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 an 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. For more about our work, visit our Issues and Positions page.
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Legislative Positions
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Support
SB 1255: Equal Insurance HIV Act
Sponsor: Lena Gonzalez (D-Long Beach) on 02/21/20
https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201920200SB1255
This bill aims to prevent disability insurance companies from using an outdated and discriminatory insurance underwriting law that allows insurers to refuse life and disability income insurance applications for HIV-positive individuals based solely on a positive HIV test.
Support
SB 898: College Savings Account Bankruptcy Exemption
Sponsor: Senator Bob Wieckowski (D-Fremont) on 01/30/20
https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201920200SB898
This bill seeks to protect 529 college savings accounts from creditors should a family need to file for bankruptcy. Unlike retirement plans, ScholarShare accounts are not currently protected from creditor claims in California.
Support
SB 1196: Price Gouging
Sponsor: Senator Thomas J. Umberg (D-Santa Ana) on 02/20/20
https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=201920200SB1196
SB 1196 will strengthen state law to protect consumers from price gouging of essential supplies during the current COVID-19 pandemic and future states of emergency.
Support
HR 5934: SCAM Debt Act
Sponsor: Rep. Suzanne Bonamici on 02-21-2020
https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/116/hr5934
Among other improvements to the debt collection process, this legislation would expand the information disclosures that are required in collectors' validation notices and require collectors to notify consumers of their intent to take legal action against them.
Support
S 3300: Data Protection Act of 2020
Sponsor: Senator Kirsten Gillibrand on 02-13-2020
https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/116/s3300
The Data Protection Act would create a data protection agency to address and govern how companies are using consumers' personal digital data, what third parties they're selling or sharing our data with, how they may be engaging in discriminatory or unlawful practices based on this data collection, and more.
Support
HR 6472: COVID-19 Price Gouging Prevention Act
Sponsor: Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) on 04-07-2020
https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/116/hr6472
HR 6472 would prohibit price gouging in connection with the public health emergency resulting from COVID-19, forbidding the sale of consumer goods and services (e.g. masks, food and water, etc.) at excessive prices, and creating legal ramfications for those who continue to price gouge.
Support
S 1581 / HR 6470: Medical Debt Relief Act
Sponsor: Senator Jeff Merkely (D-OR), Rep. Katie Porter (D-CA) on 05-21-2019
https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/116/s1581
Consumer Action urges Congress to include this legislation in any future coronavirus relief packages, as it would prohibit credit reporting agencies from including medical debt in collections on credit reports for one year, and would mandate that all paid or settled debt (including medical collections) be removed within 45 days…
Support
S 3749: Public Health Emergency Privacy Act
Sponsor: Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) on 05-14-2020
https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/116/s3749
This Act would ensure that Americans’ sensitive information is kept private and secure when they use a contact tracing app, exposure notification app or other technology as part of the public health response to the COVID-19 crisis.
Watching
HR 748 : Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act
Sponsor: Rep. Joe Courtney (D-CT) on 01-24-2019
https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/116/hr748
The CARES Act, signed into law in late March 2020, provided $2 trillion in government spending to mitigate the economic fallout of the coronavrius pandemic. Consumer Action supports the CARES Act, but cautions that safeguards to ensure that the trillions in government stimulus funds benefit workers, patients, homeowners, renters, small…
Support
S 3913 : End Double Taxation of Successful Consumer Claims Act
Sponsor: Rep. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) on 06-08-2019
https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/116/s3913
Consumers who sue unscrupulous corporations in civil court (and win) can still be taxed on the legal expenses/attorneys’ fees that the courts rule the losing side must pay. In some cases, this leads to consumers who "win" paying more in taxes than they actually recover! S 3913 would put an…
Support
HR 4783 : Limited English Proficiency Data Acquisition in Mortgage Lending Act of 2019
Sponsor: Rep. Al Green (D-TX) on 10-22-2019
https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/116/hr4783
Language barriers make it difficult for borrowers to understand their home loans. This bill would reinstate a critical question asked on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac-backed home loans—a question removed under Trump-backed Federal Housing Finance Agency leadership: What is the borrower’s language preference?
Oppose
HR 3666: STRONGER Patents Act of 2019
Sponsor: Rep Steve Stivers (R-OH) on 07-10-2019
https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/116/hr3666
If passed, this legislation will allow Big Pharma to continue abusing the patent system with impunity and futher increase already-high prices on prescription medicines.
Support
HR 3248: BOSS Act (Better Oversight of Secondary Sales and Accountability in Concert Ticketing)
Sponsor: Bill Pascrell Jr. (D-NJ) on 06-13-2019
https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/116/hr3248
This bill addresses many of the anti-consumer practices occuring with regards to online ticket sales, including the use of ticket-buying “bot” software; unfair terms that make tickets non-refundable and/or non-transferable; and a lack of disclosures regarding advertised ticket scarcity and related prices.
Support
HR 5304: Pharmacy Benefit Manager (PBM) Transparency and Prescription Drug Costs Act
Sponsor: Rep. Kurt Schrader (D-OR) on 12-04-2019
https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/116/hr5304
This bill would lower drug prices by regulating pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), requiring transparency and mandating that PBM rebates and discounts be passed on to consumers.
Support
HR 5050 / S 2883: Veterans & Consumers Fair Credit Act
Sponsor: Rep. Chuy Garcia (D-IL) / Senator Jeff Merkely (D-OR) on 11-12-2019
https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/116/s2833
The Veterans and Consumers Fair Credit Act (HR 5050 in the House and S 2883 in the Senate) would extend the military’s 36% rate cap on consumer loans to all consumers. Join Consumer Action in support of this bill!