New York State Assembly

 
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A00711 Summary:

A00711 Actions:

A00711 Committee Votes:

Committee:CONSUMER AFFAIRS AND PROTECTION   Chair:DenDekker      
DATE:03/05/2019AYE/NAY:13/3  Action: Favorable refer to committee Codes        
DenDekker
Aye
Mikulin
Nay
Abbate
Aye
McDonough
Nay
Quart
Aye
Miller
Nay
Buchwald
Aye
Palumbo
Aye
Simon
Aye
Dilan
Aye
Seawright
Aye
Rozic
Aye
Niou
Aye
Pheffer Amato
Aye
Williams
Aye
Fall
Aye

Committee:CODES   Chair:Lentol      
DATE:03/12/2019AYE/NAY:20/1  Action: Favorable         
Lentol
Aye
Ra
Aye
Schimminger
Aye
Giglio
Aye
Pretlow
Aye
Montesano
Nay
Cook
Aye
Morinello
Aye
Cymbrowitz
Aye
Palumbo
Aye
O'Donnell
Aye
Garbarino
Aye
Lavine
Aye
Perry
Aye
Zebrowski
Aye
Abinanti
Aye
Weprin
Aye
Mosley
Aye
Hevesi
Aye
Fahy
Aye
Seawright
Aye
Rosenthal
Excused

A00711 Floor Votes:

A00711 Text:

 
                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                           711
 
                               2019-2020 Regular Sessions
 
                   IN ASSEMBLY
 
                                       (Prefiled)
 
                                     January 9, 2019
                                       ___________
 
        Introduced  by  M.  of  A. NIOU, WRIGHT -- read once and referred to the
          Committee on Consumer Affairs and Protection
 
        AN ACT to amend the general business law, in relation to requiring  debt
          collectors to inform debtors that written communications are available
          in large print format

          The  People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:
 
     1    Section 1. Section 600 of the  general  business  law  is  amended  by
     2  adding three new subdivisions 5, 6 and 7 to read as follows:
     3    5. "Communication" shall mean the conveying of information regarding a
     4  debt directly or indirectly to any person through any medium.
     5    6.  "Debt" means any obligation or alleged obligation of a consumer to
     6  pay money arising out of a transaction in  which  the  money,  property,
     7  insurance,  or  services  which  are  the subject of the transaction are
     8  primarily for personal, family, or household purposes,  whether  or  not
     9  such obligation has been reduced to judgment.
    10    7.  "Debt  collector"  means  an individual who, as part of his or her
    11  job, regularly collects or attempts to collect debts: (a) owed or due or
    12  asserted to be owed or due to another; or (b) obtained by,  or  assigned
    13  to,  such person, firm or corporation, that are in default when obtained
    14  or acquired by such person, firm or corporation.
    15    § 2. The general business law is amended by adding a new section 601-b
    16  to read as follows:
    17    § 601-b. Large print notices. 1. Each and every principal creditor  or
    18  debt  collector  shall,  in  each  initial  communication,  clearly  and
    19  conspicuously disclose to the debtor that  written  communications  from
    20  the  principal  creditor  or  debt  collector may be received in a large
    21  print format. Upon written request by a debtor, the  principal  creditor
    22  or  debt  collector  must  provide any written communication sent to the
    23  debtor in the large print format.
 
         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD02247-02-9
        A. 711                              2
 
     1    2. For the purposes of this section, large print format shall  mean  a
     2  printed font size of sixteen or larger.
     3    §  3.  Subdivision  1  of  section 602 of the general business law, as
     4  added by chapter 753 of the laws of 1973, is amended to read as follows:
     5    1. Except as otherwise provided by law, any person who [shall violate]
     6  violates the terms of section six hundred one of this article [shall be]
     7  is guilty of a misdemeanor, and each such violation shall  be  deemed  a
     8  separate  offense.    A  violation  by any person of section six hundred
     9  one-a of this article, if such  violation  constitutes  the  first  such
    10  offense  by  such person, is punishable by a civil penalty not to exceed
    11  two hundred fifty dollars. The second offense and any offense  committed
    12  thereafter  is  punishable by a civil penalty not to exceed five hundred
    13  dollars.
    14    § 4. This act shall take effect on the thirtieth day  after  it  shall
    15  have become a law.