May 28, 2024
Dear Credit Union Leaders,
May is almost finished, and AC&E is next week! As our team heads north to the Detroit Regional Chamber’s Annual Policy Conference this week, here are the updates you need!
Announcements
As mentioned in our last edition, please keep an eye out for the next “Cheers! To Compliance!” session on June 28. We have invited DIFS to talk about a variety of topics, including the new consumer compliance component in examinations that is being rolled out. For those interested, you can REGISTER HERE, and please contact Brad (Bradley.Willett@mcul.org) for more information.
Advocacy
In Lansing, the Senate Finance, Insurance, and Consumer Protection Committee took testimony on SB 408 and 409, the Senate’s version of legislation to update and reform garnishment and collections procedures in Michigan. MCUL Advocacy was joined by Angela Kimbrough of One Detroit Credit Union testifying in opposition to the legislation. A substitute version of the bill was presented, lessening some of the threshold proposals for wage and bank garnishment and eliminating some of the problematic procedural issues, but the bill is still not in a place where credit unions can support it. Also opposing the bills were the Michigan Bankers Association, Community Bankers of Michigan, and the collections legal community. Many individual credit unions and banks joined together to submit cards of opposition to the bills, as well. Work on the bills is still ongoing, but we expect the Chair to bring the bills up for further testimony within the next two weeks. Legislation requiring a report to the legislature by DIFS on payday lending providers and transactions was signed into law by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, as 2024 PA 46.
From a state regulatory perspective, our team is monitoring an exchange between the Michigan Department of Treasury and the retail community on interchange. Treasury has indicated their intent to assess sales tax on surcharge amounts that retails use to offset interchange costs. We expect that the retail community will seek to legislatively address this decision, which is predicated on lack of legislative direction to the contrary, in the coming months.
In Washington, D.C., America’s Credit Unions wrote to the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Innovation, Data, to outline credit unions’ key tenets for a federal data privacy law, in conjunction with the Subcommittee’s markup of the draft American Privacy Rights Act (APRA). As we have stressed here in Michigan at the state level, America’s Credit Unions conveyed that a federal data privacy law must contain an entity-level exemption for institutions that are subject to the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act’s requirements; must ideally preempt state data privacy laws to establish a true national standard; and must protect credit unions from frivolous lawsuits by not authorizing a private right of action. The current version of the APRA falls short on those key points.
For a full update on state and federal regulatory action, please see the “Reg Corner” update in this edition of MILeague Minute.
Grassroots and Advocacy Funding
Information on the 2024 ASFM Golf Outing on July 10 has been sent! As with every year, this event benefits the Michele Myrick Scholarship Fund to assist credit union officials and volunteers in attending important events like Hike the Hill, America’s Credit Unions GAC, and next year’s MCUL GAC. We look forward to seeing you there, and please contact Kieran (Kieran.Marion@mcul.org) with any questions. Look for details in the coming week!
Elections
The stage is set for the August Primary Election. As per our normal practice during election cycles, a full list of endorsed state and federal candidates will continue to be included at the bottom of this update and will be updated onto our website. Now that the filing deadline has passed and candidate surveys have been sent, we expect the list to begin growing in June.
As always, thank you for all that you do for Michigan’s credit unions!
Sincerely,
Patty Corkery and the MCUL Advocacy Team
2024 Election Endorsements:
U.S. Senate
U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin
MCULAF is a state-registered political action committee that makes campaign contributions to candidates for elective office in Michigan. Contributions to MCULAF are not tax deductible. Contributions to MCULAF are completely voluntary and will be used for political purposes. You have the right to refuse without any reprisal. Must be 18 years or age or older to participate. Must be a qualified employee (professional, supervisory, managerial and administrative non-clerical position) of the MCUL & Affiliates or a member or qualified employee of an affiliated Michigan credit union.
Contributions to MCULLAF are not considered charitable contributions or business expenses for income tax purposes. Contributions to MCULLAF are completely voluntary and will be used for political purposes. There shall be no reprisal for those who decide not to contribute. Must be a qualified member of a participating MCUL-affiliated credit union, U.S. citizen and 18-years of age or older to participate.
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