AB218: Bill Text

AB218,7,10 (p) "Record" means information that is inscribed on a tangible medium or that is stored in an electronic or other medium and is retrievable in perceivable form.

AB218,7,13 (q) "Settlement fee" means a charge imposed on or paid by an individual in connection with a creditor's assent to accept in full satisfaction of a debt an amount less than the principal amount of the debt.

AB218,7,15 (r) "Sign" means, with present intent to authenticate or adopt a record, any of the following:

AB218,7,16 1. To execute or adopt a tangible symbol.

AB218,7,18 2. To attach to or logically associate with the record an electronic sound, symbol, or process.

AB218,7,21 (s) "State" means a state of the United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin Islands, or any territory or insular possession subject to the jurisdiction of the United States.

AB218,7,23 (t) "Trust account" means an account held by a provider that is all of the following:

AB218,7,24 1. Established in an insured financial institution.

AB218,7,25 2. Separate from other accounts of the provider or its designee.

AB218,8,2 3. Designated as a trust account or other account designated to indicate that the money in the account is not the money of the provider or its designee.

AB218,8,4 4. Used to hold money of one or more individuals for disbursement to creditors of the individuals.

AB218,8,7 (3) Exempt agreements and persons. (a) This section does not apply to an agreement with an individual who the provider has no reason to know resides in this state at the time of the agreement.

AB218,8,9 (b) This section does not apply to a provider to the extent that the provider does any of the following:

AB218,8,12 1. Provides or agrees to provide debt-management, educational, or counseling services to an individual who the provider has no reason to know resides in this state at the time the provider agrees to provide the services.

AB218,8,16 2. Receives no compensation for debt-management services from or on behalf of the individuals to whom it provides the services or from their creditors, unless the services are provided free of charge with the intent of evading the provisions of this section.

AB218,8,19 (c) This section does not apply to any of the following persons or their employees when the person or the employee is engaged in the regular course of the person's business or profession:

AB218,8,21 1. A judicial officer, a person acting under an order of a court or an administrative agency, or an assignee for the benefit of creditors.

AB218,8,22 2. A financial institution.

AB218,8,24 3. An affiliate, as defined in sub. (2) (a) 2. a., of a financial institution if the affiliate is regulated by a federal or state banking regulatory authority.

AB218,9,3 4. A title insurer, escrow company, or other person, that provides bill-paying services, if the provision of debt-management services is incidental to the bill-paying services.

AB218,9,6 5. An attorney licensed or otherwise authorized to practice law in this state who provides legal services in an attorney-client relationship, if the provision of debt-management services is incidental to the provision of legal services.

AB218,9,10 6. A certified public accountant licensed to provide accounting services in this state who provides accounting services in an accountant-client relationship, if the provision of debt-management services is incidental to the provision of accounting services.

AB218,9,14 (4) License required. (a) Except as otherwise provided in par. (b), a provider may not provide debt-management services to an individual who it reasonably should know resides in this state at the time it agrees to provide the services, unless the provider is licensed under this section.

AB218,9,16 (b) If a provider is licensed under this section, par. (a) does not apply to an employee or agent of the provider.

AB218,9,18 (c) The division shall maintain and publicize a list of the names of all licensed providers.

AB218,9,20 (5) Application for license: form, fee, and accompanying documents. (a) An application for licensure as a provider must be in a form prescribed by the division.

AB218,9,22 (b) Subject to adjustment of dollar amounts pursuant to sub. (31) (f), an application for licensure as a provider must be accompanied by all of the following:

AB218,9,23 1. The fee established by the division.

AB218,9,24 2. The bond required by sub. (13).

AB218,10,2 3. Identification of all trust accounts required by sub. (21) and an irrevocable consent authorizing the division to review and examine the trust accounts.

AB218,10,4 4. Evidence of insurance in the amount of $250,000 that satisfies all of the following:

AB218,10,7 a. The insurance is against the risks of dishonesty, fraud, theft, and other misconduct on the part of the applicant or a director, employee, or agent of the applicant.

AB218,10,9 b. The insurance is issued by an insurance company authorized to do business in this state and rated at least "A" by a nationally recognized rating organization.

