,i  #aacth ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #dfbd  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,may #i1 #bjad ,mr4  
,cartwright introduced the following    
bill2 which was referred to the         
,committee on ,financial ,services1 and 
in addition to the ,committee on the    
,judiciary1 for a period to be          
subsequently determined by the ,speaker1
 in each case for consideration of such 
provisions as fall within the           
jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
,a ,,bill  ,to amend the ,fair ,debt    
,collection ,practices ,act to prohibit 
a court from making an award of costs to
 a defendant except on a finding that an
 action was brought in bad faith4  #a4  
,short title ,this ,act may be cited as 
the ,fair ,debt ,collections ,practices 
,clarification ,act of #bjad4  #b4      
,clarification that no award of costs   
may be made against consumers except    
where action brought in bad faith       
,section #hac7;a77#c7 of the ,fair ,debt
 ,collection ,practices ,act 7#ae       

,u4,s4,c4 #afibk7a77#c77 is amended by  
adding at the end the following3 ,a     
court may only make an award of costs   
and attorney fees to the defendant on a 
finding that an action under this       
section was brought in bad faith and for
 the purpose of harassment1 and may not 
make an award of costs or attorney fees 
otherwise44