Bureau tells Congress of slight updates for HMDA, other websites in coming year

Changes to two key websites maintained by the federal consumer financial protection agency, and which are used to help financial institutions share information or find answers to questions, are outlined under an annual report submitted to Congress.

In its “State of Bureau Websites and Digital Services,” a report mandated by the 2018 21st Century Integrated Digital Experience Act (IDEA Act), the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) said it will be modernizing its websites for financial institutions subject to an examination to share files with bureau examiners (the “Extranet” portal), and for “HMDA Help,” its site that holds a list of frequently asked questions for filers of Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) information.

In both cases, the bureau said it would be addressing needs on both sites related to issues assisting people with different kinds of disabilities (also known as Section 508 compliance). For the Extranet, the bureau said it would also plans in 2021 to conduct an assessment project to document and prioritize accessibility gaps and critical issues.

For the HMDA Help site, the bureau said, it will next year introduce consistent visual design and intended to be part of a larger design review of the overall HMDA platform at the agency, also scheduled to begin in 2021. “This work would bring the HMDA Help sub-site into the larger https://ffiec.cfpb.gov site ecosystem, allowing it to leverage shared assets and visual styles,” the bureau said.

Both projects are estimated to cost $10,000 apiece, the bureau stated.

State of Bureau Websites and Digital Services