The CFPB’s proposed amendments to its rule on the disclosure of records and information is the subject of a blog post written by Ballard Spahr attorneys Burt M. Rublin and Daniel L. Delnero for the Washington Legal Foundation.

Entitled “CFPB Proposal Unconstitutionally Imposes Prior Restraint on Regulated Entities’ Speech,” the blog post focuses on a provision in the CFPB’s proposed rule published in the Federal Register on August 24, 2016.  The provision would prohibit the recipient of a civil investigative demand (CID) or letter from the CFPB providing notice and opportunity to respond and advise (NORA) from disclosing the CID or NORA to third parties without prior consent of a high ranking CFPB official.  The blog post explains why the proposal is not only ill-advised as a matter of public policy but is also unconstitutional both as a prior restraint on speech and a content-based restriction.

The CFPB’s proposal also includes a provision that would expand its discretion to share confidential supervisory information with state attorneys general and other agencies that do not have supervisory authority over companies.  We have previously blogged about the concerns raised by this provision.