Connecticut is the next in a growing list of states to pass comprehensive data privacy legislation.  Last Friday, the Connecticut legislature passed, by large margins, Senate Bill 6 — which we are referring to as the Connecticut Data Privacy Act (CTDPA).  The law now awaits the Governor’s signature.

The CTDPA follows the form and content of other privacy laws passed in the prior year, including the Colorado Privacy Act (CPA), Virginia Consumer Data Protection Act (VCDPA), and Utah Privacy Act (UPA). … Continue Reading

On April 28, 2022 the New York Department of Financial Services (“NYDFS”) issued its Guidance on Use of Blockchain Analytics, a document directed to all virtual currency business entities that either have a NYDFS Bitlicense or are chartered as a limited purpose trust company under the New York Banking Law. … Continue Reading

A federal district court judge in the Southern District of New York ruled late last week that three credit unions had successfully established a likelihood of success on their claims that the retroactive application of New York’s recently-passed rate reduction law constitutes a regulatory taking in violation of the U.S. Constitution and preliminarily enjoined state sheriffs’ offices from enforcing the law.… Continue Reading

Businesses with automatic renewal contracts—including subscriptions—should take note of Colorado’s new law that went into effect earlier this year on January 1, 2022.  While companies subject to other state’s auto-renewal laws and the Restore Online Shoppers’ Confidence Act (“ROSCA”) will be familiar with the three-prong approach of upfront clear disclosure, simple cancellation, and ongoing reminders, the Colorado law goes a step further by imposing notice obligations on month-to-month renewals.

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Utah and Virginia recently became the first two states to require the registration of providers of merchant cash advances.  The new laws also include disclosure requirements.  (Although laws requiring disclosures for merchant cash advances already exist in California and New York, those laws have not yet become effective.)

Utah. … Continue Reading

Three credit unions have filed a federal class action lawsuit in the Southern District of New York seeking to halt the enforcement or implementation of New York’s recently passed S.B. 5724A which would retroactively and prospectively lower the statutory annual interest rate on  consumer debt judgments from 9% to 2%.  The credit unions allege that the change in rates – set to take effect April 30, 2022 – violates the United States Constitution’s due process and property protections and should be struck down in its entirety.… Continue Reading

Following the lead of California, Colorado, and Virginia, Utah is set to become the fourth state to pass a comprehensive privacy law.

As of March 4, the Utah Consumer Privacy Act (SB 227) cleared both houses of the Utah legislature.  The UCPA closely resembles the Virginia Consumer Data Privacy Act, but with some interesting changes. … Continue Reading

The New Mexico House and Senate have both passed House Bill 132 which would create a 36% annual percentage rate (APR) cap on loans up to $10,000 made under the New Mexico Bank Installment Loan Act of 1959 (BILA) and the New Mexico Small Loan Act (SLA).  In an apparent effort to reach non-bank participants in bank-model programs, the bill would also expand the SLA’s anti-evasion provision. … Continue Reading

Around the nation, regulators are preparing to implement and enforce new consumer-like disclosure laws for small business commercial finance providers.

New York regulators have yet to issue final regulations implementing the state’s Commercial Finance Disclosure Law (CFDL), which went into effect on January 1, 2022.  As we previously reported, the New York State Department of Financial Services (NYDFS) advised that commercial finance providers’ obligations under the CFDL do not ripen until the NYDFS “issues final implementing regulations and those regulations take effect.” … Continue Reading

A bill was recently introduced in the Oklahoma legislature that would impose new limits on the use of automated dialing systems.  If enacted, the bill would become effective November 1, 2022.

Titled the “Telephone Solicitation Act of 2022,” the bill would prohibit the use of an “automated system” to make a “telephonic sales call” without the “prior express written consent” of the “called party.”… Continue Reading