The bill, similar to legislation that passed the chamber last year, would permit the inclusion of items such as rent and telecom payments to help consumers build their credit profiles.
State and federal authorities say the network of firms in upstate New York sought debts that consumers weren't obligated to pay and impersonated government officials, among other things.
Jewelry maker Alex and Ani LLC demanded $1.1 billion in damages from Bank of America in a lawsuit alleging lending discrimination against a women-led company that was once featured in advertisements promoting the bank's commitment to diversity.
A study by FinRegLab of six nonbank lenders' use of cash-flow data in underwriting decisions finds this type of "alternative data" helps predict loan performance.
