Bill Text: NY S04394 | 2019-2020 | General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Requires debt collectors to inform debtors in each initial communication that written communications are available in large print format.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2020-01-08 - REFERRED TO CONSUMER PROTECTION [S04394 Detail]
Download: New_York-2019-S04394-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 4394 2019-2020 Regular Sessions IN SENATE March 11, 2019 ___________ Introduced by Sen. BIAGGI -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Consumer 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. LBD02247-02-9S. 4394 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.
