(a)  If the completeness or accuracy of any item of information contained in a consumer’s file is disputed by that consumer, and the dispute is directly conveyed to the credit bureau by the consumer, the credit bureau shall within thirty (30) calendar days reinvestigate the current status of that information unless it has reasonable grounds to believe that the dispute by the consumer is frivolous or irrelevant. If after the reinvestigation that information is found to be inaccurate or can no longer be verified, the credit bureau shall promptly delete that information. The presence of contradictory information in the consumer’s file does not in and of itself constitute reasonable grounds for believing the dispute is frivolous or irrelevant.

Terms Used In Rhode Island General Laws 6-13.1-23

  • Credit bureau: An agency that collects individual credit information and sells it for a fee to creditors so they can make a decision on granting loans. Typical clients include banks, mortgage lenders, credit card companies, and other financing companies. (Also commonly referred to as consumer-reporting agency or credit-reporting agency.) Source: OCC
  • Credit bureau: means any entity or person who or that, for monetary fees, dues, or on a cooperative nonprofit basis, regularly engages in whole or in part in the practice of assembling or evaluating consumer credit information or other information on consumers for the purpose of furnishing credit reports to third parties;

    (2)(i)  "Credit report" means any written, oral, or other communication of any information by a credit bureau bearing on a consumer's credit worthiness, credit standing, or credit capacity, that is used or expected to be used or collected in whole or in part for the purpose of serving as a factor in establishing the consumer's eligibility for:

    (A)  Credit or insurance to be used primarily for personal, family, or household purposes;

    (B)  Employment purposes; or

    (C)  Other purposes authorized under the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act, 15 U. See Rhode Island General Laws 6-13.1-20

  • Credit report: A detailed report of an individual's credit history prepared by a credit bureau and used by a lender in determining a loan applicant's creditworthiness. Source: OCC
  • in writing: include printing, engraving, lithographing, and photo-lithographing, and all other representations of words in letters of the usual form. See Rhode Island General Laws 43-3-16
  • Person: means natural persons, corporations, trusts, partnerships, incorporated or unincorporated associations, and any other legal entity. See Rhode Island General Laws 6-13.1-1

(b)  If the reinvestigation does not resolve the dispute, the consumer may file a brief statement stating the nature of the dispute. The credit bureau may limit statements of dispute to not more than one hundred (100) words if it provides the consumer with assistance in writing a clear summary of the dispute.

(c)  Whenever a statement of dispute is filed, unless there is reasonable grounds to believe that it is frivolous or irrelevant, the credit bureau shall, in any subsequent consumer report containing the information in question, clearly note that it is disputed by the consumer and provide either the consumer’s statement or a clear and accurate codification or summary of that statement.

(d)  Following any deletion or correction of information that is found to be inaccurate or whose accuracy can no longer be verified or any notation as to disputed information, the credit bureau shall properly furnish a copy of the corrected credit report to the consumer at no charge, and at the request of the consumer, furnish a copy of the corrected report to any person specifically designated by the consumer who has within two (2) years prior thereto received a credit report for employment purposes, or within six (6) months received a credit report for any other purpose, that contained the deleted, corrected, or disputed information. The credit bureau shall clearly and conspicuously disclose to the consumer his rights to make that request. The disclosure shall be made at or prior to the time the information is deleted or the consumer’s statement regarding the disputed information is received.

History of Section.
P.L. 1993, ch. 430, § 1; P.L. 2014, ch. 528, § 10.