Stop Predatory Bail Contracts Act

Bill: 115-hr-2395
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Torres, Norma J. [D-CA-35]
Introduced: 2017-05-04
Policy area: Commerce
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures

Consumer affairs

Criminal procedure and sentencing

Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
Latest action: action_date: 2017-05-05
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Digital Commerce and Consumer Protection.

Summaries:
action_date: 2017-05-04
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><b>Stop Predatory Bail Contracts Act</b></p> <p>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.</p> <p>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.</p>

tv_txt: I 115th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 2395 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES May 4, 2017 Mrs. Torres (for herself, Mr. Gutiérrez , 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.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Stop Predatory Bail Contracts Act . 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.