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NAFCU and a coalition of other trade groups met with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Thursday to discuss the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) and the commission's efforts to target illegal robocalls. NAFCU has urged the FCC for more clarity and flexibility so credit unions can contact their members without fear of breaking the law.

The association also just launched a new resource page for credit unions with more information on TCPA reform and NAFCU's efforts.

The trade groups on Thursday had discussions with staff from FCC Chairman Ajit Pai's and Commissioner Michael O'Reilly's offices; NAFCU Regulatory Affairs Counsel Ann Kossachev attended the meetings. The discussions focused on possible steps forward once a decision is issued in a lawsuit challenging the FCC's order on TCPA prohibitions on autodialed calls to account holders.

The lawsuit stems from a declaratory ruling and order the FCC issued in July 2015 that provides limited robocall exemptions under the TCPA for financial institutions making free autodialed calls to consumers. NAFCU has repeatedly told the FCC that the order has led to financial institutions ceasing important communications with members about their accounts over fear of inadvertently violating the rule.

NAFCU entered into the suit in September 2015 and oral arguments were heard in the case in October 2016 in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit; the court could issue a decision at any time.

Kossachev sent a letter to the FCC last week in support of initiatives to allow voice service providers to block unlawful spoofed robocalls. In the letter, she also reiterated the association's support for the FCC's evaluation of the creation of a reassigned numbers database. She asked the commission to move forward with a rulemaking regarding this database as it would allow credit unions to verify reassigned numbers and avoid liability under the TCPA.

The association sent five other letters to the FCC last year asking for revisions to the TCPA in order to protect financial institutions' ability to communicate with their members about sensitive financial information.