Today, the New York City Department of Consumer & Worker Protection (DCWP) announced that it is delaying the effective date of the “Stopping Harassment and Intimidation and Ensuring Lawful Debt” Collection Rule (the SHIELD Rule) from September 1, 2026 to January 1, 2027. The SHIELD Rule expanded the regulatory scope of New York City’s previously enacted debt collection rules and has placed significant operational challenges on creditors, collection agencies, and debt buying companies. As DCWP stated in its February 26, 2026 press release, the rule was designed to go beyond the requirements of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act and Regulation F through its first-of-its-kind protections.
The decision came after RMAI and several other industry participants requested the delay given that the long-expected answers to FAQs (frequently asked questions) had not been issued yet. On July 8th RMAI communicated to DCWP that “the FAQs become less and less helpful [to our members] the longer it takes DCWP to issue them as they are already operationalizing the changes, to the best of their understanding, to meet the effective date. If DCWP issues the FAQs too close to the effective date and the FAQs run counter to what they have already operationalized, it will become a huge problem.”
In making this announcement, DCWP stated the “Department appreciates all of the feedback and inquiries it has received and looks forward to publishing its FAQ in the coming weeks.”
RMAI will provide further information after the issuance of the FAQs.
This Member Alert is intended for members of the Receivables Management Association International, is for informational purposes only, and is in no way intended to provide legal advice. Members are encouraged to consult with an attorney of their choice for legal advice concerning this matter.