Assembly Bill A408

2015-2016 Legislative Session

Requires debt collection agencies to be licensed by the state

download bill text pdf

Sponsored By

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Assembly Committee


  • Introduced
    • In Committee Assembly
    • In Committee Senate
    • On Floor Calendar Assembly
    • On Floor Calendar Senate
    • Passed Assembly
    • Passed Senate
  • Delivered to Governor
  • Signed By Governor

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2015-A408 (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:
Assembly Consumer Affairs And Protection
Law Section:
General Business Law
Laws Affected:
Add Art 29-HHH §§604-k - 604-o, Gen Bus L; amd R3015, CPLR
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:
2009-2010: A3926
2011-2012: A1028, A8429
2013-2014: A455
2017-2018: A5244, A8112, A9766
2019-2020: A7191
2021-2022: A3041
2023-2024: A4088

2015-A408 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Requires debt collection agencies to be licensed by the state; requires bonding and allows for penalties.

2015-A408 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                            
                    S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________

                                   408

                       2015-2016 Regular Sessions

                          I N  A S S E M B L Y

                               (PREFILED)

                             January 7, 2015
                               ___________

Introduced  by  M.  of A. DINOWITZ, GOTTFRIED, GALEF, JAFFEE, ROSENTHAL,
  CAHILL, ROBINSON, COLTON, CLARK, HOOPER -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of
  A. GLICK, MAGEE, PERRY, RIVERA, SCARBOROUGH -- read once and  referred
  to the Committee on Consumer Affairs and Protection

AN  ACT to amend the general business law and the civil practice law and
  rules, in relation to debt collection agencies

  THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  Section  1. Legislative intent. The legislature hereby finds the pres-
ence of consumer-related problems with respect to the practices of  debt
collection agencies. Federal and state laws regulate how debt collectors
may  communicate  with debtors and prohibit the use of certain threaten-
ing, deceptive and unfair  collection  practices.  Despite  these  legal
protections, the number of consumer complaints regarding debt collection
practices  continue to rise. Consumer complaints received by the Federal
Trade Commission regarding third-party  debt  collectors  grew  for  the
thirteenth  consecutive  year  in  2010,  and  consumers  filed with the
Commission more complaints against third-party collectors  than  against
any  other specific industry. While the majority of those engaged in the
business of debt collection are honest and ethical  in  their  dealings,
there  is  a  minority  of unscrupulous collection agencies in operation
that practice abusive tactics. Due to the sensitive nature of the infor-
mation used in the course of such agency's everyday  business,  and  the
vulnerable position consumers find themselves in when dealing with these
agencies,  it  is  incumbent upon this legislature to protect the inter-
ests, reputations and fiscal well-being of the citizens  of  this  state
against  those  agencies  who  would abuse their privilege of operation.
Therefore, it is herein declared that  the  state  should  license  debt
collection agencies.

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD01068-01-5
              

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