Consumer credit reporting: adverse action.

Existing law requires a consumer credit reporting agency, upon request and proper identification of any consumer, to allow the consumer to visually inspect all files maintained regarding that consumer at the time of the request. Existing law additionally grants a consumer the right to request and receive a written copy of the file. Existing federal law prohibits a consumer credit reporting agency from prohibiting a user of a consumer credit report furnished by the agency from disclosing the contents of the report to the consumer if adverse action has been taken against the consumer by the user based on the report. This bill would make it unlawful for a consumer credit reporting agency to prohibit, or to dissuade or attempt to dissuade, a user of a consumer credit report furnished by the credit reporting agency from providing a copy of the consumer's credit report to the consumer, upon the consumer's request, if the user has taken adverse action against the consumer based upon the report. The bill would authorize the Attorney General, among others, to bring a civil action, for a civil penalty not to exceed $5,000, against any credit reporting agency for a violation of these provisions.