing education or continuing education requirement.

Date: 2012-07-19
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Finance)
Subject: Housing and community development
Credit Access and Inclusion Act - Amends the Fair Credit Reporting Act, with respect to the responsibilities of furnishers of information to consumer reporting agencies, to declare that nothing in the Act or related regulations shall be construed as to prohibit a person from furnishing to a consumer reporting agency certain consumer identifying information, including: (1) consumer's full name, telephone number, mother's maiden name, address, zip code, date of birth, any generational designation, or Social Security number; (2) transactions or experiences between the consumer and the person furnishing the information; and (3) the performance of the consumer's obligations under a real property lease, a subscription agreement, or an account of a public utility service (subject to certain limitations).

Date: 2012-09-10
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Finance)
Subject: Finance and financial sector
Flexible Refinancing for American Families Act of 2012 - Directs the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae) and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac) (government-sponsored enterprises or GSEs) each to carry out a one-year program providing for the refinancing of qualified single-family housing mortgages it owns through a refinancing mortgage having a 50-year term (and for the purchase of and securitization of such refinancing mortgages) in accordance with this Act and the policies and procedures that the Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency shall establish. Permits the mortgagee, however, upon written 90-day advance notice to the mortgagor, to require payment in full of a 50-year mortgage only 30 years after the beginning of its amortization. Defines a qualified mortgage as one, regardless of whether the mortgagor is current on payments due or in default, that: (1) is an existing first mortgage for purchase of, or refinancing another first mortgage on, a one- to four-family dwelling, including a condominium or a share in a cooperative ownership housing association, that is occupied by the mortgagor as principal residence; (2) is owned or guaranteed by the particular GSE; and (3) was originated on or before enactment of this Act. Specifies the terms and conditions of a refinancing mortgage, including a 50-year term to maturity and a prohibition on borrower fees. Requires waiver or forgiveness of all fees and penalties related to any default or delinquency on the original mortgage. Requires a GSE to pay a fee of up to $1,000 to the servicer of a qualified mortgage refinance. Prohibits any requirement of a property appraisal.

Date: 2012-09-10
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Finance)
Subject: Housing and community development
Foreclosure Accountability and Transparency Act - Prohibits commencement of a foreclosure action with respect to a federally related residential mortgage loan secured by a first or subordinate lien unless the person commencing the foreclosure complies with specified requirements pertaining to borrower: (1) notification, (2) assistance obtained from a Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)-approved housing counseling agency, and (3) application for loan modification or commencement of an alternative to foreclosure. Makes a violation of this Act a bar to a foreclosure action. Requires the person who commenced a foreclosure action, at the completion of such action, to certify that all federal, state, and local laws and regulations were followed and submit all applicable documentation in connection with such action to: (1) the borrower who was a party to the foreclosure action, (2) the recorder's office in the muncipality where the property securing the loan in connection with the covered residential mortgage is located, and (3) the Secretary of HUD.

Date: 2012-09-13
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Finance)
Subject: Housing and community development
Defending American Taxpayers From Abusive Government Takings Act of 2012 - Amends the Federal National Mortgage Association Charter Act to prohibit the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae) from purchasing any mortgage secured by a structure or dwelling unit located within a county that contains any structure or dwelling unit that secures or secured a residential mortgage loan that the state or any territory, including any agency or political subdivision, obtained during the preceding 120 months by eminent domain. Amends the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation Act to prohibit the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac) from doing the same. Amends the National Housing Act to prohibit the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) from newly insuring any mortgage secured by a structure or dwelling unit located in such a county. Prohibits the Secretary from guaranteeing, making, or insuring a housing or small business loan for a residence located in such a county.

