HB 413 – relating to Consumer Collection Practices
On Monday, April 28th, HB 413, relating to Consumer Collection Practices, by Representative David Santiago (R-Deltona) unanimously passed the Senate chamber. Senator Alan Hays (R-Umatilla) sponsored the Senate companion bill. The bill now heads to the Governor for consideration.

The bill subjects “control persons” of consumer collection agencies (CCAs) to state and federal criminal background checks, and subjects these persons to disqualifying periods based on the severity and recency of a criminal conviction. The bill enhances the authority of the Office of Financial Regulation (OFR) to register, investigate, examine, and bring enforcement actions against consumer collection agencies. The bill requires CCA registrants to report criminal convictions, changes from the initial application, and changes to the controlling persons of a CCA agency. 

AIF supports this bill because they give businesses more confidence in turning over their debt to a Florida Debt Collector who must follow the new requirements of this bill.