On May 1, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro announced a new centralized consumer protection hotline, website, and email address, providing residents with streamlined access to state agencies for reporting scams, financial misconduct, and insurance-related disputes. The rollout is part of a broader push by Pennsylvania to expand state-level enforcement amid a shift in federal priorities.
According to Governor Josh Shapiro, Pennsylvania is also expanding its use of enforcement authority under the Dodd-Frank Act, which permits states to enforce federal consumer financial laws when federal regulators decline to act. This includes coordination across agencies and stepped-up investigations into predatory lending, deceptive practices, and insurance misconduct.
The initiative builds on Pennsylvania’s existing consumer protection framework and is designed to connect residents with the appropriate agency, such as the Department of Banking and Securities or the Pennsylvania Insurance Department, regardless of the nature of the complaint. Governor Shapiro emphasized that the program follows a “no wrong door” model, ensuring that consumers can access support across lending, insurance, student loan servicing, and other financial service issues.
Pennsylvanians can now submit complaints by calling 1-866-PACCOMPLAINT, visiting pa.gov/consumer, or emailing consumer@pa.gov.
Putting It Into Practice: Governor Shapiro’s launch of a centralized complaint platform highlights Pennsylvania’s intention to fill the enforcement void left recently by federal regulators (previously discussed here and here). As the CFPB continues to scale back enforcement and supervision, states like Pennsylvania are asserting authority to investigate and prosecute violations of both state and federal law, including UDAAP violations. Financial service companies should expect to see other states follow suit as they ramp up their enforcement and supervision priorities to compensate for the federal pullback.