ACA Updates Government Affairs Strategy

The inauguration of Barack Obama as the 44th president of the United States staked a new direction in U.S. economic policy, and Congress and the administration are already wrestling with major pieces of legislation aimed at addressing the banking and housing crises and the economic recession at large.

In order to meet these new challenges and capitalize on opportunities as they arise, ACA International has gone to great lengths to ensure the credit and collection industry has a detailed strategy that will ensure it remains actively engaged with both Congress and the new administration on the issues that are critical to the continued vitality of the industry.

This strategy is a product of ACA’s strategic planning meeting. ACA members serving on the Executive Committee and the Legislative Council, along with the chairs or a representative of the ACPAC, Members’ Attorney Program, Asset Buyers, Creditors International and Interstate Committees, coalesced to craft ACA’s government affairs strategic plan for the 111th Congress.

The final two-year plan lays out the association’s vision and mission for ACA’s Government Affairs Department and includes the following six legislative and regulatory goals:Evaluate the viability of developing a self-regulatory organization for the collection industry.Improve the efficacy of ACA units’ legislative and regulatory advocacy efforts.Improve the ability of industry members to conduct business and communicate effectively with consumers.Improve the integrity of data available to industry professionals and consumers.Reduce the number of frivolous lawsuits filed against members of the collection, credit and asset buying industries.Shape public opinion with respect to legislative and regulatory action affecting the credit, collection and asset buying industries.

In selecting these goals, the planning committee identified several objectives intended to guide ACA’s government affairs staff. One critical aspect includes amending or updating existing federal laws, such as the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, the Fair Credit Reporting Act, the Telephone Consumer Protection Act and the Truth in Lending Act. To do this, ACA staff will work closely with members of Congress, their staff and numerous regulatory agencies.

ACA International Executive Vice President and General Counsel Rozanne Andersen will address these issues at ACA’s upcoming March for Success Conference & Expo, March 15-17, 2009, at Green Valley Ranch in Las Vegas.

About ACA International
ACA International, the Association of Credit and Collection Professionals, is the comprehensive, knowledge-based resource for success in the credit and collection industry. Founded in 1939, ACA brings together more than 5,500 members worldwide, including third-party collection agencies, attorneys, creditors and vendor affiliates. The association establishes ethical standards, produces a wide variety of products, services and publications, and articulates the value of the credit and collection industry to businesses, policymakers and consumers. For more information about ACA International, visit http://www.acainternational.org.