Last October, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau published a study on how banks and other lenders use bans on class actions to save money.
The study resulted from a mandate in the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act.
As I noted when the study came out:
In 2016, despite contracts that mandate one-on-one arbitrations, consumers will likely gain the right to bring claims against banks, credit card issuers, and other lenders in class actions. The new rule, which the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau announced on October 7, 2015 it will probably issue next year, will partially reverse a string of recent Supreme Court decisions that made class-banning arbitration clauses broadly enforceable.
The action by the Bureau will vastly raise the stakes for disputes involving practices affecting large numbers of consumer finance customers.
On May 5, 2016, the CFPB took the next step. It asked for comment on rule language.
The text appears below.
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PART 1040—ARBITRATION AGREEMENTS
Sec.
1040.1 Authority, purpose, and enforcement.
1040.2 Definitions.
1040.3 Coverage.
1040.4 Limitations on the use of pre-dispute arbitration agreements. 1040.5 Compliance date and temporary exception.
Supplement I to Part 1040—Official Interpretations.
1. The authority citation for part 1040 reads as follows:
Authority: 12 U.S.C. 5512(b) and (c) and 5518(b). § 1040.1 Authority, purpose, and enforcement.
(a) Authority. The regulation in this part is issued by the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection (Bureau) pursuant to sections 1022(b)(1) and (c) and 1028(b) of the Dodd-Frank Act (12 U.S.C. 5512(b) and (c) and 5518(b)).
(b) Purpose. The purpose of this part is the furtherance of the public interest and the protection of consumers regarding the use of agreements for consumer financial products and services providing for arbitration of any future dispute.
§ 1040.2 Definitions.
(a) Class action means a lawsuit in which one or more parties seek class treatment pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 23 or any State process analogous to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 23.
(b) Consumer means an individual or an agent, trustee, or representative acting on behalf of an individual.
(c) Provider means:
(1) A person as defined by 12 U.S.C. 5481(19) that engages in offering or providing any of the consumer financial products or services covered by § 1040.3(a) to the extent that the person is not excluded under § 1040.3(b); or
(2) An affiliate of a provider as defined in paragraph (c)(1) of this section when that affiliate is acting as a service provider to the provider as defined in paragraph (c)(1) of this section with which the service provider is affiliated consistent with 12 U.S.C. 5481(6)(B).
(d) Pre-dispute arbitration agreement means an agreement between a provider and a consumer providing for arbitration of any future dispute between the parties.
§ 1040.3 Coverage.
(a) Covered consumer financial products and services. This part generally applies to pre-dispute arbitration agreements for the following products or services when they are consumer financial products or services as defined by 12 U.S.C. 5481(5):
(1)(i) Providing an “extension of credit” that is “consumer credit” as defined in Regulation B, 12 CFR 1002.2;
(5) Providing accounts subject to the Truth in Savings Act, 12 U.S.C. 4301 et seq., as implemented by 12 CFR part 707, and Regulation DD, 12 CFR part 1030;
(6) Providing accounts or remittance transfers subject to the Electronic Fund Transfer Act, 15 U.S.C. 1693 et seq., as implemented by Regulation E, 12 CFR part 1005;
(7) Transmitting or exchanging funds as defined by 15 U.S.C. 5481(29) except when integral to another product or service that is not covered by section 1040.3;
(8) Accepting financial or banking data or providing a product or service to accept such data directly from a consumer for the purpose of initiating a payment by a consumer via any payment instrument as defined by 15 U.S.C. 5481(18) or initiating a credit card or charge card transaction for the consumer, except when the person accepting the data or providing the product or service to accept the data also is selling or marketing the nonfinancial good or service for which the payment or credit card or charge card transaction is being made;
(9) Check cashing, check collection, or check guaranty services; or
(10) Collecting debt arising from any of the consumer financial products or services described in paragraphs (1) through (9) of this section by:
(i) A person offering or providing the product or service giving rise to the debt being collected, an affiliate of such person, or, a person acting on behalf of such person or affiliate;
(ii) A person purchasing or acquiring an extension of consumer credit covered by paragraph (a)(1)(i) of this section, an affiliate of such person, or, a person acting on behalf of such person or affiliate; or
(iii) A debt collector as defined by 15 U.S.C. 1692a(6).
