Skip to main content
HR 1500 116th Congress House Finance and Financial Sector Administrative law and regulatory procedures Advisory bodies Aging Alternative dispute resolution, mediation, arbitration Bank accounts, deposits, capital Banking and financial institutions regulation Community life and organization Congressional oversight Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Consumer affairs Consumer credit Debt collection Executive agency funding and structure Federal Reserve System Federal officials Financial literacy Government employee pay, benefits, personnel management Government information and archives Government studies and investigations

Consumers First Act

Introduced: March 5, 2019 Introduced by: Waters, Maxine Democratic · California See on congress.gov
This bill died when the 116th Congress ended
It never became law before the 116th Congress (2019–2020) 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 45 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
May 23, 2019
Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
May 22, 2019
Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
May 22, 2019
On passage Passed by recorded vote: 231 - 191 (Roll no. 228).
May 22, 2019
On motion to recommit with instructions Failed by recorded vote: 191 - 231 (Roll no. 227).
May 22, 2019
The previous question on the motion to recommit with instructions was ordered without objection.
May 22, 2019
DEBATE - The House proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Steil motion to recommit with instructions. The instructions contained in the motion seek to require the bill to be reported back to the House with an amendment to prohibit the use of funds from the Civil Penalty Fund to be used for any purpose other than compensating actual victims of activities for which civil penalties have been imposed under Federal consumer financial laws.
May 22, 2019
Mr. Steil moved to recommit with instructions to the Committee on Financial Services. (text: CR H4108)
May 22, 2019
The previous question was ordered pursuant to the rule.
May 22, 2019
The House rose from the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union to report H.R. 1500.
May 22, 2019
UNFINISHED BUSINESS - The Chair announced that the unfinished business was on adoption of amendments, which had been debated earlier an on which further proceedings had been postponed.
May 22, 2019
POSTPONED PROCEEDINGS - At the conclusion of debate on the Green (TX) amendment, the Chair put the question on the amendment and by voice vote, announced that the ayes had prevailed. Mr. McHenry demanded a recorded vote and the Chair postponed further proceedings on agreeing to the amendment until a time to be announced.
May 22, 2019
DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 389, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Green (TX) amendment No. 17.
May 22, 2019
DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 389, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Tlaib amendment No. 16.
May 22, 2019
DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 389, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the DeSaulnier amendment No. 15.
May 22, 2019
POSTPONED PROCEEDINGS - At the conclusion of debate on the Stevens amendment, the Chair put the question on the amendment and by voice vote, announced that the ayes had prevailed. Ms. Stevens demanded a recorded vote and the Chair postponed further proceedings on agreeing to the amendment until a time to be announced.
May 22, 2019
DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 389, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Stevens amendment No. 14.
May 22, 2019
DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 389, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Neguse amendment No. 13.
May 22, 2019
DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 389, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Escobar amendment No. 12.
May 22, 2019
DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 389, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Golden amendment No. 11.
May 22, 2019
DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 389, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Case amendment No. 10.
May 22, 2019
DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 389, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Bonamici amendment No. 9.
May 22, 2019
DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 389, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Cohen amendment No. 8.
May 22, 2019
POSTPONED PROCEEDINGS - At the conclusion of debate on the Burgess amendment, the Chair put the question on the amendment and by voice vote, announced that the noes had prevailed. Mr. Burgess demanded a recorded vote and the Chair postponed further proceedings on agreeing to the amendment until a time to be announced.
May 22, 2019
DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 389, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Burgess amendment No. 7.
May 22, 2019
POSTPONED PROCEEDINGS - At the conclusion of debate on the Burgess amendment, the Chair put the question on the amendment and by voice vote, announced that the ayes had prevailed. Ms. Waters demanded a recorded vote and the Chair postponed further proceedings on agreeing to the amendment until a time to be announced.
May 22, 2019
DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 389, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Burgess amendment No. 6.
May 22, 2019
DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 389, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Pressley amendment No. 5.
May 22, 2019
DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 389, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Lawson (FL) amendment No. 4.
May 22, 2019
DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 389, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Adams amendment No. 3.
May 22, 2019
POSTPONED PROCEEDINGS - At the conclusion of debate on the Steil amendment, the Chair put the question on the amendment and by voice vote, announced that the noes had prevailed. Mr. Steil demanded a recorded vote and the Chair postponed further proceedings on agreeing to the amendment until a time to be announced.
May 22, 2019
DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 389, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Steil amendment No. 2.
May 22, 2019
DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 389, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Velazquez amendment No. 1.
May 22, 2019
GENERAL DEBATE - The Committee of the Whole proceeded with one hour of general debate on H.R. 1500.
May 22, 2019
The Speaker designated the Honorable Ami Bera to act as Chairman of the Committee.
May 22, 2019
House resolved itself into the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union pursuant to H. Res. 389 and Rule XVIII.
May 22, 2019
Rule provides for consideration of H.R. 1500 and H.R. 1994. The resolution provides for one hour of debate on H.R. 1500, under a structured rule, and provides for one hour of debate on H.R. 1994, under a closed rule. The resolution provides for proceedings during the period from May 24, 2019, through May 31, 2019, and provides for motions to suspend the rules on the legislative day of May 23, 2019.
May 22, 2019
Considered under the provisions of rule H. Res. 389. (consideration: CR H4075-4110)
May 20, 2019
Rules Committee Resolution H. Res. 389 Reported to House. Rule provides for consideration of H.R. 1500 and H.R. 1994. The resolution provides for one hour of debate on H.R. 1500, under a structured rule, and provides for one hour of debate on H.R. 1994, under a closed rule. The resolution provides for proceedings during the period from May 24, 2019, through May 31, 2019, and provides for motions to suspend the rules on the legislative day of May 23, 2019.
May 10, 2019
Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 35.
May 10, 2019
Committee on Education and Labor discharged.
May 10, 2019
Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Financial Services. H. Rept. 116-57, Part I.
Mar 28, 2019
Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by the Yeas and Nays: 34 - 26.
Mar 28, 2019
Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
Mar 5, 2019
Referred to the Committee on Financial Services, and in addition to the Committee on Education and Labor, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Mar 5, 2019
Introduced in House
 Votes taken on this bill 2
DateChamberWhat was voted onResultYes–No
May 22, 2019 House · vote #228 On Passage Passed 231191 See who voted →
May 22, 2019 House · vote #227 On Motion to Recommit with Instructions Failed 191231 See who voted →
 Amendments to this bill 17

