Touting it as containing “the strongest protections in the country against debt collector harassment,” New York City’s Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) yesterday published its “Stopping Harassment and Intimidation and Ensuring Lawful Debt (SHIELD) Collection Rule.” According to DCWP, the rule “allow[s] New Yorkers to dispute their debt at any time, further limiting the number of times debt collectors can contact individuals, and delivering first-of-its-kind protections related to the collection of medical debt.”
The City’s press release is here. The text of the Rule is available here.
The Rule is scheduled to go into effect on September 1, 2026. Debt collectors have raised a number of arguments against the Rule, including that it violates the First Amendment and that it is preempted by state and federal law; litigation seems likely.
