New York Assembly Bill 4237 (Prior Session Legislation)

---

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 17-0)
Status: Introduced on February 2 2009 - 25% progression, died in committee
Action: 2010-01-06 - referred to consumer affairs and protection
Pending: Assembly Consumer Affairs and Protection Committee
Text: Latest bill text (Introduced) [HTML]

Under present law consumers, creditors and debt collection agencies are subjected to vague and inconsistent protection and regulation in relation to permissible and impermissible consumer debt collection practices. While the current federal debt collection statute and the New York City regulation governing debt collection agencies and creditors both provide detailed descriptions of prohibited practices, current State law is vague, overly general and thus inconsistent with federal and City mandates. This bill will insure uniformity among the three laws. As a result, businesses will no longer be subjected to the uncertainty of enforcement inherent in a system governed by radically inconsistent statutes. In short, the bill would provide the business community with a detailed description of proscribed and acceptable practices so as to facilitate compliance with the law. Moreover, New York State consumers will receive the additional protections now found in federal and New York City law. For example, consumers will have the right to obtain verification of disputed debts. Too often consumers are dunned for a bill which either they paid or did not incur or which reflect an incorrect amount. Many consumers, faced with the threat of impaired credit ratings and lawsuits, pay these incorrect debts simply to avoid further harassment. A debtor would also be protected from calls at specified unreasonable hours, calls at his place of employment without consent, obscene and abusive calls, threats of violence, fraudulent misrepresentations, and baseless threats.

An act to amend the general business law, in relation to regulation of debt collection and repealing article 29-H of such law relating thereto

Asm. Jeffrion Aubry [D]	Asm. William Boyland [D]	Asm. James Brennan [D]	Asm. Karim Camara [D]
Asm. Barbara Clark [D]	Asm. Vivian Cook [D]	Asm. Jeffrey Dinowitz [D]	Asm. Steven Englebright [D]
Asm. Dennis Gabryszak [D]	Asm. Sandra Galef [D]	Asm. David Gantt [D]	Asm. Deborah Glick [D]
Asm. Ellen Jaffee [D]	Asm. Audrey Pheffer [D]	Asm. Gary Pretlow [D]	Asm. William Scarborough [D]
Asm. Robert Sweeney [D]

Date	Chamber	Action
2010-01-06		referred to consumer affairs and protection
2009-02-02		referred to consumer affairs and protection

S3791 (Same As) 2010-01-06 - REFERRED TO CONSUMER PROTECTION
S7309 (Same As) 2010-03-29 - REFERRED TO CONSUMER PROTECTION

Type	Source
Summary	https://assembly.state.ny.us/leg/?default_fld=&bn=A04237&term=2009&Summary=Y&Actions=Y&Text=Y&Committee%26nbspVotes=Y&Floor%26nbspVotes=Y
Text	https://assembly.state.ny.us/leg/?default_fld=&bn=A04237&term=2009&Summary=Y&Actions=Y&Text=Y&Committee%26nbspVotes=Y&Floor%26nbspVotes=Y#A04237