S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
9145--A
I N A S S E M B L Y
January 29, 2016
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Introduced by M. of A. CRESPO, SEPULVEDA, RODRIGUEZ, RAMOS, PICHARDO,
McDONOUGH -- read once and referred to the Committee on Consumer
Affairs and Protection -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered
reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee
AN ACT to amend the general business law and the banking law, in
relation to prohibiting a consumer reporting agency or lender from
using an individual's internet viewing history to determine such indi-
vidual's credit worthiness
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Section 380-j of the general business law is amended by
adding a new subdivision (h) to read as follows:
(H) NO CONSUMER REPORTING AGENCY SHALL COLLECT, EVALUATE, REPORT, OR
MAINTAIN IN THE FILE ON A CONSUMER THE CONSUMER'S USE OF INTERNET OR
INTERNET VIEWING HISTORY AS A FACTOR TO DETERMINE THE CONSUMER'S CREDIT
WORTHINESS, CREDIT STANDING OR CREDIT CAPACITY.
S 2. Section 352 of the banking law is amended by adding a new sixth
undesignated paragraph to read as follows:
NO LICENSEE SHALL COLLECT, EVALUATE, REPORT OR MAINTAIN IN THE FILE ON
A BORROWER THE BORROWER'S USE OF INTERNET OR INTERNET VIEWING HISTORY AS
A FACTOR TO DETERMINE THE BORROWER'S CREDIT WORTHINESS, CREDIT STANDING
OR CREDIT CAPACITY. THE PROVISIONS OF THIS PARAGRAPH SHALL BE ENFORCED
CONCURRENTLY BY THE SUPERINTENDENT AND THE DIRECTOR OF THE DIVISION OF
CONSUMER PROTECTION AND EACH SHALL UTILIZE THEIR CONSUMER COMPLAINT AND
ASSISTANCE HOTLINES TO DOCUMENT COMPLAINTS BY BORROWERS WHO BELIEVE THAT
THEIR INTERNET VIEWING HISTORY IS BEING USED TO DENY THEM CREDIT. THE
SUPERINTENDENT SHALL ENSURE THAT THE CREDIT SCORING FORMULAS FILED WITH
THE DEPARTMENT DO NOT CONTAIN VARIABLES WHICH ACCOUNT FOR INTERNET VIEW-
ING HISTORY AS PART OF THAT FORMULA BY ASKING THE LICENSEE TO CERTIFY TO
THAT FACT.
S 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD13004-02-6