Date: 2012-09-13
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Finance)
Subject: Housing and community development
Responsible Homeowner Refinancing Act of 2012 - Requires the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae) and Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac) (government sponsored enterprises or GSEs), in carrying out the Home Affordable Refinance Program, to adopt specified criteria pertaining to: (1) borrower eligibility, (2) representations and warranties, (3) prohibition on up-front fees, (4) alternative streamlined methods to determine the value of a property, (5) the purchase or guarantee of any new mortgage resulting from the refinancing of an eligible mortgage, and (6) guarantee fees. Requires the GSEs to notify all borrowers with a mortgage owned or guaranteed by a GSE about the Program and its eligibility criteria, and inform borrowers of the website required below. Directs the Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) to establish a single website where borrowers may: (1) determine their potential eligibility for participation in the Program, (2) see a complete list of and links to qualified lenders, (3) use a mortgage refinance calculator to calculate potential payment savings based on different interest rates, and (4) obtain tips on refinancing their loan. Directs the Director of FHFA to issue guidance to require the GSEs to make their refinancing guidelines consistent to ease the compliance requirements of qualified lenders, and in particular with respect to loans with less than 80% loan-to-value ratio and closing cost policies of the GSEs, which regulations or guidance shall be put into effect not later than 90 days after the enactment of this Acts.

Date: 2012-09-14
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Finance)
Subject: Housing and community development
Rebuilding Equity Act of 2012 - Requires the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae) and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac) (government sponsored enterprises or GSEs) each to establish a voluntary program for eligible borrowers who qualify for the Home Affordable Refinance Program carried out by the GSEs, under which the GSEs shall pay up to $1,000 of the closing costs associated with applying for and receiving refinancing when the borrower agrees to refinance a 30-year mortgage loan into a fully amortizing loan with a term of not longer than 20 years. Requires the subject property to have a loan-to-value ratio of not less than 105%.

Date: 2012-09-20
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Finance)
Subject: Housing and community development
Stopping Abuse and Fraud in Electronic Lending Act of 2012 or SAFE Lending Act of 2012 - Amends the Electronic Fund Transfer Act to authorize the issuance of remotely created checks only if the consumer has designated in writing a person to issue them. Defines a "remotely created check" as one that: (1) is not created by the financial institution that holds the customer account from which the check is to be paid; and (2) does not bear a signature applied, or purported to be applied, by the person from whose account the check is to be paid. Treats as a preauthorized electronic fund transfer (EFT) subject to the protections of such Act any voluntary repayment by a consumer of an extension of a small-dollar ($5,000 or less) consumer credit transaction by means of an EFT. Amends the Truth in Lending Act to require any small-dollar consumer credit transaction made over the Internet, telephone, FAX, mail, electronic mail, or other electronic communication, as well as any conducted by an insured depository institution, to comply with the laws of the state in which the consumer resides with respect to annual percentage rates, interest, fees, charges, and such other matters as the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) may determine. Prohibits persons engaged in the business of facilitating, brokering, arranging, gathering applications for, distributing sensitive personal financial information, or extending credit in connection with a small-dollar consumer credit transaction unless that person is directly extending the small-dollar consumer credit to the consumer. Subjects violators of this Act to civil liability. Empowers the CFPB to investigate violations of this Act. Sets forth investigative and cease-and-desist enforcement procedures, particularly with respect to offshore persons conducting business directed to U.S. residents but from a location outside any U.S. judicial district. Directs the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to study the availability of capital on Indian reservations and the impact that small-dollar consumer credit extended through Internet and non-Internet means to members of Indian tribes has had upon economic opportunity and wealth for tribal members.

Date: 2012-09-21
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Finance)
Subject: Finance and financial sector
Authorizes a financial institution, when verifying the identity of a non-U.S. citizen or national who is seeking to open a bank account, to accept only: (1) a Social Security number, (2) a passport number and the country of issuance, (3) an alien identification card number, or (4) any combination of such items. Prohibits a financial institution, for such verification purposes, from accepting identification documents issued by a foreign government, other than an unexpired passport.

Date: 2011-01-25
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Finance)
Subject: Finance and financial sector
Helping Responsible Homeowners Act - Directs the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae) and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac) (government-sponsored enterprises or GSEs) each to carry out a one-year program providing for the refinancing of qualified single-family housing mortgages it owns through a refinancing mortgage (and for the purchase of and securitization of such refinancing mortgages) in accordance with this Act and the policies and procedures of the Federal Housing Finance Agency. Defines a qualified mortgage as one that: (1) is an existing first mortgage for purchase of, or refinancing another first mortgage on, a one- to four-family dwelling, including a condominium or a share in a cooperative ownership housing association, that is occupied by the mortgagor as principal residence; (2) is owned or guaranteed by the particular GSE; and (3) the mortgagor is current on payments due under the mortgage.  Specifies the terms and conditions of a refinancing mortgage, including a 40-year term to maturity and a prohibition on borrower fees. Requires waiver or forgiveness of all fees and penalties related to any default or delinquency on the original mortgage. Prohibits the GSEs from charging a mortgagee any up-front fee beyond the standard guarantee fee for the refinancing of the qualified mortgage. Makes ineligible for purchase or guarantee by either GSE of any new mortgage originated by a servicer or creditor holding a second lien on a qualified mortgage who refuses to resubordinate that lien, and thereby prevents the refinancing of the qualified mortgage. Directs the GSEs to require each servicer of a mortgage owned or guaranteed by the GSE to inform each mortgage borrower of the refinancing program authorized and established under this Act.

