NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY

OFFICE OF ASSEMBLYMEMBER ARAVELLA SIMOTAS

For Immediate Release
May 30 !0"#
Co$ta%t& 'im M%Fadde$ (")*+#+*3)),
Simotas Bill to Protect Debtors Passes Assembly
Measure will combat harassment by creditors
Al-a$y N.Y./ O$ T01rsday Assem-lymem-er Ara2ella Simotas a$$o1$%ed t0at 0er
le3islatio$ to 4rote%t Ne5 Yor6ers a3ai$st im4ro4er de-t %olle%tio$ ta%ti%s 4assed t0e
Ne5 Yor6 State Assem-ly. Simotas7s -ill is 4art o8 a %om4re0e$si2e le3islati2e 4a%6a3e
i$te$ded to e$s1re 3reater 8air$ess i$ t0e de-t %olle%tio$ 4ro%ess.
9T0ose 5or6i$3 to 4ay o88 t0eir de-ts are -ei$3 1$8airly 0arassed a$d tar3eted 5it0
i$timidati$3 s%are ta%ti%s -y %olle%tors: Simotas said. 9T0ese 4ra%ti%es tar3et de-tors at
t0eir 5or64la%es a$d 2ia 8amily mem-ers/e2e$ t0eir %0ildre$/a$d are 1$a%%e4ta-le.
My le3islatio$ e$s1res a %o$s1mer7s ri30t to s1e %reditors 8or t0ese 0arassme$t ta%ti%s
a$d im4oses 8i$es 8or im4ro4er de-t %olle%tio$ 4ro%ed1res.:
C1rre$tly t0ere is $o state stat1te 50i%0 e;4li%itly 4ermits de-tors to s1e 8or im4ro4er
%olle%tio$ 4ro%ed1res< o$ly 8ederal 4rote%tio$s e;ist. Simotas7s -ill %reates t0is state ri30t
a$d i8 si3$ed i$to la5 5ill lead to t0e red1%tio$ o8 s%are ta%ti%s 1sed -y 1$s%r141lo1s
%reditors.
T0e Assem-ly7s lar3er 4a%6a3e re3ardi$3 de-t %olle%tio$ also addresses 6ee4i$3 de-tors
i$8ormed o8 t0eir ri30ts -ri$3i$3 Ne5 Yor6 la5 i$ li$e 5it0 8ederal re31latio$s 1$der t0e
8ederal Fair =e-t Colle%tio$ >ra%ti%es A%t a$d 0el4s %o$s1mers e88e%ti2ely red1%e t0eir
de-t.
9No o$e s0o1ld ris6 losi$3 t0eir ?o- or ?eo4ardi@e t0eir 8amily sta-ility -e%a1se o8 t0e
s0ame81l ta%ti%s %reditors 1se a3ai$st 0ard5or6i$3 Ne5 Yor6ers: Simotas said. 9T0ose
i$di2id1als 5or6i$3 to re4ay t0eir de-ts s0o1ld -e a-le to do so 0o$estly 8airly a$d
5it0o1t 8ear or i$timidatio$. Certai$ly t0eir s4o1ses a$d %0ildre$ s0o1ld $ot -e dra33ed
i$to a dis41te. Asi$3 s%are ta%ti%s a3ai$st a$y 4erso$ -1t es4e%ially a %0ild is morally
i$%om4re0e$si-le a$d m1st e$d. :
B B B