Amendments propose changes to this bill. Members vote on amendments separately before the final bill vote. An agreed amendment becomes part of the bill; a failed amendment does not.

14 agreed to 3 failed

AmendmentSponsorPurposeStatusLatest action
HAMDT 263 Green, Al Amendment reinstates the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's final rule governing forced arbitration, with… Agreed to May 22, 2019
HAMDT 262 Tlaib, Rashida An amendment numbered 16 printed in Part A of House Report 116-79 to add a quarterly reporting requirement th… Agreed to May 22, 2019
HAMDT 261 DeSaulnier, Mark An amendment numbered 15 printed in Part A of House Report 116-79 to require the Bureau to collect additional… Agreed to May 22, 2019
HAMDT 260 Stevens, Haley M. An amendment numbered 14 printed in Part A of House Report 116-79 to ensure that the Consumer Advisory Board … Agreed to May 22, 2019
HAMDT 259 Neguse, Joe An amendment numbered 13 printed in Part A of House Report 116-79 to require the Director of the Consumer Fin… Agreed to May 22, 2019
HAMDT 258 Escobar, Veronica An amendment numbered 12 printed in Part A of House Report 116-79 to direct CFPB to seek to appoint represent… Agreed to May 22, 2019
HAMDT 257 Golden, Jared F. An amendment numbered 11 printed in Part A of House Report 116-79 to add representatives of service members, … Agreed to May 22, 2019
HAMDT 256 Case, Ed An amendment numbered 10 printed in Part A of House Report 116-79 to add expertise in consumer privacy to the… Agreed to May 22, 2019
HAMDT 255 Bonamici, Suzanne An amendment numbered 9 printed in Part A of House Report 116-79 to require the Assistant Director and Studen… Agreed to May 22, 2019
HAMDT 254 Cohen, Steve An amendment numbered 8 printed in Part A of House Report 116-79 to direct the Consumer Financial Protection … Agreed to May 22, 2019
HAMDT 253 Amendment sought to permanently subject the funding of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to congressio… Failed May 22, 2019
HAMDT 252 Amendment sought to strike the section requiring all consumer complaints to be made available to the public o… Failed May 22, 2019
HAMDT 251 Pressley, Ayanna An amendment numbered 5 printed in Part A of House Report 116-79 to require the Director of the Consumer Fina… Agreed to May 22, 2019
HAMDT 250 An amendment numbered 4 printed in Part A of House Report 116-79 to add a monthly reporting requirement that … Agreed to May 22, 2019
HAMDT 249 Adams, Alma S. An amendment numbered 3 printed in Part A of House Report 116-79 to reestablish an interagency memorandum of … Agreed to May 22, 2019
HAMDT 248 Steil, Bryan Amendment sought to strike the findings in the bill and insert language requiring the Comptroller General to … Failed May 22, 2019
HAMDT 247 Velázquez, Nydia M. An amendment numbered 1 printed in Part A of House Report 116-79 to reinstate Home Mortgage Disclosure Act of… Agreed to May 22, 2019
 Ask about this bill AI · grounded in the bill text

