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Bill

Bill

A 3457

Requires reporting agencies to report to Division of Consumer Affairs number of free consumer reports furnished to New Jersey resident consumers annually.

2026-2027 Regular Session Introduced by Yvonne Lopez

New Jersey requires consumer reporting agencies to annually report how many free credit reports they provided to state residents, creating a transparency data collection mandate.

Introduced, Referred to Assembly Consumer Affairs Committee
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Bill Summary · A 3457

Legislative bill overview

Bill A 3457 requires credit reporting and consumer reporting agencies operating in New Jersey to submit annual reports to the Division of Consumer Affairs detailing how many free consumer reports they provided to New Jersey residents. This is a data collection and transparency mandate with no direct changes to consumer rights or reporting agency operations.

Why is this important

The bill creates a mechanism to track whether consumers are actually accessing the free credit reports they're entitled to under federal law (like the annual free credit report from each of the three major bureaus). This data could inform policymakers about consumer awareness gaps, identify potential barriers to access, and guide future consumer protection initiatives.

Potential points of contention

  • Compliance burden: Reporting agencies may argue that compiling and reporting this data creates administrative costs with minimal tangible consumer benefit
  • Data definition ambiguity: The bill doesn't specify whether "free reports" includes only federally-mandated free reports or any complimentary reports, potentially creating inconsistent reporting standards
  • Effectiveness questions: Critics may question whether simply collecting data on free report distribution translates into meaningful consumer protection or policy improvements without accompanying legislative action

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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