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May 16, 2016

Senators want GAO to provide fed, state payments reform info

Three senators are requesting information on efforts to reform payments systems at the state and federal level – including at NCUA and CFPB, among other agencies – from the Government Accountability Office.

Senate Homeland Security Committee Ranking Member Thomas Carper, D-Del., and Sens. Gary Peters, D-Mich., and Chris Coons, D-Del., wrote the GAO on Monday to ask how regulators have coordinated their mobile payments regulations with each other and with state governments. Peters is also on the Homeland Security Committee; all three are members of the Senate Payments Innovation Caucus.

"Congress and federal regulators must ensure that laws and regulations related to mobile payments foster innovation while protecting consumers," the senators wrote.

The lawmakers asked if there are laws or regulations creating a barrier to payments products innovation or to increased consumer protections, among other things.

NAFCU is a member of both the Federal Reserve's Faster Payments Task Force and its Secure Payments Task Force. NAFCU has urged the Fed against a "one size fits all" approach in determining the payments system's future and continues to advocate that any new payments system by cost-effective, efficient and scalable for credit unions of all sizes.