AB218,10,10 c. The insurance has no deductible.

AB218,10,12 d. The insurance is payable to the applicant, the individuals who have agreements with the applicant, and this state, as their interests may appear.

AB218,10,14 e. The insurance is not subject to cancellation by the applicant without the approval of the division.

AB218,10,16 5. If applicable, proof of compliance with s. 178.45, 180.1501, 181.1501, or 183.1002.

AB218,10,19 6. If the applicant is organized as a not-for-profit entity or is exempt from taxation, evidence of not-for-profit and tax-exempt status applicable to the applicant under the Internal Revenue Code, 26 USC 501.

AB218,10,21 7. If the applicant is a corporation or limited liability company organized under the laws of another state, a certificate of good standing issued by the other state.

AB218,10,24 (6) Application for license: required information. An application for licensure must be signed and verified under oath or affirmation and include all of the following:

AB218,11,3 (a) The applicant's name, principal business address and telephone number, and all other business addresses in this state, electronic-mail addresses, and Internet Web site addresses.

AB218,11,4 (b) All names under which the applicant conducts business.

AB218,11,7 (c) The address of each location in this state at which the applicant will provide debt-management services or a statement that the applicant will have no such location.

AB218,11,11 (d) The title, name, and home address of each officer and director of the applicant; the percentage ownership, if any, of the applicant held by each officer and director; and the name and home address of each person that owns at least 10 percent of the applicant.

AB218,11,15 (e) Identification of every jurisdiction in which, during the 5 years immediately preceding the application the applicant or any of its officers or directors has been licensed or registered to provide debt-management services, or in which individuals have resided when they received debt-management services from the applicant.

AB218,11,19 (f) A statement describing all of the following, to the extent it is known or should be known by the applicant, in any jurisdiction against the applicant, any of its officers, directors, owners, or agents, or any person who is authorized to have access to the trust account required by sub. (21):

AB218,11,20 1. All criminal convictions.

AB218,11,22 2. All actions by governmental agencies, and all judgments, relevant to the provision of debt-management services.

AB218,11,24 3. All pending charges, actions, suits, and claims, relevant to the provision of debt-management services.

AB218,12,4 (g) The applicant's financial statements, audited by an accountant licensed to conduct audits, for each of the 2 years immediately preceding the application or, if it has not been in operation for the 2 years preceding the application, for the period of its existence.

AB218,12,6 (h) Evidence of accreditation by an independent accrediting organization approved by the division.

AB218,12,8 (i) Evidence that, within 12 months after initial employment, each of the applicant's counselors becomes certified as a certified counselor.

AB218,12,11 (j) A description of the 3 most commonly used educational programs that the applicant provides or intends to provide to individuals who reside in this state and a copy of any materials used or to be used in those programs.

AB218,12,14 (k) A description of the applicant's financial analysis and initial budget plan, including any form or electronic model, used to evaluate the financial condition of individuals.

AB218,12,16 (L) A copy of each form of agreement that the applicant will use with individuals who reside in this state.

AB218,12,18 (m) The schedule of fees and charges that the applicant will use with individuals who reside in this state.

AB218,12,21 (n) At the applicant's expense, the results of a criminal-records check, including fingerprints, conducted within the immediately preceding 12 months, covering all of the following:

AB218,12,22 1. Every officer of the applicant.

AB218,12,24 2. Every employee or agent of the applicant who is authorized to have access to the trust account required by sub. (21).

AB218,13,2 (o) The names and addresses of all employers of each director during the 10 years immediately preceding the application.

AB218,13,4 (p) A description of any ownership interest of at least 10 percent by a director, owner, or employee of the applicant in all of the following:

AB218,13,5 1. Any affiliate of the applicant.

AB218,13,7 2. Any entity that provides products or services to the applicant or any individual relating to the applicant's debt-management services.

AB218,13,11 (q) A statement of the amount of compensation of the applicant's 5 most highly compensated employees for each of the 3 years immediately preceding the application or, if it has not been in operation for the 3 years preceding the application, for the period of its existence.

