CFPB Publishes Semiannual Regulatory Agenda

The CFPB published its Semiannual Regulatory Agenda in the Federal Register on January 12, 2018.  The Agenda indicates that the information is current as of September 28, 2017, and sets forth the regulatory matters that the CFPB intends to consider for the period from November 1, 2017, to October 31, 2018.  Because Director Cordray resigned from the CFPB on November 24, 2017, and current OMB Director Mulvaney has been serving as acting CFPB Director since that time, it is unclear whether the Agenda reflects the current administration’s regulatory considerations and focuses.  The next agenda will be published in the spring of 2018 and will update the Agenda through the fall of 2018.

The recently published Agenda categorizes the regulatory issues under consideration during the stated timeframe (November 1, 2017, to October 31, 2018) into three main groups:

1. Implementing statutory directives (such as those related to HMDA/ECOA, the mortgage servicing rule, and TRID)
2. Other efforts to address market failures, facilitate fair competition among financial service providers, and improve consumer understanding
3. Modernizing, clarifying, and streamlining consumer financial regulations to reduce unwarranted regulatory burdens

Each of the three categories are supplemented with details regarding the scope of the CFPB’s stated considerations.