The purpose of this section is to facilitate enforcement of fair lending laws and enable communities, governmental entities, and creditors to identify business and community development needs and opportunities of women-owned, minority-owned, and small businesses.
Subject to the requirements of this section, in the case of any application to a financial institution for credit for women-owned, minority-owned, or small business, the financial institution shall-
Any applicant for credit may refuse to provide any information requested pursuant to subsection (b) in connection with any application for credit.
Where feasible, no loan underwriter or other officer or employee of a financial institution, or any affiliate of a financial institution, involved in making any determination concerning an application for credit shall have access to any information provided by the applicant pursuant to a request under subsection (b) in connection with such application.
If a financial institution determines that a loan underwriter or other officer or employee of a financial institution, or any affiliate of a financial institution, involved in making any determination concerning an application for credit should have access to any information provided by the applicant pursuant to a request under subsection (b), the financial institution shall provide notice to the applicant of the access of the underwriter to such information, along with notice that the financial institution may not discriminate on the basis of such information.
Each financial institution shall compile and maintain, in accordance with regulations of the Bureau, a record of the information provided by any loan applicant pursuant to a request under subsection (b).
Information compiled and maintained under paragraph (1) shall be itemized in order to clearly and conspicuously disclose-
In compiling and maintaining any record of information under this section, a financial institution may not include in such record the name, specific address (other than the census tract required under paragraph (1)(E)),1 telephone number, electronic mail address, or any other personally identifiable information concerning any individual who is, or is connected with, the women-owned, minority-owned, or small business loan applicant.
The Bureau may, at its discretion, delete or modify data collected under this section which is or will be available to the public, if the Bureau determines that the deletion or modification of the data would advance a privacy interest.
The data required to be compiled and maintained under this section by any financial institution shall be submitted annually to the Bureau.
Information compiled and maintained under this section shall be-
The Bureau may, at its discretion-
The Bureau shall prescribe such rules and issue such guidance as may be necessary to carry out, enforce, and compile data pursuant to this section.
The Bureau, by rule or order, may adopt exceptions to any requirement of this section and may, conditionally or unconditionally, exempt any financial institution or class of financial institutions from the requirements of this section, as the Bureau deems necessary or appropriate to carry out the purposes of this section.
The Bureau shall issue guidance designed to facilitate compliance with the requirements of this section, including assisting financial institutions in working with applicants to determine whether the applicants are women-owned, minority-owned, or small businesses for purposes of this section.
For purposes of this section, the following definitions shall apply:
The term "financial institution" means any partnership, company, corporation, association (incorporated or unincorporated), trust, estate, cooperative organization, or other entity that engages in any financial activity.
The term "small business" has the same meaning as the term "small business concern" in section 632 of this title.
The term "small business loan" means a loan made to a small business.
The term "minority" has the same meaning as in section 1204(c)(3) of the Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery, and Enforcement Act of 1989.
The term "minority-owned business" means a business-
The term "women-owned business" means a business-
1So in original. Probably should be "(2)(E)),".
15 U.S.C. § 1691c-2
EDITORIAL NOTES
REFERENCES IN TEXTSection 1204(c)(3) of the Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery, and Enforcement Act of 1989, referred to in subsec. (h)(4), is section 1204(c)(3) of Pub. L. 101-73 which is set out as a note under section 1811 of Title 12, Banks and Banking.
STATUTORY NOTES AND RELATED SUBSIDIARIES
EFFECTIVE DATESection effective on the designated transfer date, see section 1071(d) of Pub. L. 111-203 set out as an Effective Date of 2010 Amendment note under section 1691 of this title.