119-HJRES-165 Journalist Public Summary

Public Summary

Headline Summary: A House resolution would undo the CFPB’s 2025 rollback of a 2022 credit‑reporting privacy advisory so that stricter “permissible purpose” rules stay in place. (govinfo.gov)

What It Does: The resolution uses the Congressional Review Act (CRA) to disapprove the CFPB’s May 12, 2025 rule that withdrew its July 2022 advisory opinion on “Fair Credit Reporting; Permissible Purposes for Furnishing, Using, and Obtaining Consumer Reports.” If enacted, the disapproval would block the withdrawal; in practice, CRA disapprovals are generally understood to restore the prior status quo. The 2022 advisory emphasized that credit bureaus and report users must have a specific, lawful purpose for each report and should not provide “possible matches” on multiple individuals. (govinfo.gov)

• Consumer and privacy advocates who supported the 2022 advisory, arguing it better protects people’s data and prevents misuse of credit and background reports. (library.nclc.org)
• Lawmakers favoring stronger privacy guardrails in credit reporting after the CFPB’s 2025 rollback. (govinfo.gov)

Who’s For It:

• Banks and other financial institutions concerned the 2022 advisory expands liability and compliance risk for users of consumer reports. (bankingjournal.aba.com)
• Parts of the credit‑reporting and background‑screening industry arguing that strict “permissible purpose” and anti‑“possible match” rules are operationally burdensome. (cooley.com)

Who’s Against It:

What’s Next: As of April 30, 2026, the resolution has been introduced and sent to the House Financial Services Committee. To take effect, it must pass the House and Senate and be signed by the President (or enacted over a veto). Under the CRA, a successful disapproval would make the CFPB’s 2025 withdrawal have no force or effect. (congress.gov)