Earned Wage Access Consumer Protection Act

HR 7428, the Earned Wage Access Consumer Protection Act, regulates services that let workers access early payments of earned but unpaid wages (e.g., via apps or employer partnerships). It directly affects workers using these services ("consumers") and the companies providing them ("providers"), prohibiting practices like forcing repayment through lawsuits, hiding fees, or charging late fees. Key provisions require clear upfront fee disclosures, ensure tips/gratuities are truly voluntary (with no link to service eligibility), and ban providers from using debt collectors to recover unpaid advances. The bill also clarifies that these advances aren’t considered "consumer credit" under federal law, preventing providers from being treated as lenders.