THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

HOUSE BILL

INTRODUCED BY METZGAR, GABLER, GEIST, GROVE, HARHART, HESS, KORTZ, MAHER, MILLER, MURT, READSHAW, SWANGER, TOEPEL AND VULAKOVICH, JANUARY 19, 2011

REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY, JANUARY 19, 2011  

AN ACT

Amending Title 42 (Judiciary and Judicial Procedure) of the

Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, further providing for

collection of court costs, restitution and fines by private

collection agency.

The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

hereby enacts as follows:

Section 1.  Section 9730.1(c) of Title 42 of the Pennsylvania

Consolidated Statutes is amended to read:

§ 9730.1.  Collection of court costs, restitution and fines by

private collection agency.

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(c)  Limitations on private collection agencies.--For the

purposes of this section, a private collection agency shall

cease its efforts designed to collect fines, costs and

restitution and so inform the court or the county commissioners

upon the occurrence of any of the following:

(1)  the private collection agency considers the amount

owing noncollectible;

(2)  a period of [180 days] 48 months has elapsed since

referral of the amount owing to the private collection agency

and there has been no response by the defendant or collection

of moneys; or

(3)  upon demand of a judge of the court of common pleas

having jurisdiction over the defendant.

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Section 2.  This act shall take effect in 60 days.