I 
108TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3066
To amend the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act to make certain technical 
corrections, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
SEPTEMBER 10, 2003
Mr. GARRETT of New Jersey (for himself, Mr. ANDREWS, Mrs. KELLY, Mr. 
MURPHY, Mr. BEREUTER, Mr. BOYD, Mr. RAMSTAD, Mr. MOORE, Mr. 
CARTER, Mr. MCCOTTER, Mr. FEENEY, Ms. GINNY BROWN-WAITE of 
Florida, Mr. HENSARLING, and Ms. HART) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Financial Services 
A BILL 
To amend the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act to make 
certain technical corrections, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Clarifications to the 
Fair Debt Collection Practices Act’’.
SEC. 2. ELIMINATING REQUIREMENT FOR THE ‘‘VALIDA-
TION NOTICE’’ IN FORMAL PLEADINGS. 
Section 809 of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act 
(15 U.S.C. 1692g) is amended by adding at the end the 
following new subsection: 
‘‘(d) FORMAL PLEADINGS EXCLUDED.—Communica-
tions which are formal pleadings in a civil action shall not 
be considered communications for purposes of this title.’’
SEC. 3. CODIFICATION OF THE CONSUMER VALIDATION NO-
TICE. 
Section 809 of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act 
(15 U.S.C. 1692g) is amended—
(1) in the portion of subsection (a) that pre-
cedes paragraph (1), by inserting ‘‘a written notice 
described in subsection (e) or’’ before ‘‘a written no-
tice’’; and 
(2) by inserting after subsection (d) (as added 
by section 2 of this Act) the following new sub-
section: 
‘‘(e) ALTERNATIVE VERSION OF NOTICE.—A notice 
is described in this subsection for purposes of subsection 
(a) if the notice contains—
‘‘(1) the amount of the debt; 
‘‘(2) the name of the creditor to whom the debt 
is owed; and
‘‘(3) a statement containing the following: ‘Un-
less you notify this office within 30 days after re-
ceiving this notice that you dispute the validity of 
this debt or any portion thereof, this office will as-
sume this debt is valid. If you notify this office in 
writing within 30 days from receiving this notice 
that you dispute the validity of this debt or any por-
tion thereof, this office will obtain verification of the 
debt or obtain a copy of a judgment and provide you 
with a copy of such judgment or verification. If you 
request of this office in writing within 30 days after 
receiving this notice this office will provide you with 
the name and address of the original creditor, if dif-
ferent from the current creditor.’ ’’. 
SEC. 4. CLARIFYING RIGHT TO COLLECT WITHIN THE 
FIRST 30 DAYS. 
Section 809(b) of the Fair Debt Collection Practices 
Act (15 U.S.C. 1692g(b)) is amended by striking ‘‘If the 
consumer’’ and inserting ‘‘Collection activities and com-
munications may continue during the thirty-day period. 
However, if the consumer’’. 
SEC. 5. CLARIFYING THE REFERENCE TO ‘‘ATTORNEY’’ AND 
‘‘REASONABLE TIME’’. 
The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act is amended—
(1) in section 804(6) (15 U.S.C. 1692b(6))—
(A) by striking ‘‘an attorney’’ and insert-
ing ‘‘an attorney at law’’; and 
(B) by striking ‘‘a reasonable period of 
time’’ and inserting ‘‘30 days’’; and 
(2) 
in 
section 
805(a)(2) 
(15 
U.S.C. 
1692c(a)(2))—
(A) by striking ‘‘an attorney’’ and insert-
ing ‘‘an attorney at law’’; and 
(B) by striking ‘‘a reasonable period of 
time’’ and inserting ‘‘30 days’’. 
SEC. 6. CEASING COMMUNICATIONS. 
Subsection (c) of section 805 of the Fair Debt Collec-
tion Practices Act (15 U.S.C. 1692c(c)) is amended to 
read as follows: 
‘‘(c) CEASING COMMUNICATION.—
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—If a consumer notifies a 
debt collector in writing that the consumer refuses 
to pay a debt or that the consumer wishes the debt 
collector to cease further communication with the 
consumer, the debt collector shall not communicate 
further with the consumer with respect to such debt, 
except for one additional communication which may 
be made by the debt collector for any of the fol-
lowing purposes (however many may apply):
‘‘(A) To advise the consumer that the debt 
collector’s further efforts are being terminated. 
‘‘(B) To notify the consumer that the debt 
collector or creditor may invoke specified rem-
edies which are ordinarily invoked by such debt 
collector or creditor. 
‘‘(C) Where applicable, to notify the con-
sumer that the debt collector or creditor intends 
to invoke a specified remedy. 
‘‘(2) EFFECTIVE DATE OF NOTICE.—If a notice 
referred to in paragraph (1) from a consumer is 
made by mail, notification shall be complete upon re-
ceipt.’’. 
SEC. 7. THE ‘‘BRADY AMENDMENT’’. 
Section 807(8) of the Fair Debt Collection Practices 
Act (15 U.S.C. Section 1692e(8)) is amended by striking 
‘‘disputed debt’’ and inserting ‘‘debt which has been dis-
puted by the consumer in writing’’. 
SEC. 8. VALIDATION OF DEBTS. 
Section 809(a)(3) of the Fair Debt Collection Prac-
tices Act (15 U.S.C. 1692g(a)(3)) is amended by inserting 
‘‘in writing,’’ after ‘‘any portion thereof,’’.
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