(b) Excluded persons. This part does not apply to the following persons to the extent they are offering or providing any of the following products and services:
(1) Broker dealers to the extent that they are providing products or services described in paragraph (a) of this section that are subject to rules promulgated or authorized by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission prohibiting the use of pre-dispute arbitration agreements in class action litigation and providing for making arbitral awards public;
(2) (i) The federal government and any affiliate of the Federal government providing any product or service described in paragraph (a) of this section directly to a consumer; or
(ii) A State, local, or tribal government, and any affiliate of a State, local, or tribal government, to the extent it is providing any product or service described in paragraph (a) of this section directly to a consumer who resides in the government’s territorial jurisdiction;
(3) Any person when providing a product or service described in paragraph (a) of this section that the person and any of its affiliates collectively provide to no more than 25 consumers in the current calendar year and to no more than 25 consumers in the preceding calendar year;
(4) Merchants, retailers, or other sellers of nonfinancial goods or services to the extent they:
(i) Provide an extension of consumer credit covered by paragraph (a)(1)(i) of this section that is of the type described in 12 U.S.C. 5517(a)(2)(A)(i) and they would be subject to the Bureau’s authority only under 12 U.S.C. 5517(a)(2)(B)(i) but not 12 U.S.C. 5517(a)(2)(B)(ii) or (iii); or
(ii) Purchase or acquire an extension of consumer credit excluded by paragraph (b)(4)(i) of this section; or
(5) Any person to the extent the limitations in 12 U.S.C. 5517 or 5519 apply to the person or a product or service described in paragraph (a) of this section that is offered or provided by the person.
§ 1040.4 Limitations on the use of pre-dispute arbitration agreements.
(a) Use of pre-dispute arbitration agreements in class actions.
(1) General rule. A provider shall not seek to rely in any way on a pre-dispute arbitration agreement entered into after the date set forth in § 1040.5(a) with respect to any aspect of a class action that is related to any of the consumer financial products or services covered by § 1040.3 including to seek a stay or dismissal of particular claims or the entire action, unless and until the presiding court has ruled that the case may not proceed as a class action and, if that ruling may be subject to appellate review on an interlocutory basis, the time to seek such review has elapsed or the review has been resolved.
(2) Provision required in covered pre-dispute arbitration agreements. Upon entering into a pre-dispute arbitration agreement for a product or service covered by § 1040.3 after the date set forth in § 1040.5(a):
(i) Except as provided in paragraphs (a)(2)(ii) or (iii) of this section or in § 1040.5(a), a provider shall ensure that the agreement contains the following provision: “We agree that neither we nor anyone else will use this agreement to stop you from being part of a class action case in court. You may file a class action in court or you may be a member of a class action even if you do not file it.”
(ii) When the pre-dispute arbitration agreement is for multiple products or services, only some of which are covered by § 1040.3, the provider may include the following alternative provision in place of the one otherwise required by paragraph 4(a)(2)(i) of this section: “We are providing you with more than one product or service, only some of which are covered by the Arbitration Agreements Rule issued by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. We agree that neither we nor anyone else will use this agreement to stop you from being part of a class
action case in court. You may file a class action in court or you may be a member of a class action even if you do not file it. This provision applies only to class action claims concerning the products or services covered by that Rule.”
(iii) When the pre-dispute arbitration agreement existed previously between other parties and does not contain either the provision required by paragraph (a)(2)(i) of this section or the alternative permitted by paragraph (a)(2)(ii) of this section, the provider shall either ensure the agreement is amended to contain the provision specified in paragraph (a)(2)(iii)(A) of this section or provide any consumer to whom the agreement applies with the written notice specified in paragraph (a)(2)(iii)(B) of this section. The provider shall ensure the agreement is amended or provide the notice to consumers within 60 days of entering into the pre-dispute arbitration agreement.
