Subcommittee approves bill making fake-lawsuit calls a consumer-protection violation

The Banking & Consumer Affairs Subcommittee voted to send House Bill 922 to the Commerce Committee after approving an amendment that makes it a consumer-protection violation to call someone, falsely claim they are involved in a lawsuit and then attempt to extract money.

Representative Bricken, chairman of the subcommittee, introduced the amendment. “The amendment makes a bill. This is, as a consumer protection violation to our statutes that says someone cannot call someone and claim they're involved in a lawsuit and then basically try to extort money from that person,” Chairman Bricken said.

There was no extended debate recorded. The clerk opened the vote and reported the tally: “Mr. Chairman, you have 6 ayes and 0 nos.” The subcommittee recorded that House Bill 922 will advance to the Commerce Committee.

The measure, as described in committee, targets fraudulent telephonic schemes that threaten legal action to coerce payment. No implementing dates, penalties beyond the Consumer Protection Act references, or amendments beyond the one described were specified in the transcript.

The committee took no additional formal direction to staff and did not attach ancillary materials or reporting requirements on the record.