Welcome to Consumer Action's Take Action Center. Consumer Action offers e-advocacy tools to help you make your voice and opinions heard. The free service allows you to play active role in the political process by finding contact information for your federal and state elected officials, writing to Congress, sending letters to the editor, responding to key legislation and more. If you like our Take Action Center, consider supporting our work.
Actions by Category
Consumer Issues
Includes unfair and deceptive practices, scams and frauds, consumer rights, transparency and consumer protection.
Support
California Legislation
AB 1291: California Right to Know Act
Sponsor: Assembly Member Bonnie Lowenthal (D) on Feb 22, 2013
http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201320140AB1291
The Right to Know Act (AB 1291) would give consumers the right to ask for a report of any personal information about them collected by online companies as well as any marketers with whom the information was shared.
Petition
National Action
Save Wireless Lifeline!
Date: Thu, April 11, 2013
Let your elected representatives know that you strongly oppose any cuts to Lifeline. Sign our petition to protect low-income Lifeline telephone subsidies. A recent Washington Post article highlighted growing criticism of the low-income phone subsidy program known as Lifeline, which was founded under President Ronald Reagan's administration and expanded to include cellphone service during the presidency of George W. Bush.
Support
National Legislation
S 114: Fairness for Struggling Students Act of 2013
Sponsor: Sen. Richard Durbin [D-IL] on 2013-01-23
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/113/s114
Fairness for Struggling Students Act of 2013 - Revises federal bankruptcy law with respect to the exemption from the exception to discharge in bankruptcy for certain educational loans if excepting such debt from discharge would impose an undue hardship on the debtor and debtor's dependents.
Support
National Legislation
S 525: Constitutional Amendment to Restore Citizen’s Rights
Sponsor: Sen. Bernard “Bernie” Sanders [I-VT] on 2013-03-12
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/113/s525
A bill proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States to restore the rights of the American people that were taken away by the Supreme Court's decision in the Citizens United case and related decisions, in order to protect the integrity of our elections from corporate influence.
Watching
National Legislation
S 150: Assault Weapons Ban of 2013
Sponsor: Sen. Dianne Feinstein [D-CA] on 2013-01-24
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/113/s150
Would amend the federal criminal code to ban the import, sale, manufacture, transfer or possession of semiautomatic assault weapons.
Support
National Legislation
S 471: Fair Access to Credit Scores Act of 2013
Sponsor: Sen. Bernard “Bernie” Sanders [I-VT] on Mar 06, 2013
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/113/s471
A bill to amend the Fair Credit Reporting Act to require the inclusion of credit scores with free annual credit reports provided to consumers, and for other purposes. Consumer Action believes that consumers should receive a credit score along with their free annual credit reports.
Support
National Legislation
S 113: Know Before You Owe Private Student Loan Act of 2013
Sponsor: Sen. Richard Durbin [D-IL] on Jan 23, 2013
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/113/s113
A bill to amend the Truth in Lending Act and the Higher Education Act of 1965 to require schools to counsel students before they sign on to expensive, even unnecessary, private student loan debt and inform them if they have any untapped federal loan eligibility.
Oppose
National Legislation
HR 3035: Mobile Informational Call Act of 2011
Sponsor: Rep. Lee Terry [R-NE2] on Sep 22, 2011
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/112/hr3035
The real purpose of H.R. 3035 is to open up everyone’s cell phones, land lines, and business phone numbers, without their consent, to a flood of commercial, marketing and debt collection calls (to not only the debtor but everyone else). The bill would effectively gut the TCPA, a widely…
Support
California Legislation
SB 686: Protect Used Car Buyers
Sponsor: Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson (D) on Feb 22, 2013
http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201320140SB686
Consumer Action supports California Senate Bill (SB) 686, which would prohibit auto dealers from selling unsafe, unrepaired recalled vehicles to consumers.
Watching
California Legislation
AB 329 : Preserving Fans’ Ticket Rights
Sponsor: Assembly Member Richard Pan (D) District 9 on Feb 13, 2013
http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201320140AB329
Targets restrictive paperless ticketing policies that prevent live performance fans from giving tickets to family or friends or reselling unused tickets.
Support
California Legislation
SB 603 : Protects Renters’ Security Deposits
Sponsor: Senator Mark Leno (D)- District 11 on Feb 12, 2013
http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201320140SB603
SB 603, as introduced, Leno. Landlord and tenant: security deposit, would require that deposit funds be held in separate accounts, require interest payments to tenants on any funds held, and impose penalties if deposit funds are improperly withheld at the end of a tenancy.
Petition
National Action
Stand with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
Date: Tue, March 12, 2013
Once again a group of Senators has lined up against consumer protection. They want to cut the CFPB's budget and undermine its authority and effectiveness. So far, they have refused to vote to confirm (or reject) CFPB Director Richard Cordray. Let the CFPB do its job! That’s the message we need to send to Congress and we need your help to deliver it now.
Support
National Legislation
HR 990: SAFE Lending Act of 2013
Sponsor: Suzanne Bonamici [D-OR1] on 2013-03-06
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/113/hr990
H.R. 990: To amend the Truth in Lending Act. The bill gives consumers the right to cancel certain credit transactions that involve a lien on a consumer's principal dwelling, regulates certain credit card practices, and provides a means for fair and timely resolution of credit billing disputes. With the exception…
Petition
National Action
Used car buyers’ protections veering in the wrong direction
Date: Mon, February 11, 2013
Don't let the FTC weaken the Used Car Rule. Please let the FTC know that consumers do not want the Used Car Rule watered down. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has issued a proposal to update the Used Car Rule. But the proposed rules pose some real problems for consumers.
Support
National Legislation
HR 377: Paycheck Fairness Act
Sponsor: Rosa DeLauro [D-CT3] on 2013-01-23
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/113/hr377
To amend the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to provide more effective remedies to victims of discrimination in the payment of wages on the basis of sex, and for other purposes. Paycheck Fairness Act limits wage rate variation to factors including education, training, or experience. It makes employers…
Petition
California Action
Support Insurance Reform!
Date: Wed, April 18, 2012
Please take a moment sign a petition that would put insurance reform on the California ballot. Just four insurance companies control 71% of California's market, and they set premiums in secret, behind closed doors. California needs more transparency in insurance pricing, and should empower the state Insurance Commissioner to block excessive premium hikes by health insurers.
Support
National Legislation
HR 1895: Do Not Track Kids Act of 2011
Sponsor: Representatives Markey and Barton on
http://www.congress.org/congressorg/issues/bills/?billnum=H.R.1895&congress=112&size=full
This bill amends the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act of 1998 to revise the definition of "operator" to exclude nonprofit entities that would otherwise be exempt from coverage under the Federal Trade Commission Act, and to revise the definition of "disclosure" as the release of personal information (currently, the…
Watching
National Legislation
S 799: Commercial Privacy Bill of Rights Act of 2011
Sponsor: Sen. John Kerry [D-MA] on Apr 12, 2011
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/112/s799
Commercial Privacy Bill of Rights Act of 2011 - Directs the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to initiate a rulemaking requiring security measures to be carried out by any person (defined in this Act as a "covered entity") collecting, using, transferring, or storing certain personal information (defined in this Act…
Support
National Legislation
HR 3492: Federal Consumer Credit Card Protection Act of 2005
Sponsor: Rep. Bernard Sanders (Vermont) on
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c109:H.R.3492
The Consumer Credit Card Protection Act of 2005 would prohibit the practice known as universal default, in which credit card companies increase a cardholder's interest rate because of his or her record with OTHER creditors. (Card companies have access to cardholder's credit reports and credit scores, where they can…