Consumer Credit Reporting Agencies

Civil Code Division 3, Part 4, Title 1.6 deals with the Consumer Credit Reporting Agencies Act. Chapter 1 contains general provisions.

Section 1785.1 contains three legislative findings and declarations, a statement of legislative purpose, and three legislative intent statements.

Section 1785.2 names this act the Consumer Credit Reporting Agencies Act.

Section 1785.3 defines the following terms: “adverse action,” “consumer,” “consumer credit report,” “consumer credit reporting agency,” “credit transaction that is not initiative by the consumer,” “employment purposes,” “file,” “firm offer of credit,” “item of information,” “medical debt,” “person,” “prequalifying report,” and “state or local child support enforcement agency.”

Section 1785.4 explains that nothing in this title applies to any person licensed pursuant to specified provisions of the Business and Professions Code, or to any employee of a person, unless the person is employed directly by a consumer credit reporting agency.

Section 1785.5 states that any person who, for monetary fees, dues, or on a cooperative nonprofit basis, regularly engages in whole or in part in the practice of assembling, evaluating, or disseminating information on the checking account experiences of consumer customers of banks or other financial institutions is subject to the same laws which govern consumer credit reporting agencies.

Section 1785.6 provides that the notices and disclosures to consumers provided for in this title are required to be made only to those consumers who have a mailing address in California.