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MD|DC LEGISLATIVE UPDATE May 10, 2018
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Credit Union Roundtable with Congressman Brown 



20 credit union executives participated in a roundtable with Congressman Anthony Brown (MD-4) hosted by the MD|DC Credit Union Association and WSSC FCU on Friday, May 4. Credit unions discussed the need for relief from one-size-fits-all regulations through House passage of Senate bill 2155. Credit unions shared with Rep. Brown how some of the bill's provisions will help credit unions better serve their members, including a provision that would free up capital for additional small business lending. Rep. Brown acknowledged that there is a need for Congress to clean house regularly by continually reviewing existing regulations to determine if they are still necessary.
Credit unions also discussed the need to better protect consumers and credit unions against data breaches. They explained that credit unions must cover the cost of notification, card replacement and reimbursing consumers. At the invitation of Congressman Brown, the Association will be meeting with  his staff to further discuss these issues.

Greetings,

This legislative update begins on a sad note. One of the leading contenders in the Democratic primary race for governor of Maryland died suddenly early this morning. Baltimore County Executive Kevin  Kamenetz was 60, and a fixture in state politics. Kamenetz consistently polled among the top three candidates and had raised more money than anyone else in the field of eight candidates. Under election law, it is up to Kamenetz's running mate, Valerie Ervin, to decide whether to run in his place or choose another candidate. 

Governor Larry Hogan signed 200 bills on Wednesday, holding the 6th bill signing ceremony of the year, with one more next week. A total of 889 bills were passed during the 2018 legislative session. 

In the District, following  several high profile data breaches impacting millions of consumers and credit unions, the D.C. Council is considering a number of bills to protect consumers against data breaches. E mployment issues are also on the Council's legislative agenda, including a bill to prohibit employers from asking about salary history during the interview process. Another bill introduced would establish limits on the amount that can be garnished from an individual's wages. More details on the bills are below. 

Thank you to WSSC FCU president/CEO Jeff Goff for partnering with us on the Credit Union Roundtable with Congressman Brown, and to the 20 credit union executives who attended. It was a very successful event in which all participants were highly engaged. In fact, Congressman Brown's chief of staff reached out to us this week to ask about the credit union perspective on an issue.

We hope you find this information helpful!


John Bratsakis
President/CEO
 
District of Columbia Legislative Update

Consumer Protection Clarification and Enhancement Act of 2017 
Updates key portions of the District's Consumer Protection Procedures Act (CPPA) to make it consistent with similar statutes in other states and Federal Trade Commission (FTC) law. Among other things, it establishes what is an "unfair" business practice and raises the amount of civil penalties that the District can assess per violation. $2500 for first offense, $5000 for second/repeating offenses.  

Security Breach Protection Amendment Act of 2017
Expands what personal information is subject to protection from the breach of the security of a system. It also specifies what information is required in a notification of a security breach to a person whose personal information has been compromised. Among other things, it also requires that written notice of the breach be given to the Office of the Attorney General. 

Salary History Ban
A bill under consideration would bar District employers from asking about salary history before making a job offer. The bill is aimed at eliminating differences in pay between men and women. The bill is similar to legislation enacted in other jurisdictions, including Massachusetts, which became the first state to prohibit employers from requiring a job candidate's salary history. New York City's Mayor signed an executive order making it illegal for city agencies to require salary history in hiring.

Wage Garnishment Fairness Amendment Act of 2017
Establishes limits on the amount that can be garnished from an individual's wages by factoring in gross wages and disposable wages. It prevents wage garnishment from individuals making less than a living wage and requires notice be provided to those whose wages will be garnished