On Sept. 5, 2025, President Trump signed the Home Privacy Protection Act, H.R. 2808 (the Act). This event was noteworthy for at least three reasons.
- The Act should effectively end the credit reporting agencies’ ability to sell “Trigger Leads” when a bank customer applies for a mortgage loan. The Trigger Lead practice currently results in mortgage loan applicants being flooded with postcards and letters containing often misleading mortgage offers and feeling like their bank compromised their personal information.
- The Act reaffirms that bipartisan advocacy can be successful even in a deeply divided political environment.
- Success in passing the Act was influenced by bankers expressing to the West Virginia Bankers Association and other state banking associations their desire to stop trigger leads. Through the ABA State Association Alliance (the Alliance), state banking association executives helped inform the ABA advocacy professionals on the need to prioritize a federal remedy to a practice that harmed bank customers.
The Alliance is a self-governing group that includes ABA-affiliated state banking associations from all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia. The Alliance provides a means for channeling the state associations’ local connection to their members into federal advocacy.
Alliance members meet at least weekly to discuss current federal legislative and regulatory issues and priorities. Alliance meetings include discussions with ABA senior and advocacy leaders. Through the Alliance, state banking associations:
- Inform ABA political engagement priorities,
- Develop consensus on federal advocacy strategies,
- Coordinate communications with federal lawmakers and regulators,
- Cooperate in advocacy efforts, and
- Provide grassroots support to the ABA legislative and regulatory advocacy teams.
The WVBA proudly focuses on improving the banking environment in West Virginia. Success relies on fostering state laws and regulations that support our members’ ability to serve and support their customers and communities. Also, success increasingly requires that WVBA advocate on the federal level. WVBA participation in the Alliance increases the association’s impact in fostering favorable federal laws and regulations.
The WVBA is most effective in representing you when we hear from you. We encourage you to share your concerns regarding the banking environment. Sometimes, potential solutions may be achievable at the state level, and other times, federal action may be necessary.
Whether the solution requires state or federal action, we are equipped to help. The Trigger Lead Act is a wonderful example of local bankers sharing their concerns with their state associations and the state associations helping drive change at the federal level.