AB218,13,13 (r) The identity of each director who is an affiliate, as defined in sub. (2) (a) 1. or 2. a., 2. b., 2. d., 2. e., or 2. f., of the applicant.

AB218,13,15 (s) Any other information that the division reasonably requires to perform the division's duties under sub. (9).

AB218,13,18 (7) Application for license: obligation to update information. An applicant or licensed provider shall notify the division within 10 days after a change in the information specified in sub. (5) (b) 4. or 6. or (6) (a), (c), (f), (L), or (m).

AB218,13,23 (8) Application for license: public information. Except for the information required by sub. (6) (g), (n), and (q) and the addresses required by sub. (6) (d), which the division shall withhold from inspection and copying under s. 19.35 (1), the division shall make all other information in an application for licensure as a provider available to the public.

AB218,14,3 (9) License: issuance or denial. (a) Except as otherwise provided in pars. (b) and (c), the division shall issue a license as a provider to a person that complies with subs. (5) and (6).

AB218,14,4 (b) The division may deny licensure if any of the following apply:

AB218,14,5 1. The application is incomplete or contains erroneous information.

AB218,14,8 2. An officer, director, or owner of the applicant has been convicted of a crime, or suffered a civil judgment, involving dishonesty or the violation of state or federal securities laws.

AB218,14,10 3. The applicant or any of its officers, directors, or owners has defaulted in the payment of money collected for others.

AB218,14,13 4. The division finds that the financial responsibility, experience, character, or general fitness of the applicant or its owners, directors, employees, or agents does not warrant belief that the business will be operated in compliance with this section.

AB218,14,14 (c) The division shall deny licensure if any of the following apply:

AB218,14,15 1. The application is not accompanied by the fee established by the division.

AB218,14,16 2. The application is not accompanied by a bond under sub. (13).

AB218,14,20 3. With respect to an applicant that is organized as a not-for-profit entity or has obtained tax-exempt status under the Internal Revenue Code, 26 USC 501, the applicant's board of directors is not independent of the applicant's employees and agents.

AB218,14,22 4. The applicant has been certified under s. 73.0301 by the department of revenue as being liable for delinquent taxes.

AB218,15,4 5. If the applicant is an individual, the applicant has failed to comply, after appropriate notice, with a subpoena or warrant issued by the department of workforce development or a county child support agency under s. 59.53 (5) and related to paternity or child support proceedings and is delinquent in making court-ordered payments of child or family support, maintenance, birth expenses, medical expenses or other expenses related to the support of a child or former spouse, as provided in a memorandum of understanding entered into under s. 49.857.

AB218,15,6 (d) Subject to adjustment of the dollar amount pursuant to sub. (31) (f), a board of directors is not independent for purposes of par. (c) if any of the following apply:

AB218,15,8 1. More than one-fourth of its members are affiliates of the applicant, as defined in sub. (2) (a) 1. or 2. a., 2. b., 2. d., 2. e., or 2. f.

AB218,15,12 2. After the date 10 years before first becoming a director of the applicant, more than one-fourth of its members were employed by or directors of a person that received from the applicant more than $25,000 in either the current year or the preceding year.

AB218,15,18 (10) License: timing. (a) The division shall approve or deny an initial license as a provider within 120 days after an application is filed. In connection with a request pursuant to sub. (6) (s) for additional information, the division may extend the 120-day period for not more than 60 days. Within 7 days after denying an application, the division, in a record, shall inform the applicant of the reasons for the denial.

AB218,15,21 (b) If the division denies an application for licensure as a provider or does not act on an application within the time prescribed in sub. (1), the applicant may appeal and request a hearing pursuant to subch. III of ch. 227.

AB218,15,22 (c) Subject to subs. (11) (d) and (33), a license as a provider is valid for one year.

AB218,15,24 (11) Renewal of license. (a) A provider must obtain a renewal of its license annually.

AB218,16,3 (b) An application for renewal of licensure as a provider must be in a form prescribed by the division, signed and verified under oath or affirmation, and must satisfy all of the following:

AB218,16,4 1. Be filed no fewer than 30 and no more than 60 days before the license expires.