Date: 2011-01-25
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Finance)
Subject: Housing and community development
Limiting Investor and Homeowner Loss in Foreclosure Act of 2010 [sic] - Authorizes a bankruptcy court to establish a loss mitigation program for the negotiation of consensual alternatives to avoid foreclosure between an individual debtor and the holder of a claim secured by a security interest in the debtor's principal residence.

Date: 2011-01-27
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Finance)
Subject: Finance and financial sector
Protecting Servicemembers from Mortgage Abuses Act of 2011 - Amends the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act to extend from 9 months to 24 months after military service the period of protection for a servicemember against mortgage sale or foreclosure, as well as the stay of proceedings, in the case of an obligation on real property of a servicemember that originated before the period of military service. Repeals the sunset date for such periods of relief under the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008. Increases criminal and civil penalties for mortgage abuses, including felonies for unlawful eviction or distress or for unlawful sale, foreclosure, or seizure.

Date: 2011-03-03
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Finance)
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Reduce Excessive Interest Payments Act or REIP Act - Amends the National Housing Act to prohibit each mortgagee (or servicer) from imposing, and the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) from requiring imposition of, any interest charge on an insured mortgage as a result of the loss of any time period provided by the mortgagee (or servicer) within which the mortgagor may fully repay the principal balance amount of the mortgage, with respect to: (1) any days in the preceding billing cycle in which such amounts were repaid, or (2) any amounts repaid in the current billing cycle that were repaid within such time period.

Date: 2011-03-03
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Finance)
Subject: Housing and community development
Preserving Homes and Communities Act of 2011 - Prohibits a covered mortgagee from initiating either a nonjudicial or a judicial foreclosure against a covered mortgagor that is otherwise authorized under state law unless the covered mortgagee has: (1) used its best efforts to determine whether the mortgagor is eligible for a qualified loan modification, and to offer one if the mortgagor is eligible; and (2) made available to an ineligible mortgagor certain documentation of a loan modification calculation or net present value calculation, the loan origination, any pooling and servicing agreement, the mortgagor's payment history, and the specific alternatives to foreclosure considered by the mortgagee, including qualified loan modifications, workout agreements, and short sales. Requires a covered mortgagee to use its best efforts to suspend any foreclosure proceeding initiated before enactment of this Act, and to toll any deadlines limiting the mortgagor's rights. Prohibits any sale of the property under the mortgage or the entry of judgment against the mortgagor. Requires the mortgagee to reevaluate an eligible mortgagee's application for a qualified loan modification and offer one. Requires the Secretary of the Treasury, the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection (CFPB) Director to ensure that any home loan modification protocol includes a dispute resolution procedure to resolve any application disputes. Declares any sale of property in violation of this Act void. Makes failure to comply with this Act a bar to foreclosure under state law. Prohibits loan modification fees and sets forth rules governing foreclosure-related fees. Directs the Secretary of HUD to: (1) establish a grant program to make competitive grants to state and local governments to establish mediation programs that assist mortgagors facing foreclosure, and (2) develop and implement a plan to monitor conditions and trends in home ownership and the mortgage industry and the effectiveness of public and private efforts to reduce mortgage defaults and foreclosures. Directs the Secretary of the Treasury, out of funds received or to be received from the sale of warrants under the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008, to transfer and credit $1 billion to the Housing Trust Fund established under the Federal Housing Enterprises Financial Safety and Soundness Act of 1992.

Date: 2011-03-03
Topic: Domestic Commerce (Consumer Finance)
Subject: Housing and community development