Why It Matters
The Mortgage Bankers Association is lobbying on H.R. 8141, the Fair Credit Reporting Reseller Accuracy Act, which the supplied legislative record lists as having reached "Floor Consideration" status. The bill would require consumer credit data resellers, which assemble and merge consumers' credit information from other agencies, to follow reasonable procedures to ensure the maximum possible accuracy of the information they provide. It would also shield resellers from Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) liability when they accurately communicate information obtained from another consumer reporting agency.
The third-quarter filing also lists the Appraisal Industry Improvement Act, Internal Revenue Code modifications for qualified first-time homebuyer distributions, the fiscal 2027 Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) Automatic Extension Act of 2025, the SEC Real Estate Leasing Authority Revocation Act, the State and Federal Capacity Sharing for Environmental Reviews of Projects (CERTAIN) Act proposal, and artificial intelligence issues.
By the Numbers
The in-house third-quarter report lists $840,000 in lobbying expenditures, up $280,000 from the $560,000 reported for the third quarter of 2025 and down $380,000 from the $1,220,000 reported for the second quarter.
Across all five registrants, the association's combined third-quarter lobbying expenditures totaled $1,040,000, down from $1,420,000 in the second quarter. Outside firms and their third-quarter amounts:
- Rich Feuer Anderson: $50,000
- Michael Best Strategies LLC: $70,000
- Breakaway LLC: $50,000
- 9th Street Strategies LLC: $30,000
The in-house filing lists six lobbyists: Pete Mills, Bill Killmer, George Rogers (former staffer for former Sen. Richard Lugar (R-IN) and the House Rules and Oversight and Government Reform committees), Rachel Kelley (former staffer for former Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL)), Jeremy Green and Madisyn Rhone.
Broader Context
Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) introduced H.R. 8141 on March 27. The bill is listed as having reached "Floor Consideration" status in the supplied legislative record, although its latest recorded action is referral to the House Financial Services Committee on the date of introduction.
The House Financial Services Committee's report described resellers as commonly assembling tri-merge credit reports for mortgage lenders and argued that holding them liable for errors originating elsewhere constitutes "misdirected litigation." Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) backed the bill, arguing it would improve transparency and accountability. The National Consumer Law Center (NCLC) opposed it, with credit-reporting director Chi Chi Wu arguing that the liability exception would let resellers escape responsibility for passing along inaccurate information even when the error is obvious. NCLC cited Consumer Financial Protection Bureau data showing 5 million credit-reporting complaints in 2025.
Rep. Haley Stevens (D-MI) issued a May 7 release on the Homeownership Savings Act, which would create tax-advantaged Homeownership Savings Accounts for first-time buyers' down payments and closing costs. The Mortgage Bankers Association endorses it.
The Appraisal Industry Improvement Act, introduced May 7, 2025, by Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-ND), was referred to the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee. It would revise appraiser eligibility criteria, expand the national registry to include credentialed trainees, and establish grants to address appraiser workforce needs.
The SEC Real Estate Leasing Authority Revocation Act, H.R. 189, passed the House and was received in the Senate on Jan. 14, 2025, where it awaits action by the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee, according to the supplied legislative record.
Competitive Landscape
Four other organizations are on record lobbying H.R. 8141: the Consumer Data Industry Association, Equifax Inc., the Professional Background Screening Association and the Center for Responsible Lending.
The Bottom Line
H.R. 8141 is listed as "Floor Consideration," but the latest recorded action in the supplied legislative record is referral to the House Financial Services Committee. S. 1635 was referred to the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee. The association's outside-firm roster held steady across the second and third quarters, while in-house spending rose compared with the same period a year earlier.
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