Ch. 58                                     1996 LAWS OF MARYLAND

CHAPTER 58
(House Bill 437)

AN ACT concerning

Collection Agencies - Licensing Board - Regulation, licensing, Bonding, and

Enforcement

FOR the purpose of providing for. annual renewal of licenses for collection agencies;
clarifying the definition of "collection agency"; clarifying the venue provisions for
suit by the Collection Agency Licensing Board against violators of the law; granting
certain enforcement, authority to the Collection Agency Licensing Board;
establishing and limiting a civil fine for certain violations; providing that a certain
bond already required covers violations of the Maryland Consumer Debt Collection
Act and the federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act; providing for an appeal to
the circuit court by any person aggrieved by an action of the Board; and generally
relating to the enforcement powers of the Collection Agency Licensing Board the
Collection Agency Licensing Board and the licensing and regulation of collection
agencies.

BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments,
Article - Business Regulation

Section 7-101, 7-205, 7-302, 7-303, 7-304, and 7-309
Annotated Code of Maryland
(1992 Volume and 1995 Supplement)

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF
MARYLAND, That the Laws of Maryland read as follows:

Article - Business Regulation

7-101.

(a)     In this title the following words have the meanings indicated.

(b)     "Board" means the State Collection Agency Licensing Board.

(c)     "Collection agency" means a person who:

(1)     engages directly or indirectly in the business of collecting for, or
soliciting from another, a consumer claim;

(2)     in collection of a consumer claim by its owner, uses a name or other
artifice that indicates that another party is attempting to collect the consumer claim; [or]

(3)     gives, sells, attempts to give or sell to another, or uses, for collection of
a consumer claim, a series or system of forms or letters that indicates directly or indirectly
that a person other than the owner is asserting the consumer claim; OR

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