Have a question about what this bill does? Ask in plain English; the answer is drawn from the bill's actual text and official record, and it'll tell you when something isn't in the text rather than guess.

AI answers can be imperfect; always confirm against the full bill text.

 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Consumers First Act

This bill revises provisions related to the administration of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB).

(Sec. 3) The bill amends all statutory references to the "Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection" to refer instead to the "Consumer Financial Protection Bureau."

(Sec. 5) Specified units, offices, and boards of the CFPB must perform their assigned duties and may not be renamed or reorganized. The bill establishes requirements for staffing levels, political appointees, and the publication of consumer complaints regarding consumer financial products or services.

The bill reinstates specified agreements between the CFPB and the Department of Education regarding the sharing of information and oversight related to federal student loans.

The CFPB rule regarding the use of arbitration agreements in contracts for specific consumer financial products and services is reinstated. This rule prohibits the use of a predispute arbitration agreement to prevent a consumer from filing or participating in certain class action suits. The rule also requires consumer financial product and service providers to furnish the CFPB with particular information regarding arbitrations.

(Sec. 6) The bill specifically states the duties of the Office of Fair Lending and Equal Opportunity (under current law, these are delegated by the CFPB Director). It also adds the duty to implement enforcement and supervisory authority regarding the fair lending laws.

The Office of Students and Young Consumers is established in the CFPB.

(Sec. 7) Membership requirements for the Consumer Advisory Board are revised, including by requiring representatives of service members and veterans. Board meeting requirements are also revised, including by requiring in person meetings and extending the terms of certain board members.

(Sec. 8) The bill also decreases the cap on the surplus funds of the Federal Reserve banks. (Amounts exceeding this cap are deposited in the general fund of the Treasury.)

(Sec. 9) The bill revises the required public disclosures made by a depository institution or a credit union regarding mortgages and home equity lines of credit. Specifically, institutions originating fewer than 500 mortgage loans or open-end lines of credit are no longer exempt from certain financial reporting.

(Sec. 10) The bill limits available exemptions from certain housing mortgage disclosures and prohibits the CFPB from modifying or discontinuing certain mortgage reporting tools.

(Sec. 13) The CFPB must report monthly on fair lending investigations and enforcement actions.

(Sec. 14) The CFPB must report quarterly on debt collection complaints and enforcement actions.

(Sec. 15) The bill provides for free annual consumer credit scores.

(Sec. 16) The CFPB must report annually on consumer complaints by senior consumers and provide recommendations to improve protections for these consumers.

(Sec. 17) The CFPB must report quarterly on payday loan and car title loan investigations and enforcement actions.

What's happening now May 23, 2019

Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.

 Related & companion bills 4
 Bill text 4 versions

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 3
Cite this page click to expand
APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). H.R. 1500: Consumers First Act. 116th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/116-HR-1500/
MLA
"H.R. 1500: Consumers First Act." 116th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/116-HR-1500/.
Bluebook (legal)
H.R. 1500, 116th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/116-HR-1500/.
Markdown link
[H.R. 1500: Consumers First Act](https://openamerica.io/bill/116-HR-1500/)
Report a problem