HB1125 99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB099 04975 RLC 25004 b

99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2015 and 2016
HB1125

Introduced 2/3/2015, by Rep. Michael J. Madigan

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

720 ILCS 5/17-5

from Ch. 38, par. 17-5

Amends the Criminal Code of 2012. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning deceptive collection practices.

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning criminal law.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 5. The Criminal Code of 2012 is amended by changing Section 17-5 as follows:

(720 ILCS 5/17-5) (from Ch. 38, par. 17-5)

Sec. 17-5. Deceptive collection practices. A collection agency as defined in the the Collection Agency Act or any employee of such collection agency commits a deceptive collection practice when, with the intent to collect a debt owed to an individual or a corporation or other entity, he, she, or it does any of the following:

(a) Represents falsely that he or she is an attorney, a policeman, a sheriff or deputy sheriff, a bailiff, a county clerk or employee of a county clerk's office, or any other person who by statute is authorized to enforce the law or any order of a court.

(b) While attempting to collect an alleged debt, misrepresents to the alleged debtor or to his or her immediate family the corporate, partnership or proprietary name or other trade or business name under which the debt collector is engaging in debt collections and which he, she, or it is legally authorized to use.

(c) While attempting to collect an alleged debt, adds to the debt any service charge, interest or penalty which he, she, or it is not entitled by law to add.

(d) Threatens to ruin, destroy, or otherwise adversely affect an alleged debtor's credit rating unless, at the same time, a disclosure is made in accordance with federal law that the alleged debtor has a right to inspect his or her credit rating.

(e) Accepts from an alleged debtor a payment which he, she, or it knows is not owed.

Sentence. The commission of a deceptive collection practice is a Business Offense punishable by a fine not to exceed $3,000.

(Source: P.A. 96-1551, eff. 7-1-11.)