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HR 4101 112th Congress House

Fair Debt Collection Practices Clarification Act of 2012

Official title: To amend the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act to exempt a debt collector from liability when leaving certain voice mail messages for a consumer with respect … Show full official titleShow less

Official title: To amend the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act to exempt a debt collector from liability when leaving certain voice mail messages for a consumer with respect to a debt as long as the debt collector follows regulations prescribed by the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection on the appropriate manner in which to leave such a message, and for other purposes.

Introduced: February 28, 2012 See on congress.gov
Finance and Financial Sector Administrative law and regulatory proceduresAlternative dispute resolution, mediation, arbitrationCivil actions and liabilityConsumer Financial Protection Bureau
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Consumer affairsConsumer creditRight of privacyTelephone and wireless communication
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This bill died when the 112th Congress ended
It never became law before the 112th Congress (2011–2012) adjourned, and bills don't carry over to the next Congress. It would have to be reintroduced. You can still save it for reference, but it won't receive updates.
 Everywhere this bill has been 3 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Apr 26, 2012
Referred to the Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit.
Feb 28, 2012
Referred to the House Committee on Financial Services.
Feb 28, 2012
Introduced in House
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 Latest action April 26, 2012

Referred to the Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit.

 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Fair Debt Collection Practices Clarification Act of 2012 - Amends the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act to revise the disclaimer of liability for any act done or omitted in good faith in conformity with any advisory opinion of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB).

Exempts from liability, in addition, acts done or omitted in good faith in compliance with any rule, regulation, or interpretation of the CFPB, or in conformity with any interpretation or approval by a CFPB official or employee duly authorized to issue such interpretations or approvals.

Permits a debt collector to leave messages for a consumer regarding the collection of a debt on the consumer's answering machine, voice messaging system, or similar device, including in an initial communication with the consumer, so long as the message complies with regulations prescribed by the CFPB to ensure the preservation of consumer privacy and other rights, including restrictions on communications with third parties.

Prohibits a debt collector from initiating a legal action on a debt in an arbitration setting, or requiring the consumer to resolve by arbitration a collection-related dispute on the debt, unless the consumer has agreed in writing to resolution by arbitration after collections activities have been initiated and a legal action or dispute has arisen.

 Related & companion bills 1
  • HR 5794 Related bill Fair Debt Collection Practices Clarification Act of 2012
 Bill text 1 version

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 2
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APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). H.R. 4101: Fair Debt Collection Practices Clarification Act of 2012. 112th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/112-HR-4101/
MLA
"H.R. 4101: Fair Debt Collection Practices Clarification Act of 2012." 112th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/112-HR-4101/.
Bluebook (legal)
H.R. 4101, 112th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/112-HR-4101/.
Markdown link
[H.R. 4101: Fair Debt Collection Practices Clarification Act of 2012](https://openamerica.io/bill/112-HR-4101/)
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