Bill > S1312

This bill aims to strengthen regulations for pawnbrokers by increasing penalties for violations, expanding reporting requirements, and clarifying procedures for handling pawned items. Specifically, it raises the fine for a first offense of violating certain pawnbroker regulations to two hundred dollars, with subsequent offenses facing a fine of up to five hundred dollars, and clarifies that such violations are also breaches of Chapter 93A, which governs consumer protection. The bill removes the requirement that pawnbrokers only operate in towns with ten thousand or more inhabitants, making licensing applicable statewide. It mandates that pawnbrokers record detailed information for every transaction, including the borrower's name, address, date of birth, loan amount, interest rate, and a full description of the pawned item, and requires them to photograph both the person pawning the item and the item itself. This information and the photographs must be electronically transmitted by the next business day to the Executive Office of Public Safety, accessible by law enforcement and licensing authorities, with no expectation of privacy for the individuals involved, unless the item has an identifiable serial number, in which case only the serial and model numbers need to be submitted. The bill also introduces penalties for individuals providing false information or identification, including fines and potential arrest, and for pawnbrokers knowingly submitting false information, with escalating fines and potential license revocation for repeat offenses. Furthermore, it establishes a process for law enforcement to hold suspected stolen items for sixty days and clarifies that pawnbrokers must retain non-perishable pawned items for at least four months and perishable items for at least one month before they can be sold, with specific notice requirements for sales of items valued over twenty-five dollars. Finally, the bill repeals sections 81, 83, and 84 of Chapter 140, which likely contain outdated or superseded regulations, and stipulates that the act will take effect 180 days after its passage.