CITE

    15 USC Sec. 1692                                            01/05/2009

EXPCITE

    TITLE 15 - COMMERCE AND TRADE
    CHAPTER 41 - CONSUMER CREDIT PROTECTION
    SUBCHAPTER V - DEBT COLLECTION PRACTICES

HEAD

    Sec. 1692. Congressional findings and declaration of purpose

STATUTE

    (a) Abusive practices
      There is abundant evidence of the use of abusive, deceptive, and
    unfair debt collection practices by many debt collectors. Abusive
    debt collection practices contribute to the number of personal
    bankruptcies, to marital instability, to the loss of jobs, and to
    invasions of individual privacy.
    (b) Inadequacy of laws
      Existing laws and procedures for redressing these injuries are
    inadequate to protect consumers.
    (c) Available non-abusive collection methods
      Means other than misrepresentation or other abusive debt
    collection practices are available for the effective collection of
    debts.
    (d) Interstate commerce
      Abusive debt collection practices are carried on to a substantial
    extent in interstate commerce and through means and
    instrumentalities of such commerce. Even where abusive debt
    collection practices are purely intrastate in character, they
    nevertheless directly affect interstate commerce.
    (e) Purposes
      It is the purpose of this subchapter to eliminate abusive debt
    collection practices by debt collectors, to insure that those debt
    collectors who refrain from using abusive debt collection practices
    are not competitively disadvantaged, and to promote consistent
    State action to protect consumers against debt collection abuses.

SOURCE

    (Pub. L. 90-321, title VIII, Sec. 802, as added Pub. L. 95-109,
    Sept. 20, 1977, 91 Stat. 874.)

EFFECTIVE DATE

      Pub. L. 90-321, title VIII, Sec. 819, formerly Sec. 818, as added
    Pub. L. 95-109, Sept. 20, 1977, 91 Stat. 883, Sec. 818; renumbered
    Sec. 819, Pub. L. 109-351, title VIII, Sec. 801(a)(1), Oct. 13,
    2006, 120 Stat. 2004, provided that: "This title [enacting this
    subchapter] takes effect upon the expiration of six months after
    the date of its enactment [Sept. 20, 1977], but section 809
    [section 1692g of this title] shall apply only with respect to
    debts for which the initial attempt to collect occurs after such
    effective date."
                                SHORT TITLE
      This subchapter known as the "Fair Debt Collection Practices
    Act", see Short Title note set out under section 1601 of this
    title.