justice

Bill to Amend FDCPA for Attorneys Introduced in U.S. House

In the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day, a bill was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives that aims to amend the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) to exclude attorneys from the definition of a debt collector “when taking certain actions.”

But due to the timing of the introduction, the bill will not be heard in the current Congress and will need to be re-introduced in the next session, due to begin Thursday.

North Carolina Republican Walter Jones, Jr. filed H.R.6706 — the Fair Debt Collection Practices Technical Correction Act of 2012 – on December 27, 2012. The bill’s stated purpose is “to amend the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act to preclude law firms and licensed attorneys from the definition of a debt collector when taking certain actions.”

Specifically, the bill would insert an additional exemption to the definition of “debt collector.” The new language is as follows:

…The term (debt collector) does not include –

(F) any law firm or licensed attorney–

(i) serving, filing, or conveying formal legal pleadings, discovery requests, or other documents pursuant to the applicable rules of civil procedure; or

(ii) communicating in, or at the direction of, a court of law or in depositions or settlement conferences, in connection with a pending legal action to collect a debt on behalf of a client; and…

Rest here…

Copy of the bill below…

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4closureFraud.org

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H.R.6706 — The Fair Debt Collection Practices Technical Correction Act of 2012