New Administration Outlook: What Does the CFPB "Freeze" Mean for Regulations and Pending Litigation?

Updated 03.28.25

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, the then-acting director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), emailed staff on February 3 directing employees to cease all rulemaking activities, delay the implementation of rules that have not yet taken effect, and halt any actions related to enforcement, litigation, and public communications (the "Freeze"). Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought took over as acting director of the CFPB on Friday, February 7, 2025, and followed up with additional directions related to the Freeze, adding that all CFPB employees and contractors were not to come into the office or "perform any work tasks."

During the final hours of the Biden Administration, the CFPB released several rules and proposed rules and was in active litigation defending its earlier rules. We created this quick reference guide to all the regulations and litigation activities that may be affected by the freeze directive.