Commissioner is appointed by the Secretary of
Licensing and Regulation with the approval of
the Governor (Code 1957, Art. 41, sec. 192).

During the 1977 Session, the General Assem-
bly completely revised the law regulating licensed
lenders doing business in Maryland. The agency
is responsible for licensing these consumer loan
companies under the provisions of Art. 58A and
for conducting regular investigations and audits
of the licensee's books and records to discover
violations of the law, the purpose of which is for
the protection of borrowers or the punishment of
usurious money lenders. The Commissioner may
revoke or suspend a consumer loan license follow-
ing a formal hearing upon a finding that the li-
censee has violated any provision of the
Consumer Loan Law (Code 1957, Art. 58A, sees.
1-6, II).

The Commissioner is also responsible for li-
censing sales finance companies. He conducts an-
nual investigations of these companies to deter-
mine their fitness to engage in the sales finance
business in Maryland. Following a formal hearing
before the Agency, the Commissioner may sus-
pend or revoke such licenses for violations of the
law (Code 1957, Art. 83, sees. 154-159).

Installment lenders making loans pursuant to
the Commercial Law Article, sec. 12-103(c), are
also licensed and examined by the Commission-
er. Following a formal hearing, the Commission-
er may suspend or revoke such licenses for
violations of law (Code 1957, Art. 49, sec. 5(b)).

"The Commissioner's power to protect consum-
ers under the Retail Credit Accounts Law and
the Retail Installment Sales Act was strengthened
by the General Assembly to allow the issuance of
an order against a seller to cease and desist from
a practice in violation of these laws. The Commis-
sioner is limited to acting only on a written com-
plaint and after a formal hearing (Code Commer-
cial Law Article, sec. 12-514, 12-631).

In order to insure that the various financial
institutions, firms, and persons engaged in the ex-
tension of credit exercise their responsibility to
make credit available with fairness, impartiality,
and without discrimination on the basis of sex or
marital status, the General Assembly enacted the
Maryland Equal Credit Opportunity Act. The
provisions of this subtitle are administered by the
Commissioner of Consumer Credit, except that
the office of the State Banking Commissioner has
sole jurisdiction for administration of banking
institutions. If a complaint alleging a violation of
any provision of the subtitle is filed with the

Commissioner, be may investigate the complaint
and hold a hearing on it. After hearing, the Com-
missioner may order a creditor to cease and desist
from an act or practice deemed to be prohibited
by the subtitle (Code Commercial Law Article,
sec. 12-701 through 12-708).

COLLECTION AGENCY LICENSING
BOARD

Chairperwn:Maa T. Fell, 1981

Leon 1. Snyder, 1982; Paul E. Hartman, 1982;
James J. Jones, 1982; Nellie Miller, 1982

One South Calvert Street
Baltimore 21202 Telephone: 383-3656

The Collection Agency Licensing Board, which
is part of the office of the Commissioner of
Consumer Credit, was created by Chapter 319,
Acts of 1977. "The Board consists of five members
appointed by the Governor with the advice and
consent of the Senate for a term of four years.
One member shall be the Commissioner of
Consumer Credit who serves as chairperson, two
members represent debt collection agencies, and
two members represent consumers and must be
either an officer or board member of a recognized
consumer group or an employee of a county or
other local consumer protection agency of the
State.

The Board has the power to issue, suspend,
and revoke licenses; to reprimand licensees; to re-
ceive written complaints from consumers and to
hold hearings into allegations of violations of the
Consumer Debt Collection Act by a debt collec-
tion agency; and to mediate disputes between
consumers and debt collection agencies, including
suggesting monetary compensation to the
consumer. The Board serves without compensa-
tion (Code 1957, Art. 56, sees. 323-329).

STATE BOARD OF COSMETOLOGISTS
Chairperson: Mary Ellen Brooke, 1980

Christina J. Anderson, 1980; Mrs. Howard Mcin-
tyre, 1980; Ellen P. McLane, 1981; Harold P.
Johnson, 1979

Eunice R. Alper, Executive Director

One South Calvert Street
Baltimore 21202 Telephone: 383-2320

The State Board of Cosmetologists, created by
Chapter 282, Acts of 1935, as the Board of