Montana House urges federal action to curb 'trigger leads' from mortgage credit reports
Summary
House Joint Resolution 33 passed unanimously on second reading, urging Congress to regulate or prohibit 'trigger leads'—unsolicited mortgage-related marketing generated when a residential mortgage credit report is ordered.
The Montana House unanimously recommended passage of House Joint Resolution 33, a message to the U.S. Congress urging action on unsolicited mortgage marketing known as "trigger leads."
Representative Falk, who introduced the resolution, described the problem on the floor: when lenders order a residential mortgage credit report (RMCR) during a home loan application, it can generate an immediate flood of unsolicited texts, calls and emails from large, often out-of-state lenders. "We think this is something that ought to be outlawed," Falk said, calling trigger leads a "public nuisance" and asking the federal government to prohibit them or regulate them more strictly.
Representative Bridal, who spoke in support, described personal experience after buying a home and receiving numerous misleading leads that used the consumer's lender's name. The motion to recommend passage was approved; the clerk recorded 100 representatives voting aye.
HJ33 is a nonbinding message to Congress asking federal regulators or lawmakers to restrict or ban the practice of selling or using RMCR-triggered marketing leads. The resolution does not itself change state law; it is a formal statement of the Montana legislature's position to federal authorities.
