# § 1612. Effect on government agencies
**(a)** **Consultation requirements respecting compliance of credit instruments issued to participating creditor** Any department or agency of the United States which administers a credit program in which it extends, insures, or guarantees consumer credit and in which it provides instruments to a creditor which contain any disclosures required by this subchapter shall, prior to the issuance or continued use of such instruments, consult with the Bureau to assure that such instruments comply with this subchapter.
**(b)** **Inapplicability of Federal civil or criminal penalties to Federal, State, and local agencies** No civil or criminal penalty provided under this subchapter for any violation thereof may be imposed upon the United States or any department or agency thereof, or upon any State or political subdivision thereof, or any agency of any State or political subdivision.
**(c)** **Inapplicability of Federal civil or criminal penalties to participating creditor where violating instrument issued by United States** A creditor participating in a credit program administered, insured, or guaranteed by any department or agency or the United States shall not be held liable for a civil or criminal penalty under this subchapter in any case in which the violation results from the use of an instrument required by any such department or agency.
**(d)** **Applicability of State penalties to violations by participating creditor** section 1610 of this title
A creditor participating in a credit program administered, insured, or guaranteed by any department or agency of the United States shall not be held liable for a civil or criminal penalty under the laws of any State (other than laws determined under to be inconsistent with this subchapter) for any technical or procedural failure, such as a failure to use a specific form, to make information available at a specific place on an instrument, or to use a specific typeface, as required by State law, which is caused by the use of an instrument required to be used by such department or agency.
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**Source Credit**: (Pub. L. 90–321, title I, § 113, May 29, 1968, 82 Stat. 151; Pub. L. 96–221, title VI, § 622(a), Mar. 31, 1980, 94 Stat. 184; Pub. L. 111–203, title X, § 1100A(2), July 21, 2010, 124 Stat. 2107.)
## Editorial Notes
### Amendments
2010—Subsec. (a). substituted “Bureau” for “Board”.
1980— amended section generally, designating existing provisions as subsec. (b) and adding subsecs. (a), (c), and (d).
## Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
### Effective Date of 2010 Amendment
Amendment by effective on the designated transfer date, see , set out as a note under , Government Organization and Employees.
### Effective Date of 1980 Amendment
Amendment by effective on expiration of two years and six months after , with all regulations, forms, and clauses required to be prescribed to be promulgated at least one year prior to such effective date, and allowing any creditor to comply with any amendments, in accordance with the regulations, forms, and clauses prescribed by the Board prior to such effective date, see , set out as a note under .