Bill > H919

This bill proposes the Debt Collection Fairness Act, which aims to provide greater protections for consumers in the collection of consumer debt. The key provisions include: 1. Exempting a portion of a consumer's weekly earnings from garnishment to satisfy a judgment for consumer debt, and limiting the amount that can be garnished from excess earnings. 2. Establishing a 4-year statute of limitations for the collection of consumer debt, and prohibiting creditors, debt buyers, or debt collectors from attempting to collect a debt after the statute of limitations has expired. 3. Requiring creditors to provide notice and opportunity for consumers to claim exemptions before initiating supplementary proceedings to collect a judgment, and prohibiting imprisonment for failure to pay a consumer debt. 4. Limiting the interest rate and attorney's fees that can be collected on a judgment for consumer debt. 5. Making violations of the Act's provisions also a violation of the state's Consumer Protection Act. The bill would take effect on January 1, 2020, with some provisions applying only to debts accrued after that date.

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https://malegislature.gov/Bills/191/H919