,i  #aafth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #ejac  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,november #h1        
#bjai,mr4 ,lawson of ,florida introduced
 the following bill2 which was referred 
to the ,committee on ,financial         
,services  ,a ,,bill  ,to apply the     
,fair ,debt ,collection ,practices ,act 
to small businesses to the same extent  
as such ,act applies to consumers1 to   
require the ,director of the ,bureau of 
,consumer ,financial ,protection to     
define small business for purposes of   
such ,act1 and for other purposes4  #a4 
,short title ,this ,act may be cited as 
the ,small ,business ,fair ,debt        
,collection ,protection ,act4  #b4 ,fair
 debt collection practices for loans to 
small businesses  7a7 ,in general ,the  
,fair ,debt ,collection ,practices ,act 
7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #afib et seq47 is        
amended--  7#a7 in section #hjc1 by     
amending paragraph 7#e7 to read as      
follows3  7#e7 ,the term debt means any 
obligation or alleged obligation to pay 

money arising out of a transaction1     
whether or not such obligation has been 
reduced to judgment4  2  7#b7 by        
redesignating section #hai as section   
#hbj2 and  7#c7 by inserting after      
section #hah the following3  #hai4      
,application to small businesses  7a7   
,in general ,this ,act shall apply to   
small businesses to the same extent as  
this ,act applies to consumers4  7b7    
,small business defined ,the ,director  
of the ,bureau1 in consultation with the
 ,administrator of the ,small ,business 
,administration1 shall issue a rule to  
define the term small business for      
purposes of this section4  4  7b7       
,clerical amendment ,the table of       
contents for the ,fair ,debt ,collection
 ,practices ,act is amended by striking 
the item relating to section #hai and   
inserting the following3  #hai4         
,application to small businesses4 #hbj4 
,effective date4  4  7c7 ,prohibition on
 harassment or abuse ,section #hjf7c7 of
 the ,fair ,debt ,collection ,practices 

,act 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #afib;d7 is         
amended-- 7#a7 by striking consumers who
 and inserting consumers or small       
businesses that2 and  7#b7 by inserting 
1 to a commercial credit bureau1 after  
consumer reporting agency4