AFSA Comments on PACER Access Legislation
The American Financial Services Association (AFSA) today submitted a comment letter to Judiciary Committee Chair Lindsey Graham (R-SC) urging that he amend H.R. 8235 the Open Courts Act. The bill, as drafted, would allow free access to the Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER) database.
AFSA supports public access to the PACER system but opposes a portion of the bill which would impose a fee on creditors who file a Proof of Claim (POC) in a bankruptcy case.
“Because the Bankruptcy Code forbids a creditor from contacting a debtor in a bankruptcy proceeding, the POC is the only communication by which a creditor can communicate with or collect from a debtor,” Ann Harter, Vice President of Congressional Affairs wrote.
December 14th, 2020
