Attorney General Racine to Begin Enforcing Measures Immediately

The Council of the District of Columbia has unanimously passed the “COVID-19 Response Supplemental Emergency and Temporary Amendment Act of 2020” that authorizes the Office of Attorney General to enforce new consumer protections around debt collection among other measures. D.C Attorney General, Karl Racine will begin immediately to enforce these new prohibitions.

The bill prohibits debt collectors from initiating, filing or threatening new collection lawsuits; visiting consumers’ homes; and repossessing a vehicle, among other consumer protections. Outbound collection via any medium—phone calls, letters, electronic messages—to consumers from debt collectors and debt buyers is prohibited. Debt collectors are allowed to return communications initiated by the consumer. The outbound collection prohibition does not apply to original creditors who are collecting on their own behalf. The prohibitions of this bill will remain in place for 60 days after the public health emergency concludes.