(A) Agreement provision. “We agree that neither we nor anyone else who later becomes a party to this pre-dispute arbitration agreement will use it to stop you from being part of a class action case in court. You may file a class action in court or you may be a member of a class action even if you do not file it.”
(B) Notice. “We agree not to use any pre-dispute arbitration agreement to stop you from being part of a class action case in court. You may file a class action in court or you may be a member of a class action even if you do not file it.”
(b) Submission of arbitral records. For any pre-dispute arbitration agreement entered into after the date set forth in § 1040.5(a), a provider shall comply with the requirements set forth below.
(1) Records to be submitted. A provider shall submit a copy of the following records to
the Bureau, in the form and manner specified by the Bureau:
(i) In connection with any claim filed in arbitration by or against the provider concerning any of the consumer financial products or services covered by § 1040.3;
(A) The initial claim and any counterclaim;
(B) The pre-dispute arbitration agreement filed with the arbitrator or arbitration administrator;
(C) The judgment or award, if any, issued by the arbitrator or arbitration administrator; and
(D) If an arbitrator or arbitration administrator refuses to administer or dismisses a claim due to the provider’s failure to pay required filing or administrative fees, any communication the provider receives from the arbitrator or an arbitration administrator related to such a refusal; and
(ii) Any communication the provider receives from an arbitrator or an arbitration administrator related to a determination that a pre-dispute arbitration agreement for a consumer financial product or service covered by § 1040.3 does not comply with the administrator’s fairness principles, rules, or similar requirements, if such a determination occurs.
(2) Deadline for submission. A provider shall submit any record required pursuant to paragraph (b)(1) of this section within 60 days of filing by the provider of any such record with the arbitrator or arbitration administrator and within 60 days of receipt by the provider of any such record filed or sent by someone other than the provider, such as the arbitration administrator or the consumer.
(3) Redaction. Prior to submission of any records pursuant to paragraph (b)(1) of this section, a provider shall redact the following information:
(i) Names of individuals, except for the name of the provider or the arbitrator where either is an individual;
(ii) Addresses of individuals, excluding city, State, and zip code; (iii) Email addresses of individuals;
(iv) Telephone numbers of individuals;
(v) Photographs of individuals;
(vi) Account numbers;
(vii) Social Security and tax identification numbers;
(viii) Driver’s license and other government identification numbers; and (ix) Passport numbers.
§ 1040.5 Compliance date and temporary exception.
(a) Compliance date. Compliance with this part is required for any pre-dispute arbitration agreement entered into after [INSERT DATE THAT IS 211 DAYS AFTER PUBLICATION OF THE FINAL RULE IN THE FEDERAL REGISTER].
(b) Exception for pre-packaged general-purpose reloadable prepaid card agreements. Section 1040.4(a)(2) shall not apply to a provider that enters into a pre-dispute arbitration agreement for a general-purpose reloadable prepaid card if the requirements set forth in either paragraphs (b)(1) or (2) of this section are satisfied.
(1) For a provider that does not have the ability to contact the consumer in writing:
(i) The consumer acquires a general-purpose reloadable prepaid card in person at a retail store;
(ii) The pre-dispute arbitration agreement was inside of packaging material when the general-purpose reloadable prepaid card was acquired; and
(iii) The pre-dispute arbitration agreement was packaged prior to the compliance date of the rule
(2) For a provider that has the ability to contact the consumer in writing:
(i) The provider meets the requirements set forth in paragraphs (1)(i) through (iii) of this section; and
(ii) Within 30 days of obtaining the consumer’s contact information, the provider notifies the consumer in writing that the pre-dispute arbitration agreement complies with the requirements of § 1040.4(a)(2) by providing an amended pre-dispute arbitration agreement to the consumer.