Title: Stop Predatory Bail Contracts Act
Policy area: Commerce

Summary:
Stop Predatory Bail Contracts Act
This bill requires the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to limit the fee that bail bond agents or persons underwriting or insuring the provision of a bail bond may charge for an ankle monitor or homing device that they require an accused individual to wear as a condition on issuing a bond for his or her appearance in court. The fee may not exceed the cost of maintaining and operating such monitor or device.
The bill provides the FTC with authority to enforce against violations, which shall be treated as unfair or deceptive acts or practices under Federal Trade Commission Act.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2395 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2395

To direct the Federal Trade Commission to issue regulations to prohibit 
any bail bond agent or person who underwrites or insures the provision 
of a bail bond who require a bonded individual to wear an ankle monitor 
   or other homing device as a condition on issuing such a bond from 
 charging any fee associated with such monitor or device that exceeds 
 the cost to the bail bond agent or person who underwrites or insures 
the provision of a bail bond of maintaining and operating such monitor 
                               or device.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 4, 2017

 Mrs. Torres (for herself, Mr. Gutierrez, and Ms. Jayapal) introduced 
 the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and 
                                Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To direct the Federal Trade Commission to issue regulations to prohibit 
any bail bond agent or person who underwrites or insures the provision 
of a bail bond who require a bonded individual to wear an ankle monitor 
   or other homing device as a condition on issuing such a bond from 
 charging any fee associated with such monitor or device that exceeds 
 the cost to the bail bond agent or person who underwrites or insures 
the provision of a bail bond of maintaining and operating such monitor 
                               or device.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Stop Predatory Bail Contracts Act''.

SEC. 2. PROHIBITION ON FEES FOR ANKLE MONITORS ASSOCIATED WITH BAIL 
              BONDS.

    (a) FTC Rulemaking.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Federal Trade Commission shall promulgate 
regulations under section 553 of title 5, United States Code, to 
prohibit a bail bond agent or person who underwrites or insures the 
provision of bail bond who require an individual for whom a bond is 
provided to wear an ankle monitor or other homing device as a condition 
on issuing such a bond from charging any fee associated with such 
monitor or device that exceeds the cost to the bail bond agent or 
person who underwrites or insures the provision of a bail bond of 
maintaining and operating such monitor or device.
    (b) Enforcement.--
            (1) Treatment of violation as unfair or deceptive act or 
        practice.--A violation of a regulation issued under subsection 
        (a) shall be treated as a violation of a rule defining an 
        unfair or deceptive act or practice prescribed under section 
        18(a)(1)(B) of the Federal Trade Commission Act (15 U.S.C. 
        57a(a)(1)(B)).
            (2) FTC authority.--The Federal Trade Commission shall 
        enforce this Act in the same manner, by the same means, and 
        with the same jurisdiction, powers, and duties as though all 
        applicable terms and provisions of the Federal Trade Commission 
        Act (15 U.S.C. 41 et seq.) were incorporated into and made a 
        part of this Act.
    (c) Definition.--The term ``bail bond agent'' means any person that 
will act as a surety and pledge money or property as bail for the 
appearance of individuals accused in court.
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