This section defines terms used in the chapter, including adverse action, consumer, consumer file, consumer report, consumer reporting agency, investigative consumer report, security alert, and security freeze.
Sec. 20.01. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter: (1) "Adverse action" includes: (A) the denial of, increase in a charge for, or reduction in the amount of insurance for personal, family, or household purposes; (B) the denial of employment or other decision made for employment purposes that adversely affects a current or prospective employee; or (C) an action or determination with respect to a consumer's application for credit that is adverse to the consumer's interests. (2) "Consumer" means an individual who resides in this state. (3) "Consumer file" means all of the information about a consumer that is recorded and retained by a consumer reporting agency regardless of how the information is stored. (4) "Consumer report" means a communication or other information by a consumer reporting agency relating to the credit worthiness, credit standing, credit capacity, debts, character, general reputation, personal characteristics, or mode of living of a consumer that is used or expected to be used or collected, wholly or partly, as a factor in establishing the consumer's eligibility for credit or insurance for personal, family, or household purposes, employment purposes, or other purpose authorized under Sections 603 and 604 of the Fair Credit Reporting Act (15 U.S.C. Sections 1681a and 1681b), as amended. The term does not include: (A) a report containing information solely on a transaction between the consumer and the person making the report; (B) an authorization or approval of a specific extension of credit directly or indirectly by the issuer of a credit card or similar device; (C) a report in which a person who has been requested by a third party to make a specific extension of credit directly or indirectly to a consumer makes a decision with respect to the request, if the third party advises the consumer of the name and address of the person to whom the request was made and the person makes the disclosures that must be made under Section 615 of the Fair Credit Reporting Act (15 U.S.C. Section 1681m), as amended, to the consumer in the event of adverse action against the consumer; (D) any communication of information described in this subdivision among persons related by common ownership or affiliated by corporate control; or (E) any communication of other information among persons related by common ownership or affiliated by corporate control, if it is clearly and conspicuously disclosed to the consumer that the information may be communicated among such persons and the consumer is given the opportunity before the time that the information is initially communicated to direct that such information not be communicated among such persons. (5) "Consumer reporting agency" means a person that regularly engages wholly or partly in the practice of assembling or evaluating consumer credit information or other information on consumers to furnish consumer reports to third parties for monetary fees, for dues, or on a cooperative nonprofit basis. The term does not include a business entity that provides only check verification or check guarantee services. (6) "Investigative consumer report" means all or part of a consumer report in which information on the character, general reputation, personal characteristics, or mode of living of a consumer is obtained through a personal interview with a neighbor, friend, or associate of the consumer or others with whom the consumer is acquainted or who may have knowledge concerning any such information. The term does not include specific factual information on a consumer's credit record obtained directly from a creditor of the consumer or from a consumer reporting agency when the information was obtained directly from a creditor of the consumer or from the consumer. (7) "Security alert" means a notice placed on a consumer file that alerts a recipient of a consumer report involving that consumer file that the consumer's identity may have been used without the consumer's consent to fraudulently obtain goods or services in the consumer's name. (8) "Security freeze" means a notice placed on a consumer file that prohibits a consumer reporting agency from releasing a consumer report relating to the extension of credit involving that consumer file without the express authorization of the consumer. Added by Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 1396, Sec. 33(a), eff. Oct. 1, 1997. Amended by Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 1326, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 2003. Assigned by Acts 2013, 83rd Leg., R.S., Ch. 64 (S.B. 60), Sec. 2, eff. January 1, 2014.