ROBERT L. EHRLICH, JR., Governor

Ch. 374

time and in a certain location and form; providing that certain government
officials may disclose certain information only in accordance with certain
provisions of law; requiring a licensee to include in any advertisement the
licensee's debt management services license number; authorizing the
Commissioner to investigate certain persons for certain purposes and to conduct
certain on-site examinations of a licensee; authorizing the Commissioner to
' deny a license to an applicant, reprimand a licensee, or suspend or revoke the
license of a licensee under certain circumstances; requiring the Commissioner to
deny a license to an applicant and suspend or revoke the license of a licensee
under certain circumstances; requiring the Commissioner to give an applicant or
licensee an opportunity for a hearing under certain circumstances; authorizing
the Commissioner to issue certain orders, impose certain civil penalties, and file
certain petitions to enforce this Act; providing certain criminal penalties for
certain violations of this Act; providing that a consumer may bring a civil action
to recover for damages caused by a certain violation; establishing a certain short
title; establishing the scope of this Act; defining certain terms; repealing certain
provisions of law governing the business of debt adjusting; allowing certain
organizations providing debt management services in the State on the effective
date of this Act to continue to provide debt management services without being
licensed until a certain time under certain circumstances; establishing the
expiration date of a license issued within a certain time period; requiring the
Commissioner to report on certain information and recommendations to certain
committees of the General Assembly on or before a certain date; and generally
relating to the Maryland Debt Management Services Act.

BY repealing

Article - Commercial Law

Section 14-1316

Annotated Code of Maryland

(2000 Replacement Volume and 2002 Supplement)

BY adding to

Article — Financial Institutions

Section 12-901 through 12-930 12-931, inclusive, to be under the new subtitle

"Subtitle 9. Maryland Debt Management Services Act"
Annotated Code of Maryland
(1998 Replacement Volume and 2002 Supplement)

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

Article - Commercial Law

[14-1316.

(a) In this section, "debt adjusting" means the making of a contract, expressed
or implied, with a debtor and another person engaged in the debt adjusting business

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