Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 110 Part 4.djvu/602

 110 STAT. 3009-439 PUBLIC LAW 104-208—SEPT. 30, 1996 of the Fair Credit Reporting Act, for the purpose of maximizing the comprehensibility and standardization of such disclosures. 15 USC I68ig (3) GOALS. — The Federal Trade Commission shall take i^ote. appropriate action to assure that the goals of comprehensibility and standardization are achieved in accordance with paragraph (2). (4) DEFAMATION.— Section 610(e) of the Fair Credit Reporting Act (15 U.S.C. 1681h(e)) is amended by inserting "or based on information disclosed by a user of a consumer report to or for a consumer against whom the user has taken adverse action, based in whole or in part on the report" before "except". (5) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.—The Fair Credit Reporting Act (15 U.S.C. 1681 et seq.) is amended— 15 USC I68ig. (A) in section 609(a), in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by striking "and proper identification of any consumer" and inserting ", and subject to section 610(a)(1)"; 15 USC 168ih. (B) in section 610, in the section heading, by inserting "AND FORM" after "CONDITIONS"; and (C) in the table of sections at the beginning of that Act, in the item relating to section 610, by inserting "and form" after "conditions". SEC. 2409. PROCEDURES IN CASE OF THE DISPUTED ACCURACY OF ANY INFORMATION IN A CONSUMER'S FILE. (a) IN GENERAL.— Section 611(a) of the Fair Credit Reporting Act (15 U.S.C. 1681i(a)) is amended to read as follows: " (a) REINVESTIGATIONS OF DISPUTED INFORMATION.— "(1) REINVESTIGATION REQUIRED. — "(A) IN GENERAL. — If the completeness or accuracy of any item of information contained in a consumer's file at a consumer reporting agency is disputed by the consumer and the consumer notifies the agency directly of such dispute, the agency shall reinvestigate free of charge and record the current status of the disputed information, or delete the item from the file in accordance with paragraph (5), before the end of the 30-day period beginning on the date on which the agency receives the notice of the dispute from the consumer. " (B) EXTENSION OF PERIOD TO REINVESTIGATE. —Except as provided in subparagraph (C), the 30-day period described in subparagraph (A) may be extended for not more than 15 additional days if the consumer reporting agency receives information from the consumer during that 30-day period that is relevant to the reinvestigation. " (C) LIMITATIONS ON EXTENSION OF PERIOD TO REINVES- TIGATE. —Subparagraph (B) shall not apply to any reinvestigation in which, during the 30-day period described in subparagraph (A), the information that is the subject of the reinvestigation is found to be inaccurate or incomplete or the consumer reporting agency determines that the information cannot be verified. " (2) PROMPT NOTICE OF DISPUTE TO FURNISHER OF INFORMA- TION. — "(A) IN GENERAL.— Before the expiration of the 5-business-day period beginning on the date on which a consumer reporting agency receives notice of a dispute from any consumer in accordance with paragraph (1), the agency

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