The Consumer Federation of America has adopted a number of HALT's chief legal reform proposals.

The Consumer Federation of America works to advance pro-consumer policy on issues like energy, financial services, health and safety, government accountability and telecommunications. At the annual meeting, member organizations discuss and vote on policy resolution proposals submitted by the Federation's Policy Resolutions Committee, comprised of the chairpersons of various subcommittees that meet each year to evaluate new policy ideas and propose resolutions. Consumer Federation of America resolutions help set the policy agenda for the courts, Congress, the White House as well as federal and state regulatory agencies.

In February, 2007, HALT Senior Counsel Suzanne Blonder was reappointed Chair of the Consumer Protection/Vulnerable Consumers Subcommittee for the fourth year. As Chair, she successfully urged the Consumer Federation of America to incorporate the following legal reform provisions into its 2007 Policy Resolutions Manual:

Small Claims Improvements: "To reduce the vulnerability of low and moderate income debtors and to assure that the original purposes of the small claims system are protected, CFA urges that small claims courts not be used as debt collection mills. Steps that should be taken include: ensuring proper service upon defendants, informing defendants of their rights in the small claims court system and strengthening protections against unfair, summary issuances of default judgments."

Self-Help Resources Expansion: "CFA urges courts to provide self-help centers, host self-help Web sites and offer multi-lingual educational resources to assist consumers and the growing pro se (self-represented) community."

Judicial Disability Reforms: "CFA calls on judicial commissions and state supreme courts that hear ethics complaints against judges to provide for transparent discipline and procedures, online complaint forms and lay participation on hearing panels."

The Consumer Federation of America has also adopted other HALT proposals in the past. Click the links above at right to view proposals adpoted in past years.